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Themes of modernist literature
Themes of modernist literature
Characteristics of modernism in literature
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American Modernism was a period of time between 1900 and 1960 when new ideas in art, music, and literature emerged as America transitioned into a booming urban nation. These ideas shifted the way people thought and acted, and sparked new ways of writing. A concept very important to Literary Modernism is individualism. Individualism regards the beliefs, needs, well being, and accomplishments of a single person over those of other individuals and of society. This ties into the Modernist theme of valorization of the individual. By trusting themselves and not conforming to others, characters are heroic in the face of a future they can't control. Individualism and Modernism, together, inspired and continue to inspire the writings of the past, present, and future. The individualistic characteristics in Self-Reliance, The Great Gatsby, and True Grit, indicate their link to Modernism. These works from before, during, and after Modernism, capture an essential and foundational attribute to the period. Individualism played a huge part in the writings of Modernism and the modernist view of the individual.
Modernism is "a general term applied retrospectively to the wide range of experimental and avant-garde trends in the literature... of the early 20th century" (Baldick 212). The period as a whole was a "traumatic coming of age" for America. After World War I, everything was changing in the lives of Americans, causing them to change radically as well. People now rejected the ideas of the past and focused on different and better ways of doing things. New literary innovations began to come about, including Modernism. Modernism involved "a commitment to experimentation in techniques, freedom in ideas, originality in perceptions, and self-examina...
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...niversity Press, 2008. Print.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 2013. 549-565. Print.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.
"Literary Modernism." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 3: 1920-1929. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Nederman, Cary J. "Individualism." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Ed. Maryanne Cline Horowitz. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 1113-1117. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Portis, Charles. True Grit. New York: The Overlook Press, 2012. Print.
Quinn, Edward. "individualism." A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
Modernism represents those who felt that old forms were becoming outdated in the new age of the industrialised world – characteristic of modernism is the experimentation with form, and the idea of rejecting realism. (Wikipedia
... On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 May 2014 .
The Modernist Fiction period took place during the 1920’s and revolutionized the American way of life in literature, economically, and socially. There was a national vision of upward mobility during this time that represented the American Dream. The upward mobility was seen through the consumerism and materialism that dominated this decade economically. Popular novels of this time reflected the mass consumerism in the lives of those wrote them. During the American Modernist Fiction period, Americans became increasingly materialistic throughout the roaring twenties; therefore, the American Dream was to obtain upper class status through the possession of material goods, which was reflected in many of this period’s works.
Thoreau, Henry David, and Jeffrey S. Cramer. Walden : A Fully Annotated Edition. New Haven:
In the modernism there was no focus on the plot events, instead the writers focused on characters' consciousness. Ambiguity and complexity were valued at that time. Modernists often work towards open endings and used the narrative gaps. In the early modernism the technique of Stream of Consciousness was widely used to know more about the human sense. Modernism was influenced by naturalism and realism. Its social content is characteristically avant-grade (Drabble 682). Moreover, the 20th century is one of the most important periods in English drama. New ideas, terms and styles have been introduced as a result of the atmosphere. Writers on that time expressed their anger and scorn as a result of the wars and the revolutions. There were many social changes at that time and the playwrights started to tackle that in their plays (Innes
The term “modern” makes people think of words like bold and captivating. Literary modernism is just that. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, poets and writers steered away from the traditional styles of literature and moved towards expressing the true sensibilities of their time. Some writers that followed this trend are Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and T.S. Eliot. The techniques that these outstanding literary buffs used were rejection of traditional themes, subjects, and forms; bold experimentation in style and form reflecting fragmentation of society; sense of disillusionment and loss of faith in the American Dream; rejection of sentimentality; rejection of the ideal hero and instead using the flawed hero; interest in the workings of the human mind; and revolt against the spiritual debasement of the modern world. Many early authors, like the ones mentioned above, used these techniques to contribute to a unique American voice.
Individualism is defined as many different things, but one definition of individualism became very popular in the early 19th century especially in many of the literary works of the time period: the pursuit of individual rather than common or collective interests. This new idea was expressed by many early American authors in their writings.
The modernist style of writing is one of disillusionment, frustration and loss of hope. The modernist writers did not try to point out silver linings or brighter futures, instead they explored the depths of the sorrows of life in the time of the great depression and the long road to recovery from it. Most of these writers blamed the modernization of America for the stock market crash that brought on the great depression. Likewise, modern politics drew America into not only one, but two world wars. At the same time, modern intellectual advancements challenged or usurped traditional beliefs and values.
