According to the text, Modernism can be defined as “a sense that the old ways of portraying human experience were no longer adequate”. Three texts that text that I believe strongly emphasizes the ideas of Modernism through literary elements would be Barn Burning
(written by William Faulkner), Death of Ivan Ilyich (written by Leo Tolstoy) and Metamorphosis
(written by Franz Kafka). The literary elements that I choose to use are the protagonists and the themes of each story.
The comparison between the three texts is the modernism illustrated in each text through their protagonists and the theme. The text “Barn Burning” is the story of a young man that has to make the difficult choice between family and justice. The protagonist of this text is
Colonel Sartoris (Sarty) Snopes whose characteristics resemble that of modernism beliefs.
Starty’s modern characteristics can be shown through the complexity of consciousness. Here you see the consciousness of a boy divided between his father and justice for the barn owners.
Modernists also try to project a message into a text. We see that Starty is tired of fed up with his father’s actions and wants change. He decide to warn the bar owners and after his father leave to try burn it down. Starty made a life changing decision and the message is clear.
The themes in the text also display modernism in the text. The major theme that governs the entire text is the conflict between loyalty to one’s family and loyalty to honor and justice. Starty’s father is often referred to as a “flat” shape, “without . . . depth” and
“depthless”, which resembles a “two dimensional geometric shape” and not a realistic one.
Many modernist use fictional references in their work.
The second text would be the Death of Ivan Ilyich. In this story the protagonist is Ivan
Ilych Golovin. The characteristic of this protagonist displays modernism by giving a message to the readers. Ivan is only interested in maintaining appearances resulting in him distancing himself from his wife emotionally and physically “because she does not conform to the expectations that he has for her”. As Ivan lies on his death bed acknowledging his life and then the message becomes clear. Not to “living a life that imitates death”.
The theme of the story also that a Modernist’s touch on it. This story talks about the relationship between Ivan and his family whish appears to be fragmented and disjoined. This is a trait of Modernism.
The Metamorphosis would be the third selected text that rat represents Modernism. In this story we see the protagonist Gregor Samsa outgoing a transformation into a Roach. His character lives an unhappy life due to his fathers business closing. So he has to become the bread winner of the house by becoming a travel salesman; a job he does not like very much. He also feels distress because no one can understand his bug language. He slips into a feelings of uncomfortableness leading to sadness and hopelessness. Most readers during the Modernist

time didn’t like to read about happiness. Also his fictional transaction into a roach displaced the modernism in his character.
The theme of the story was sadness and hopelessness as a result of the changing desires of society. This also is a form of Modernism in this text. As Gregor as a resentful salesmen who was unhappy with his position in work and in life even before he somehow metamorphosed into an insect. The lonely ness and Gregor constant state of travel also propels Metamorphosis into a modern writing.
Modernism time is seen as a time where lots of sadness ad fiction existed. These three texts display that very clearly when it came down to their themes and protagonists.