Language, Masculinity, and Existential Crisis: A Discourse Analysis of Postmodern English Fiction

Abstract

This study examines the representation of male existential crises in postmodern English literature through a linguistic and literary analysis of discourse features. By analyzing the works of David Foster Wallace, Don DeLillo, Bret Easton Ellis, Joseph Heller, and Thomas Pynchon, the research explores how fragmented dialogue, unreliable narration, repetition, silence, stream of consciousness, rhetorical questions, contradictions, and self-referential discourse articulate existentialist themes. Findings suggest that these narrative and linguistic techniques not only reflect characters' struggles with alienation, absurdity, and identity crises but also reinforce the postmodern critique of language and meaning. The study further situates these findings within broader cultural discussions on masculinity and emotional repression, illustrating how language constructs and constrains male existential experience. The implications extend to both literary and linguistic scholarship, emphasizing the role of discourse in shaping existential thought. Future research could explore gender variations in existential representation or extend the analysis beyond English-language postmodernism.

Keywords: existentialism, postmodern literature, discourse analysis, identity crisis, masculinity, fragmentation, unreliable narration, rhetorical questions, self-referential discourse

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/15-6-03

Publication date: July 28^th 2025