Authors

Sabina Agababayeva¹;  ¹ Baku Slavic University, Azerbaidjan

Discussion

This research highlights postmodernism’s critical stance toward established traditions and their transformative impact on Azerbaijani literature
The emergence of postmodernism in Azerbaijani literature at the end of the 20th century marked a critical turning point that disrupted and redefined existing literary paradigms. Postmodernism, often characterized by its ambiguity and complexity, has sparked diverse and even contentious interpretations within Azerbaijani literary discourse, as its inherently open-ended nature resists clear definition. This lack of definitive structure allows postmodernism to be understood subjectively, shaped by individual perceptions and intellectual frameworks (Qaragözova 2020). Scholars such as Qorxmaz Guliyev (2019), Rəhilə Guliyeva (2017), and Asif Hajiyev (2018) have grappled with postmodernism's challenge to established norms, examining whether postmodernism represents a genuine paradigm shift or merely a conceptual invention within literary theory.
At its core, postmodernism is situated in direct opposition to modernism, deriving its identity by contesting and re-evaluating modernist principles. While modernism itself once rejected classical values and historical traditions, postmodernism subverts modernism’s theoretical and ideological boundaries. Scholars highlight this tension, arguing that postmodernism's rejection of modernism exemplifies a "negation of negation," where modernism’s radical departure from classical art becomes itself a tradition subjected to critique and transformation in the postmodern era (Guliyev 2019).
This study examines how Azerbaijani postmodernist literature embodies this rejection and disrupts the established literary canon, underscoring the ongoing dialogue between innovation and tradition in literary evolution.