Introduction to Modernism
Modernism was a cultural movement that developed during the late 19 th century
and early 20th century and is a reaction to the literary and artistic conventions of
the Victorian Era before it.
Conventions of Victorian Literature
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Realism: social realism, e.g. Charles Dickens wrote about the harsh realities
of a world of poverty, factories, class distinctions
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Lengthy Victorian Novels: including as much narrative, as much time, in
novels as possible
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writing the whole life story
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Linearity: an emphasis on length, on the whole story, on a linear narrative
structure (telling a story from beginning to middle to end).
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Causality: stories were dominated by the process of action and reaction
(the protagonist does something, the results of that action: the protagonist
has something done to him or her, the results of that action) – experience
and its consequences, a progression through time.
Modernists reacted against this sense of linear time, strict causality, realism and
length.
Modernism and Modernity
We think of what is current, what is NOW, as modern, but for present purposes the
term Modernity will refer to the developments in science, technology and
philosophy in the mid to late 19th century which had such an enormous influence
on the way that people saw the world.
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Industrial revolution
Trains and cars: increased the speed of life
Urbanisation – moving into the cities, living in apartments
The publication of ground breaking scientific, philosophical and
psychological studies including those of Darwin, Einstein and Freud.
World War I
There was no longer a sense of COMMONALITY or confidence with common truths,
beliefs and values. Instead there was a sense of social fragmentation which is
reflected in Modern literary conventions.
There was a new tendency to question what had previously been accepted as
TRUTH – truth suddenly became subjective, uncertain, and contested.
Modernist Literary Techniques
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There was a movement away from the broad sweep of the Victorian view of
the world: linearity, causality, covering the whole life.
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Emphasis on the minute and the minute (note these words need to be said
aloud for differentiation) – away from length and sequence to moment of
revelation – subjective, personal, debatable truth.
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Fragmentation: Broken form, structure or images to show decay of societal
values
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Break down of linearity: Story may stop and start at different points, may be
circular in structure.
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Stream of consciousness: focus on personal, subjective and momentary as
being more representative of individual truth – we are all separate from one
another, our lives are disparate and fragmented
Some Modernist features in The Great Gatsby (keep an eye out for these as you
study the novel)
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Unreliable narrator that introduces moral uncertainty.
Non-linear plot
Seemingly random thoughts are included (Stream of consciousness)
Several voices are heard
Motifs
Symbols
Flaneur (Nick’s narration as he observes the world around him)
Vivid but often decaying images
Inconclusive ending. Who is right? How much can we believe?
Failure of society and the American Dream in particular.
Moral uncertainty throughout
Contrast between artificial beauty , genuine beauty and ugliness of the
man-made world
Exploring possibilities about time