Perspectives

Literary period

Published in 2016, Abigail Ulman’s short story “Frida Boyelski’s Shiva” fits the literary movement we call Postmodernism, which defines most literature published since the 1960s. Postmodernist works can be recognised through themes, context, and narrative techniques. In “Frida Boyelski’s Shiva”, we notice that the author explores themes such as misconceptions about gender and motherhood. These themes are recognisably postmodernist as postmodern works often focus on relationships, identity, and the ways in which people are shaped and influenced by society.

In terms of postmodernist narrative techniques, “Frida Boyelski’s Shiva” by Abigail Ulman uses strong imagery, focuses on the description of the events, but does not draw a conclusion or expres...