RETEACH
Name:
Date:
MODERNISM
Modernism is a movement in the arts that developed during the twentieth
century. Modernist ideas developed in response to dramatic changes around the
world, including the rapid rise of industrial development and resulting changes in
the environment and daily life, the movement of the population from farms to
cities, and the horrors of World War I. Modernist works can be quite disturbing,
because although events and characters seem realistic at first, the reader soon
realizes the world of the story is slightly twisted from the one we expect. The
characters, however, may act as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Other
characteristics of Modernism include
• Ambiguity: The story is open-ended. Neither the beginning nor the ending
is clear, and we never learn very much about the characters.
• Fantastic or Dreamlike Elements: The events in a story can be unlike
anything that might be physically possible in everyday life. The borders
between reality and unreality are blurred.
• Themes of Alienation: Often, Modernist stories have characters that are
isolated or left out of the mainstream of their community.
DIRECTIONS: Answer the questions below.
1. Read these two story lines:
a. Joe catches the school bus at the corner, jokes with a couple of kids he knows,
and then sits with his buddy Al in their regular seat. As the bus heads toward school
the boys talk about yesterday’s game and then make plans for the weekend. They
arrive at school, walk to class together, and agree to meet for lunch.
b. Joe catches the school bus at the corner, jokes with a couple of kids he knows,
and then sits with his buddy Al in their regular seat. Joe glances out the window as
the bus turns right, away from the school. When Joe looks back, Al and the other
riders are gone. After a few more turns, the bus is back on its regular route, with all
passengers aboard. Al asks Joe where he went.
Which story line better fits a Modernist approach? Explain.
2. Read the following sentence:
Our depression deepened as soot from the factories darkened the new snow.
What about this sentence might make it part of a Modernist story?
3. Why might Modernist authors suggest themes rather than stating them directly?
© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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PRACTICE
Name:
Date:
MODERNISM
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions about Modernism.
1. What are two characteristics of Modernism?
2. Which setting would be more likely for a Modernist story, a dark cave where
dragons live or a factory? Explain.
3. What kind of approach would a Modernist author use to tell a story about library
books that have stories of personal events in the life of the reader?
4. Would a Modernist author explain why the vines around a house gradually cover
the entire house, blocking the doors and windows? Why or why not?
5. If you were to write a Modernist story, how would your characters react to the
strange things going on around them?
© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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