THE INFLUENCE OF POSTMODERNISM ON 21ST -CENTURY STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES

Abstract

This paper explores the significant impact of postmodernist principles on contemporary storytelling practices in the 21st century. It analyzes how narrative fragmentation, metafiction, intertextuality, non-linear structures, and the blurring of boundaries between reality and fiction have become central techniques in modern literature, film, and digital media. Postmodernism's challenge to grand narratives and its emphasis on subjectivity, irony, and pastiche have reshaped the ways stories are constructed and interpreted. By examining key examples across various media, this study highlights how postmodernist influences continue to shape the narrative landscape, encouraging audiences to engage with stories in more critical and participatory ways.