8 characteristics of CONTEMPORARY literature and examples

The characteristics of contemporary literature are a more personal point of view, more narrators or the use of innovative narrative resources, etc. Contemporary literature is that which has been composed in recent times and at present. The limit can be considered to be located at the end of the 19th century, but in general the key moment is taken as the end of World War II, in 1945.

This type of writing that is closest to us has certain remarkable features and in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we want to explain to you what are the characteristics of contemporary literature, in addition to giving you some examples.

The characteristics of contemporary literature They are marked by the change in the way of life of society after the Second World War. After all, when you start to write your own texts, you should take into account the period in which you are immersed, since that will help you acquire a good literary style. Some of the most important characteristics to take into account of contemporary literature are the following.

It offers a much more personal point of view

Works of contemporary literature reflect the social and political views of their authors, without the need to repress ideas. These ideas and concepts are shown through the characters, the relationships they have with regarding the events that surround them and the socioeconomic messages of the books that are published in Yeah.

The multiple narrators

In most of the works, the figure of a narrator who knows everything is eliminated, which means that there is not only a single point of view and that the reader is able to better empathize with the story. There are as many points of view as narrators. However, in most cases, the author disagrees with the reality that he describes and wants to show it openly to his readers so that they do something about it.

Narrative resources are more innovative

Contemporary literature is born from a radical break with the narrative techniques that had been used up to now. This type of writing uses avant-garde narrative resources, such as the modification of the time line and the presentation of the inner world of the characters through their inner monologues. A character is not only defined by what he does or how he talks, but we can get right into his deepest thoughts.

The realism

Realism as a narrative technique represents a breakthrough in contemporary literature of the twentieth century. It is not necessary for the characters to live major events in their lives, but their way of seeing life and relating to others is already interesting enough for the readers. This revolutionary technique is marked by a deep social and political character.

current issues

Most of the topics that contemporary literature talks about have to do with the problems that a sector of society is going through at that very moment. The problems that overwhelm us now they are the ones that are dealt with in the books, such as globalization, gender, race, inequality, climate change, the environment, terrorism, wars, etc.

Lots of WWII influence

Works of contemporary literature talk about how society lived the end of World War II. On the one hand, you see the despair of people who have lost everything or ethnic groups that are still discriminated against; however, on the other hand, one can see the prosperous lifestyle that followed the war for many families. This prosperous style always has its roots in the devastation that war brought to the world. In a Teacher we leave you the historical context of contemporary literature so that you better understand the environment in which he was born.

Mix of the fictional world with the real

In contemporary literature we do not find a very defined line between fiction and non-fiction, so these limits tend to blur. This concept is known as "the crossovers." Fiction writers base their stories on real life events and may even include completely authentic material. On the other hand, nonfiction authors bring historical figures to life by incorporating their thoughts, dialogue, or imaginary scenes.

Some examples of the most famous works of contemporary literature They can help you to understand well the characteristics of this style of writing. We recommend that you choose the one that most attracts your attention, that you go to the library to look for the book and that you dare to enter its world:

• Truce by Mario Benedetti
• The city and the Dogs by Mario Vargas Llosa
• General sing by Pablo Neruda
• The tunnel by Ernesto Sabato
• Complete works by Jorge Luis Borges
• huasipungo by Jorge Icaza Coronel
• Hopscotchby Julio Florencio Cortazar
• corn man by Miguel Angel Asturias
• one hundred years of solitudeby Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• how to kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Chronicles of the Cazalet by Elizabeth Jane Howard
• tokyo blues by Haruki Murakami
• For whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
• Age of Enlightenment by Alejo Carpentier
• call me by your name by André Aciman
• The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
• The pillars of the earth by Ken Follett

In unProfesor we discover the main authors and works of contemporary literature.

Now that you know the characteristics of contemporary literature and you have seen some examples, can you identify which of the works you have read belong to this period? If you are interested in continuing to learn more about this subject, do not hesitate to consult our section on the history of literature, where we will present you all the eras through which literature has gone through and what are the characteristics of each one of them.