Fake it Till You Make it: Fraudulence and Performance in Postmodern American Literature

Abstract

In the realm of contemporary literature, the portrayal of fraudulent characters has become increasingly widespread, reflecting the complexities and anxieties of the postmodern era. This thesis is dedicated to the exploration of fraud characters within postmodern American literature, attempting to understand their role in reflecting social expectations, the ambivalence between authenticity and artificiality, performative behaviors and the implications for individual identity formation. Through an analysis involving sociology, philosophy, and literary criticism, this study will attempt to outline the features of a phenomenon regarding not only certain members of the society, but all of us. The primary bibliography of this thesis will be composed, respectively, of one short story and one novel belonging to postmodern American fiction: "Good Old Neon" by David Foster Wallace and "Leaving the Atocha Station" by Ben Lerner.