Modernism

Modernism, a revolutionary literary movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, shattered traditional literary conventions and reshaped the landscape of literature forever. During this era, society saw the collapse of financial systems and suffered at a large scale due to the World War. Marked by a profound sense of disillusionment with the established order, Modernist writers sought to capture the fragmented, chaotic essence of the modern world. Rejecting the linear narrative structures and clear moral frameworks of the past, Modernist literature embraced experimentation, ambiguity, and subjectivity.

Authors such as James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and T.S. Eliot challenged readers to grapple with the complexities of human consciousness, employing innovative techniques such as stream-of-consciousness narration, non-linear plotlines, and disjointed imagery to mirror the disorienting experience of modern life. Through their daring exploration of language, form, and theme, Modernist writers aimed to capture the fleeting, elusive nature of truth and meaning in a world characterized by rapid change, cultural upheaval, and existential uncertainty.

Important Dates: 

  • Europe: 1890-1945
  • England: 1914-1965
  • North America: 1914-1965
  • Latin American: 1880-1945

Characteristics of Modernism include: 

  • The Individual belief is we are unknowable, even to ourselves. 
  • Human Nature was to reject previous thought processes such as enlightenment. The previous views of morality were rejected, which led to the sexual revolution, clubs, and eventually, the “Roaring 20s.”
  • Artists experimented with new techniques and styles in art forms from painting to performing arts. 
  • Nature is irrelevant and does not impact our fate. 
  • Modernist writers created characters that were unstable, unknowable, and complex. Writers deeply distrusted narratives that outright told a truth or gave a “moral of the story.” Images and symbols were used frequently and stories often had open endings, leading to the rejection of works by readers who prefer a solid ending to stories. 

Recommended Reading

Science Fiction:

  • Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein (2016)
  • The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (1997)
  • Android Rebellion by A. Melville (2014)

Fantasy: 

  • BioShock: Rapture by John Shirley (2012)
    • The novel is inspired by the end of World War II and the need to create a utopian society following the war. The individual in this novel rejects the notion of the world post-war and seeks to create another world that is free of war, government, and censorship. 
  • The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard (2016)
    • This novel is set in Britain post-World War II. Using inspiration from the “Great War,” the novel focuses on fantasy characters coming together after the war. The individual in this novel rejects society and the notion of actions (war). 

Graphic Novel/Comic:

  • Understanding China Through Comics (2011)
    • In just three decades China has risen from being a Third World country to taking its place as the world's second-largest economy. It has lifted over 600 million people out of poverty while half of the world - over three billion people - still live under the poverty line. The astronomical growth and the potential of China to become the next superpower has attracted wide attention.
    • These dramatic changes haven't necessarily come by choice. Internal and external pressures, both deeply rooted in history, have compelled China to metamorphose from being a static agricultural society into a diverse modern nation.
    • As a Beijing resident who has lived through the entire opening-up era that set the stage for today’s China, I’ve experienced the scale and thoroughness of economic and social change. From an historical perspective, such change is irreversible. The great sacrifices and efforts of the Chinese people, both through time and in current events, have not been in vain, despite all the negative implications associated with a country growing at, as some would say, an unsustainable speed.
  • The Trial by Chantal Montellier (2008)
    • The Trial is a graphic adaptation of Franz Kafka's famous novel, illustrated by one of France's leading graphic artists, Chantal Montellier. Montellier brilliantly captures both the menace and the humor of Kafka's utterly unique masterwork. This darkly humorous tale follows Joseph K, who is arrested one morning for unexplained reasons and forced to struggle against an absurd judicial process. K finds himself thrown from one disorientating encounter to the next as he becomes increasingly desperate to prove his innocence in the face of unknown charges. In its stark portrayal of an authoritarian bureaucracy trampling over the lives of its estranged citizens, The Trial is as relevant today as ever.
  • A Contract With God by Will Eisner (2006)
    • Go back to where graphic novels all started, on the Bronx street of Dropsie Avenue and A Life Force, in Will Eisner's groundbreaking 1978 creation. The human drama, the psychological insight -- Eisner captures the soul of the city and its troubled inhabitants with pen and ink. The comic medium was altered forever with the publication of this seminal work.

Young Adult Literature:

Modernism is shown through a variety of factors in literature, and many of these aspects are frequently seen in YA literature. Multiple narratives, the instability of linear time, and a lack of causality all appear in Young Adult books today.

  • We are Liars by E. Lockhart (2014)
  • Bone Gap by Laura Ruby (2015)
  • The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu (2014)
  • Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang (2014)
  • The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon (2016)
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999)

Recommended Media:

  • Rajesh Verma. 2015. Modernism and English Literature. YouTube. youtube.com/watch?v=xOoocOJSNQ8

"Untitled" by Emporia State student, Samantha Myrick

I am a sickly woman and I am all alone. My husband is gone and my daughters do not care for me. My youngest comes and says she’s checking up on me but I know she just is waiting to throw me in one of those homes and never look back. I know that my grandbaby hates me and is mad at me. I have no idea what I did. It’s not my fault that Jasimine wasn’t listening and I had to get louder. She just wasn’t listening to me on how I can take care of myself. She keeps bringing up a small tumble I had, but all people trip over things there’s no cause for concern. It isn’t my fault that her husband is an unholy man and would dare to suggest I am unfit to own my own house. I never agreed with that man.

I’ve been alive long enough to know what is right and what is not. I know that my family has left me to die in agony because I just ask for a few small things. I just need someone to get my groceries and drive me to the doctors. I am a sickly woman after all, and I need my medication. I just need someone to come over when it is an emergency, which my grandbaby says is every day. That can’t possibly be true. I just have her come over because I’m lonely and want someone to talk with me. Is it so wrong to ask your healthy grandbaby to grab things from the other room when it hurts to get up? I just asked her to move the bookcase because it broke, stupid thing couldn’t even hold up my hand when the cat decided that he needed to be petted. I am a sickly and lonely woman and I don’t know why.