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Title Tarantino's People: Deconstructions in Postmodernism.

Author(s) Amer Akhtar

Abstract ABSTRACT Thesis Title: Tarantino’s People: Deconstructions in Postmodernism The present study analyzes Quentin Tarantino’s characters in three of his films in the light of Fredric Jameson’s theorization of postmodernism to show that Tarantino’s characters are postmodern. The study looks at the characters in Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Inglourious Basterds, and contends that they illustrate the death of the subject through their lack of uniqueness and depthlessness. The subjects that Tarantino creates are ordinary, if not less than ordinary, individuals who strive to raise themselves above the ordinary. They may pick up fights or pretend to be somebodies but they fail to make any impression on the world around them. Tarantino’s characters lack depth and hide the lack of depth by putting on elaborate masquerades. Despite the power of the simulacra they create and are surrounded by— strong enough to make the characters believe it to be real—the reality remains that there is no reality to the subjects and thereby shows the waning of affect. The characters are also products of pastiche whereby they are modelled after images of the past and their meaning is actually a carryover from the meanings of the relatively original creations. The characters occupy hyperspaces that turn them into consumers of not just appliances but also the media, information, and knowledge.

Type Thesis/Dissertation PhD

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2018-05-22

Subject English Literature

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