This means that all reality in the book is quite consciously the construction of the narrator, which leads almost automatically to a reflection on the part of the reader as to the construction of their own reality -- just as the narrator in Invisible Man creates his own "truth" about what occurred in their past and in the world around them, through unconscious though necessary perspectives and perceptions, so too do all humans, right? This is one of the central assertions made by post-modernism, and in a world without any of the simple truths of nature everything truly does become man-made artifice. The definition of self is still technically possible, but it is ultimate meaningless as there is no truth behind it, or behind anything...
Truth might have been mutable in Modernism, but it is simply non-existent in Post-modernism.
Conclusion
Each of the works described above is quite typical of its period. They are all also masterpieces of American literature in their won right. The authors' create compelling philosophical and intellectual frameworks while also telling an engaging story, and this is ultimately the essence of good literature. Questions of identity will always continue to be of utmost importance in literary genres, and whether they are answered through some relationship with nature, with the self, or by a harsh and empty laugh that means there is no real answer, they will continue to make for compelling stories.
