Perspectives

Literary period

Dean Koontz’s short story “Kittens” was first published in 1966. Due to the nature of the themes it discusses and its structure, we could say that “Kittens” can be classified as a postmodernist work. Postmodernism is a hard-to-classify genre, as it contains a broad range of styles and topics. However, many postmodernist works tackle difficult and controversial themes and prefer sudden, open endings, such as the one in “Kittens”. Switching perspectives in the narration, sometimes abruptly, is also a postmodernist trait. Although most of the events in “Kittens” follow Marnie’s point of view, the perspective shifts to Walter Caufield during the final events. Postmodernist writers also prefer a narrator with limited knowledge.

The short story also contains traits of ...