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CharacteristicsOfModernism
Bydefinition,Modernismisastyleormovementintheartsthataimstobreakwithclassicalandtraditionalforms.This
movementoriginatedwhensomewritersfeltthattheyrequiredanewformofwritingtoexpresstheirideologiesandoutlook
towards life. Modernism enabled writers to pursue highly individualistic forms of writing. Thus, this style of writing
representsaradicalshiftinculturalsensibilitiesofthecorrespondingtime.Theconceptofmodernismtookshapeinthe
19thandearly20thcenturies,atimeperiodwhichwitnessedthedevelopmentofmodernindustrialsocietiesandrapid
growthofcities.ThehorrorofWWIalsofedtheurgeforanewwaytoexpresstheprotesttowardsthesocialatmosphere
prevalentatthattime.WriterssuchasEzraPoundandotherpoetsrejectedtheexpressivekindofwritingfollowedinthe
romanticandVictorianliteratureandfavoredamoresharpstyleofwritingtoraisetheirvoiceofprotestagainsttheexisting
socialsituations.However,withthecommencementofWWI,writersbegantoconcentratemoreonthecynicalpostwar
worksreflectingthesenseofdisillusionmentandfragmentedthoughtthatprevailedinthesociety,leadingtotheendof
modernism.Readontoknowmoreaboutthisconcept.

ModernismInLiterature

Formal/StylisticCharacteristicsOfModernism

Irony,comparisons,juxtapositionandsatirearesomecommonelementsfoundinmodernistwriting.Modernisticworksare
often written in first person and are quite different from traditional styles. In modernism, the content of the writing is
representedasalongstreamofconsciousness,justlikearant,thatoftendoesnothaveaproperbeginning,middleand/or
end.Hence,thereadersmaygetslightlyconfusedastowhatthewriteristryingtocommunicatetothem.Juxtaposition
usuallyrepresentssomethingwhichisunusual,forexample,acatandmousesharingagoodfriendship.Modernistwriters
useironyandsatireastoolsthataidtheminmakingfunofsomethingandpointoutfaults,usually,problemswithintheir
society.

ThematicCharacteristics
Modernistwriting,forafirsttimereader,canbeafrustratingexperience,requiringabigefforttounderstandtheconcept.
Thisisbecauseofthefragmentationandlackofconcisenessofthewriting,whicharemaincharacteristicsofmodernism.
Theplot,themeandthecharactersarenotnecessarilylinear.Modernistwritingsusuallyfocusmoreonrepresentingthe
writer'sideas,opinionsandthoughtsandpresentingthemtothepublicatashighavolumeaspossible.Itcouldbean
oppositiontotheexistingsocialstructure,asocialpracticeoraprevailingideology.Somepastmodernistwriterswerealso
knowntocreatestylisticandartistictextsusingdifferentfonts,symbols,colorsetc.intheirwriting.

GeneralCharacteristics
Modernismismarkedbyastrongandintentionalbreakfromthetraditionalwayofrenderingathemeorathought.
Theconceptofmodernismdeniestheexistenceoftruth.Accordingtothisschoolofthought,everythingisrelative.
Modernistsbelievethattheworldiswhatweperceiveor,inotherwords,theworldiswhatwesayitis.
Modernismmaintainsabsolutelynoconnectionwithhistoryorhistoricalinstitutions.
Accordingtothisconcept,lifeisunordered.
Modernism emphasizes on the importance of companionship between individuals and celebration of inner
strength.
NewSenseOfReality
Modernismbelievesinrelative,provisionaltruthsandhence,itreplacedtheconceptofabsolute,knowabletruth
withtheawarenessof"reality".
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Modernistsrefusedtofollowtheteleologicalwaysofthinkinginwhichphenomenaareexplainedonthebasisof
theirendsorpurposes.Itsuggestedadevelopmentinthesenseoftimeasweexperienceitashiftfromlineartime
to"momenttime".Livinginthemomentwasanunderlyingthemeofmodernism.
Modernismemphasizedmoreonanart'sabilitytoaffectthemind,ratherthanemphasizingonexternalreality.Lets
take an example from an art form to make the concept more decipherable paintings were "representational" in
Victorianpainting,whichpresentednarrativescenes.Ontheotherhand,inImpressionism,therewasanattemptto
paint the quality of the sensations stimulated by the scenes. Moving on to PostImpressionism, you can see an
attempt to portray the pure elements of color and form, an attempt to represent the perceiving mind and the
aestheticconsciousness.
Modernismfocusesmoreonepistemologicalconcernslikehowdoweknowandwhatweknowanditinquires
howthewayofthinkingisinseparablefromtheformofthinking.
Modernismisareactionagainstthedominanceofrationalandlogicaldiscourse.
NewApproachesInModernistWriting
Character:Thecharactersummarydisappearsinmodernism.Itischaracterizedbytherepresentationofselfasdiverse,
contradictoryandambiguous.
Style:Thestylechangedintoanimagisticwayratherthanonegivinglogicalconnections.
Plot:Modernismdoubtslinearplotsthatcomewithsudden,unexpectedturningpoints.Alternatively,itusesmomenttime
contrapuntalmultipleplotsandopenunresolvedendings.
Focalization:Modernismrejectsthesingle,authoritative,omniscientpointofviewthatcomesfromtheconsciousnessof
onecharacter.Instead,ittakesonmultiplepointsofviewsimultaneouslyheldbyonecharacter.
.
CausesOfDevelopmentOfANewThought
Modernismisaresultofasenseofachangingworld,stimulatedbyradicaldevelopmentslike:
escalationofwarfaretoagloballevel.
newdevelopmentintheanthropologicalstudiesandreligion.
newinsightsfromnewlydevelopingfieldslikepsychologyandsociology.
scientificdevelopmentofnewtheoriesofelectromagnetismandquantumphysics.
risingcriticismagainstBritishimperialismandtheideologyofempire
emergenceof"cityconsciousness".
shiftingpowerstructureslikewomenenteringtheworkforce.
developmentofinformationtechnologieslikeradioandcinema.
newconceptslikemassdemocracyandtheriseofmasscommunication.
findesicleor"endofthecentury"consciousness.
Modernismgainedpopularityasaprotesttotheexistingsociety,socialinstitutionsandthewaytheyfunctioned.However,
inliterature,itdeclinedafteraperiodastheworksconcentratedmoreonthewriterslineofthoughtinanabstractmanner,
which made them difficult to understand. However, there are some writers who find this style more comfortable for
presentingtheirideologiesandfollowthisschoolofthoughtevennow.
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