### **Abstract**
This dissertation examines the television series *Pretty Little Liars* (2010–2017) through a postmodern lens, analyzing its narrative structure, intertextuality, and thematic engagement with identity, surveillance, and truth. Drawing on postmodern theories by Jean Baudrillard, Fredric Jameson, and Linda Hutcheon, this study explores how the series deconstructs traditional storytelling tropes, blurs reality and fiction, and reflects the fragmented cultural landscape of the digital age.
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### **I. Introduction**
- *Pretty Little Liars* (PLL) is a cultural phenomenon, blending elements of mystery, thriller, teen drama, and soap opera.
- This analysis situates PLL as a postmodern text that challenges conventional narrative and thematic expectations.
- Key questions: How does *Pretty Little Liars* reflect postmodern concerns with truth, identity, and surveillance? In what ways does the series embody intertextuality and hyperreality?
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### **II. Narrative Fragmentation and Multiplicity**
#### **1. The Rhizomatic Plot**
- Drawing from Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of the rhizome, PLL’s narrative is non-linear and decentralized.
- Multiple plotlines, red herrings, and unreliable narrators create a labyrinthine structure that resists closure or singular interpretation.
- Example: The constantly shifting identity of “A” mirrors the postmodern rejection of a singular, stable truth.
#### **2. Endless Deferral of Meaning**
- The series thrives on deferring resolution, echoing Derrida’s concept of différance.
- Each answer in PLL generates new questions, perpetuating a cycle of ambiguity and suspicion.
- This narrative strategy reflects the postmodern distrust of grand narratives and authoritative truths.
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### **III. Hyperreality and the Simulacrum**
#### **1. Surveillance Culture**
- PLL is steeped in the aesthetics and anxieties of surveillance, with “A” functioning as an omniscient, unseen manipulator.
- Jean Baudrillard’s concept of the simulacrum is evident in how characters’ lives are mediated through technology—texts, videos, and social media often distort or replace reality.
- Example: The girls’ paranoia and inability to distinguish real threats from fabricated ones underscore the hyperreal nature of their world.
#### **2. Identity as Performance**
- The characters constantly shift their identities in response to external pressures, embodying Judith Butler’s notion of performativity.
- Example: Alison DiLaurentis exists as both a mythic figure and a real person, with her constructed persona shaping the narrative even in her absence.
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### **IV. Intertextuality and Metafiction**
#### **1. Intertextual References**
- PLL is rich with intertextuality, referencing *Rear Window*, *Twin Peaks*, *Lolita*, and more.
- These references situate the series within a broader cultural context while also disrupting its own narrative by drawing attention to its constructed nature.
- Example: Spencer’s hallucinations in the dollhouse episodes evoke the uncanny, a recurring theme in Hitchcockian suspense.
#### **2. Self-Reflexivity**
- The series often acknowledges its own artifice, with characters commenting on their situations in ways that break the fourth wall.
- Example: Mona’s manipulation of others through role-play and theatricality serves as a meta-commentary on the show’s manipulation of viewers.
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### **V. Gender, Power, and the Postmodern Heroine**
#### **1. The Subversion of the Female Detective Trope**
- PLL reimagines the detective narrative by placing teenage girls in the role of investigators.
- The heroines’ investigations are often thwarted by societal power structures, reflecting a postmodern skepticism toward the possibility of uncovering objective truths.
#### **2. Feminine Identity and Power Dynamics**
- The series critiques the commodification of femininity, as the girls are surveilled, objectified, and controlled by “A” and other forces.
- Example: Fashion, makeup, and appearance become both tools of empowerment and mechanisms of control.
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### **VI. Critique of Consumerism and Digital Culture**
#### **1. The Role of Media and Technology**
- PLL explores how digital technology mediates relationships and amplifies power imbalances.
- The series critiques the culture of oversharing and the ways social media fosters an environment of constant performance and surveillance.
#### **2. Commodification of Fear**
- The aesthetic of PLL, with its glossy production and stylized costumes, commodifies its central themes of fear and danger.
- This reflects Fredric Jameson’s notion of pastiche, as the series blends high-stakes thriller elements with commercialized teen drama tropes.
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### **VII. Conclusion**
*Pretty Little Liars* operates as a quintessential postmodern text, rejecting the coherence of traditional narratives and embracing multiplicity, ambiguity, and intertextuality. By intertwining themes of surveillance, identity, and hyperreality, the series reflects the fragmented, performative nature of contemporary life. It not only entertains but also interrogates the cultural conditions of truth, power, and representation in the digital age. As such, PLL stands as a compelling artifact of postmodern storytelling, resonating with viewers while challenging them to question the nature of reality itself.
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This dissertation situates *Pretty Little Liars* as more than a teen drama, framing it as a reflective, self-aware commentary on the complexities of postmodern existence.
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