In the beginning of the twentieth century, literature changed and focused on breaking away from the typical and predicate patterns of normal literature. Poets at this time took full advantage and stretched the idea of the mind’s conscience on how the world, mind, and language interact and contradict. Many authors, such as Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Twain, used the pain and anguish in first hand experiences to create and depict a new type of literature, modernism. In this time era, literature and art became a larger part of society and impacted more American lives than ever before. During the American modernism period of literature, authors, artists, and poets strived to create pieces of literature and art that challenged American traditions and tried to reinvent it, used new ways of communication, such as the telephone and cinema, to demonstrate the new modern social norms, and express the pain and suffering of the First World War.
What is real? In a modernist point of view the world shouldn't be called reality. But if the world isn't reality what is it then? What is reality in modernism? Modernism is a rejection of realism, which believed that science will save the world and where notion of science and social determinism is idealized. In modernism, science explains everything, which took away all the power of God, He became useless. In a way, life had lost its mystery, man, not God, could rule the world. Irving Howe, a literary critic, once talked about modernism as an "unyielding rage against the existing order". (Van Dusen, 1998) Nevertheless, modernism is also an era of disappointment; people are preoccupied with the meaning and the purpose of existence. They are in search of new values and in something new. Modernism first took place in the Jazz age and/or the roaring twenties; this period was all about prohibition and intolerance, flappers, gangsters, and crime. In 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment made it illegal to manufacture or sell alcohol. This helped to create a network of criminal organization in the trade of illegal alcohol. Moreover, in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment gave the women the right to vote, which is what probably helped alter the traditional moral and social standards dramatically; women began to assert new freedoms such as going out with no chaperon, wearing less constrictive clothing, and smoking in public. During that time, a circle of writers was formed "The lost generation". They moved to more culturally vibrant cities of Europe, especially Paris, after World War I. "These writers, looking for freedom of thought and action, changed the face of modern writing. Realistic and rebellious, they wrote what they wanted and fought censorship for profanity and sexuality. They incorporated Freudian ideas into their characters and styles." (Whitley, 2002) These authors wrote about what they wanted and talk openly about sexuality. They created a type of literature appropriate to what they thought was the modern life, after World War I. They used new techniques and addressed new subjects in reaction to the changes of the early twentieth century.
Modernism can be defined through the literary works of early independent 20th century writers. Modernism is exp...
Modernism is defined in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary as "a self-conscious break with the past and a search for new forms of expression." While this explanation does relate what modernism means, the intricacies of the term go much deeper. Modernism began around 1890 and waned around 1922. Virginia Wolf once wrote, "In or about December, 1910, human character changed." (Hurt and Wilkie 1443). D.H. Lawrence wrote a similar statement about 1915: "It was 1915 the old world ended." (Hurt and Wilkie 1444). The importance of the exact dates of the Modernist period are not so relevant as the fact that new ideas were implemented in the era. Ideas that had never before been approached in the world of literature suddenly began emerging in the works of many great authors. Two of the pioneer Modernist writers were Joseph Conrad and T.S. Eliot. The tendencies to question the incontestable beliefs embedded in all thinking and to focus on the inner self dominated. Old viewpoints were tossed aside to make way for the discovery of modern man's personal spirituality. Two works that are considered important forbears in the Modern period are T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.
The Modernist period was a time in history when there were many changes. These changes varied from the American Dream to the literary styles and techniques. The American Dream became less complex and was more flexible than ever. It varied from the changing lifestyles to the change in literature. Helping to shape the nation into what we see today. People were focusing more on themselves and wanting to be known, and they also wanted to have money. Living life with an optimistic viewpoint.
Modernists did not have faith in the external reality put forth by social institutions, such as the government and religion, and they no longer considered these avenues as trustworthy means to discover the meaning of life. For this reason they turned within themselves to discover the answers. Modernist literature is centered on the psychological experience as opposed to the external realities of the world. The experience is moved inwards in an attempt to make modernist works more representative of reality by making the experience more personal. The modernist era of literature is closely associated with the works of T.S. Eliot, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, among others. These three authors stand out because they have made use of unique literary tactics and devices which emphasize the inward turn of modernist literature.
Modernism is all about individualism and breaking from the customary forms in literature ("The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The 20th Century: Topic 2: Overview." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The 20th Century: Topic 2: Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. The Web. The Web.