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Aspects of Modernism

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Modernism in American literature began around the turn of the 20th century in opposition to realism and naturalism. It was influenced by philosophers like Freud, Frazer, and Nietzsche and focused on experimentation and portraying individual perceptions and inner experiences rather than societal truths. Modernist writers used techniques like stream-of-consciousness and nonlinear structures to shock audiences. Major works include T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land, Ernest Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, and William Faulkner's novel The Sound and the Fury.

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Aspects of ModernismAmerican LiteratureMr. Braddy
History and DevelopmentStarted at the turn of the century, in opposition to movements like Realism and Naturalism.  Most well-known for the years following World War I, however. (1914-1918)  Based somewhat on the philosophies of Freud, Frazer, and Nietzsche.Characteristics"Make it new." ~Ezra Pound Concerned with the individual (and the individual's mind), rather than society as a whole. Stream-of-consciousness. An individual's experiences in a novel give that character meaning in life, but not necessarily anyone else. Writers attempt to shock the audience by experimenting with the form of the novel/short story.  Individual perception, Impressionism, inner emotions more important than larger societal truths.
As opposed to Realists and Naturalists, Modernists only cared about portraying people the way they saw them, rather than trying to portray them realistically. In that way, people to Modernists are much more like characters in The Sims video game.  
ImpressionismImpressionism is one of the major characteristics of Modernism. Basically, Impressionism states that the artist/writer determines what people look like, think like, act like, etc.Picasso
Starry Night
Self-Portrait
Stream-of-ConsciousnessDefinition: Long passages of introspection, in which the narrator records in detail what passes through a character's awareness.Often follows a non-linear thought process and "goes into the mind" of the character. Think about mind vomit put onto paper. Very experimental.Example - from The Rules of Attraction, by Bret Easton Ellis:and it's a story that might bore you but you don't have to listen, she told me, because she always knew it was going to be like that, and it was, she thinks, her first year, or, actually weekend, really a Friday, in September, at Camden...She actually had her eye on someone else that night: Daniel Miller, a Senior, a Drama major, with blond hair, a great body and these amazing gray eyes, but he was seeing this beautiful French girl from Ohio, and he eventually got mono and went to Europe and never finished his Senior year.  
Experimentation with StructureThe Modernists experimented with the structure of stories, trying to change the way people told stories.
In other words, they wanted to "make everything new".Example - From Finnegan's Wake, by James Joyce:    riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend  and bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.    Sir Tristram, violer d'amores, fr'over the short sea, had passencore rearrived from North Armorica on this side of the craggy isthmus...This is the first page!Major Worksof Modernism PoetryEzra Pound - The Cantos
TS Eliot - The Waste Land NovelsErnest Hemingway - For Whom the Bell Tolls

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Aspects of Modernism

  • 1. Aspects of ModernismAmerican LiteratureMr. Braddy
  • 2. History and DevelopmentStarted at the turn of the century, in opposition to movements like Realism and Naturalism.  Most well-known for the years following World War I, however. (1914-1918)  Based somewhat on the philosophies of Freud, Frazer, and Nietzsche.Characteristics"Make it new." ~Ezra Pound Concerned with the individual (and the individual's mind), rather than society as a whole. Stream-of-consciousness. An individual's experiences in a novel give that character meaning in life, but not necessarily anyone else. Writers attempt to shock the audience by experimenting with the form of the novel/short story.  Individual perception, Impressionism, inner emotions more important than larger societal truths.
  • 3. As opposed to Realists and Naturalists, Modernists only cared about portraying people the way they saw them, rather than trying to portray them realistically. In that way, people to Modernists are much more like characters in The Sims video game.  
  • 4. ImpressionismImpressionism is one of the major characteristics of Modernism. Basically, Impressionism states that the artist/writer determines what people look like, think like, act like, etc.Picasso
  • 7. Stream-of-ConsciousnessDefinition: Long passages of introspection, in which the narrator records in detail what passes through a character's awareness.Often follows a non-linear thought process and "goes into the mind" of the character. Think about mind vomit put onto paper. Very experimental.Example - from The Rules of Attraction, by Bret Easton Ellis:and it's a story that might bore you but you don't have to listen, she told me, because she always knew it was going to be like that, and it was, she thinks, her first year, or, actually weekend, really a Friday, in September, at Camden...She actually had her eye on someone else that night: Daniel Miller, a Senior, a Drama major, with blond hair, a great body and these amazing gray eyes, but he was seeing this beautiful French girl from Ohio, and he eventually got mono and went to Europe and never finished his Senior year.  
  • 8. Experimentation with StructureThe Modernists experimented with the structure of stories, trying to change the way people told stories.
  • 9. In other words, they wanted to "make everything new".Example - From Finnegan's Wake, by James Joyce:    riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend  and bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.    Sir Tristram, violer d'amores, fr'over the short sea, had passencore rearrived from North Armorica on this side of the craggy isthmus...This is the first page!Major Worksof Modernism PoetryEzra Pound - The Cantos
  • 10. TS Eliot - The Waste Land NovelsErnest Hemingway - For Whom the Bell Tolls
  • 11. William Faulkner - The Sound and the Fury
  • 12. F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby Short StoriesErnest Hemingway - The Killers
  • 13. William Faulkner - Barn Burning