Perspectives

Literary period

Published in 2016, “Machine Man” by Marlish Glorie is a contemporary piece of fiction. Most contemporary fiction belongs to the literary movement called Postmodernism, which started in the 1960s.

Given the large amount of time that Postmodernism has been around, the movement includes all kinds of authors and features. For example, postmodernist writers often use first-person unreliable narrators – a technique also present in “Machine Man”, as it is unclear to what extent Paul comes to believe that the old lady is truly his mother. Additionally, postmodernist writers prefer setting the plots in contemporary society and exploring contemporary issues. Glorie’s story looks at cognitive disability, prejudices, bullying, exploitation, and life in a nursing home in today’s society.

Works with the same theme

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