Nice Work by David Lodge

The text is an extract from Nice Work, a post-modern novel written by David Lodge.

The extract comes from the second chapter of the book and deals with the introduction of a new character: Robyn Penrose.

The woman is directly introduced through her thoughts. The reader is informed that shecan recognize the embodiment of capitalist culturein the classic novel , while the post-modern novel is evidence of new systems of thought.

Once the majority believed in the idea of an individual self who was responsible of his/her own destiny, in competition with others (exactly the same of the thought that lies at the base of Capitalism).

Now people are starting to think (and such idea is also Robyn's) that there are not things like "individual selves": everyone has his own position, but in an infinite web of discourses.

The novelist clarifies that this way of thinking does not affect the woman's behavior, so that he can treat such character just as an ordinary one, despite her peculiarity.

After that, the novelist starts telling aqbout Robyn's daily routine . The reader is informed about some of her habits and slowly understands some more about the woman: she is a teacher at university and very anxious to start a new school term.