"Bright Light, Big City". "Losing" and "getting lost" in postmodern New York

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• 80s life in the US - The setting
• Elite vs. mass culture
  • New York and its residents
  • Clubs & drug culture
  • Amanda and hyperreality
• Reality between fact and fiction
  • Postmodern tensions between fact and fiction
  • The flight into fiction
• The de-centered subject
  • "standing outside yourself"
  • Mother-son-relationship
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of Jay McInerney's debut novel, Bright Lights, Big City, focusing on its portrayal of postmodern anxieties and the protagonist's journey of self-discovery in the urban landscape of 1980s New York. The analysis will consider the novel's setting, characters, and thematic elements within the broader context of postmodernism, exploring the interplay between fact and fiction, the decentered subject, and the impact of consumerism and drug culture on individual identity.

• The impact of postmodernism on urban life and individual identity
• The tension between fact and fiction in a hyperreal world
• The fragmented and decentered subject in a consumerist society
• The role of drugs and nightlife in escaping reality
• The influence of mass culture and media on individual experience

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the novel, its context, and the critical reception it received. It highlights the novel's relevance for understanding the anxieties and experiences of a generation grappling with postmodern themes in a rapidly changing urban environment.
• 80s life in the US - The setting: This chapter explores the social and cultural landscape of 1980s New York, highlighting the influence of consumerism, drug culture, and the rise of the yuppie generation. It examines the ways in which these factors shaped the protagonist's life and his journey of self-discovery.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis explores the key themes of postmodernism, urban life, identity, hyperreality, consumerism, drug culture, and the decentered subject in the context of Jay McInerney's Bright Lights, Big City. The analysis draws upon the theoretical frameworks of prominent postmodern thinkers such as Jean Baudrillard, Fredric Jameson, and Jean-François Lyotard to understand the novel's portrayal of these themes and their impact on the protagonist's experience.