Pre-Modernism Themes Showcased In Literature

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The traumatic events of World War 1 made many writers re-evaluate their views of society which then translated into their works. The themes used in works by writers like Sherwood Anderson, Robert Frost, and Ernest Hemingway reveal the extent of trauma the war had on the human psyche. Loss of communication, disillusioned characters, and personal alienation are a few of the major themes that are displayed in the writings of a lot of authors during this period. This essay will examine the use of the literary modernism themes mentioned above in Robert Frost’s “Home Burial,” Sherwood Anderson’s “Hands,” and Ernest Hemingway’s “The Killers.”
Robert Frost uses the loss of communication as a significant theme in many of his poems. In “Home Burial,” a married couple is trying to cope with the death of their baby; however, they also end up losing their communication skills and eventually their marriage. The lack of communication between the couple is evident from the first few lines of the poem when the husband attempts to talk to Amy, “‘What is it you see / From up there always—for I want to know’” (6-7). With him having to directly ask his wife, in a forceful manner, what the matter is shows that Amy does not confide in him the way a wife should a husband. When they do speak to each other it always leads to an argument as seen when he states, “My words are nearly always an offense / I don’t know how to speak of anything / So as to please you.” (48-50). Frost made sure to introduce this theme early in the poem and is clearly seen throughout the rest of the work.
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Ernest Hemingway, like many veterans of WWI, dealt with disillusionment upon returning home from the war, and which could explain the disillusioned character the...

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...d loss of communication skills resonated with many of the writers of the “Lost Generation” because they depicted American society following World War 1. Ernest Hemingway had personally dealt with alienation and disillusionment while fighting in the war and after he returned home. This may be a reason why Nick Adams was loosely based off his personal life. Although Sherwood Anderson wrote about things that society considered taboo like homosexuality and the grotesque, he was able to use these topics to get the message of his stories across to his readers. Lastly there is Robert Frost, whose stories included plots that the general public could relate to and made it very easy for the reader to understand what theme he was going for. These writers, along with their works, display prime examples of some of the major themes from the Pre-Modernism period in America.

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