The history of Western literature is a dualistic history. It begins with
two separate traditions: Hellenism and Hebratism. The spirits of values
these two traditions represent seldom blend equally at any supposed period
of the history. The Classical period and Modernist movement aare dominated
by Hellenistic qualities whereas the Romantic period and the postmodern
movement are dominated by Hebraic spirits. In fact, the Postmodern style
seems to be the result of pushing the Romantic movement, with its
Herbraic/Dionysian tendencies, to an extreme. Many Postmodern
characteristics cab traced back logically to Romantic attributes. This
logical inference can be confirmed through factual evidence. After
considering the seven factors-world, medium, language, author, reader,
work, and theme-involved in literature as a means of communication, we
cannot but admit that the Romantic spirit of loving freedom, change and
difference has really brought about the Postmodern style, the fin-de-siecle
trend of worshiping Chaos of anti-form, anti-literature. But this, we can
predict, is likewise only a phase of the changing history. When the
Hellenistic/Apollonian values become dominant again, the golden age of art
may return with a new vigor
