Lyotard was a French philosopher known for his work on the "postmodern condition". He argued that grand narratives - overarching ideological explanations for how society works - were breaking down. Instead of one universal truth or story, we are moving towards many smaller "micro-narratives" as belief in grand narratives declines. Lyotard saw this as an increased awareness of diversity and difference between individuals.

1. Jean Francois
Lyotard
Attacking the
‘Grand Narrative’
What grand narrative
can be derived from the
common
Narratives/Plots/Storie
s
Not attacking the ideas
about narrative
structure but the
underlying moral values
and judgment

2. Lyotard
French Philosopher
His views on the ‘Postmodern
Condition’ became famous in the
1970’s
First person to use the term
Postmodern in the non art world

3. The Post Modern
“Simplifying to the extreme, I define postmodern
Condition
as incredulity towards grand-narratives”
Noun - The state of being unwilling or unable to
believe something.
Synonyms - disbelief - unbelief - scepticism distrust - mistrust
“A self does not amount to much, but no self is
an island; each exists in a fabric of relations
that is now more complex and mobile than ever
before.”
Lyotard argues that we have became more alert to
difference, diversity etc and instead we are
moving to micro-narratives where we each have our

4. Meta Narrative Grand NarrativeThis was an idea shared in part by Strinati
Truth - Ideology
“Postmodernism denies there can be any single
truth/reality”....
Braudrillard also shared this idea
“With the truth you need to get rid of it as
soon as possible....
One key Media Concept is Ideology
A system of ideas and ideals, esp. one that
forms the basis of economic or political
policy: "The ideas and manner of thinking of a
group, social class, or individual

5. What is the Grand
• Key ideologies or ways of explaining
Narrative
the world that most people accept/buy
into.
• ‘Truth’
• Happy ending
• Linear structure
(Three Act
Structure, Binary Opposes, Todorov)
as the ‘right way’ of presenting
media
• The
moral values encoded into the
text we read

6. Hollywood and the
Grand-Narrative
Handout

7. Examples from Media
text you know
The Grand Narrative
Comedy – Confusion/Issue/Problem to be
over come in order for Love to happen.
Overcoming the Monster in order to
restore peace
Tragedy – The flaws of humans cause bad
things to happen
Transformation – Rags to Riches tales
with happy ending
Voyage and Return – You need to journey
to restore normality
The Quest – Heroes fighting, striving
to do what is right and good
Rebirth or self discovery – making
yourself and your world better, safer.
Examples

8. What is the moral lesson
behind these Grand
Narrative?
The Grand Narrative
Comedy – Confusion/Issue/Problem to be
over come in order for Love to happen.
Overcoming the Monster in order to
restore peace
Tragedy – The flaws of humans cause
bad things to happen
Transformation – Rags to Riches tales
with happy ending
Voyage and Return – You need to
journey to restore normality
The Quest – Heroes fighting, striving
to do what is right and good
Rebirth or self discovery – making
yourself and your world better, safer.
The Moral Lesson/ Ideology Truth

9. Film/TV that reject the
Grand Narrative
Explain how they don’t
fit.

10. What are micro
• Small extremely personalised stories that may
narratives
have no great meaning
•
Everyone has their own ‘micro narrative’ and
your micro narrative is just as important as
anyone else's.
•
There may be no ‘story’ at all
•
Youtube, Twitter, Facebook
•
What things have been trending on Twitter
recently? What are the current ‘in’ things to be
watching on Youtube? What photos/ links/ images
are ‘doing the rounds’ on Facebook at the
moment?
•
What micro narrative do you have?

11. But isn’t Post
Modernism just
another Grand
Narrative
• ‘Ironically,
The Post Modern
Condition seems to offer its own
grand narrative in the story of the
decline of the meta narrative’
• Do
you agree or disagree with this
statement? Why? Why not?