Definition Of Modernism In Fiction Essay, Research Paper
Definition of Modernism in Fiction
Modernism, in literature, can be seen as a displacement in focal point to the unassociated introverted contemplation of characters in such texts as Go Tell It On The Mountain, by James Baldwin, Miss Lonelyhearts, by Nathanael West and The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. This is a alteration from the old focal point of exterior events and topographic points in correlativity with the character? s contemplations. Emphasis is placed on reappraisal upon feelings and ideas, and even conversations with oneself, as opposed to the more straight event-driven contemplations in texts of the pre-modernist epoch.
This is non to state that texts of the modernist epoch have no events, or that their characters sit at place all twenty-four hours long believing. Many activities take topographic point in these texts, but the characters tend to pass clip reflecting upon fundamentally uncorrelated thoughts, and to chew over what they mean for him. For illustration, in Go Tell it On the Mountain, when his aunt, Florence, comes to church for the first clip, John knows, “ it was the manus of the Lord that had led her to this topographic point, and his bosom grew cold. The Lord was siting on the air current tonight. What might that air current have spoken before the forenoon came? ” ( 61 ) . John & # 8217 ; s pondering of the Lord “ siting on the air current ” seems slightly unrelated to his aunt coming to church. His foreboding that something would go on tonight has nil to make with the current events.
It can be seen, in the broader definition of modernism provided, that modernism is a response to modernness, maintaining “ alive an consciousness of struggle, turbulence, and devastation ” . It some modernist texts, including Catcher In The Rye, one can see many internal struggles and much turbulence, without any certain outside events. For illustration, when Hol
lair takes his sister, Phoebe, to the park, he watches her on the carrousel, and the ideas he ponders wear? t appear to hold any existent connexion with what is traveling on externally. Alternatively, the audience sees a portion of what could be described as Holden? s emotional dislocation, “ The thing with childs is, if they want to catch for the gold ring, you have to allow them make it, and non state anything. If they fall off, they fall off? ” ( 211 ) . Although this is brought on by his watching Phoebe, his sudden realisation seems to hold small correlativity. By the terminal of the book, one can state that the individual most likely to “ fall off ” is Holden.
This is non to connote that all modernist texts have characters who go off the deep terminal, though in a manner, Miss Lonelyhearts does every bit good. Miss Lonelyhearts seems to travel off on tangents that are slightly incredible and frequently violent and horrid. For illustration, when he and his friends are in the saloon, talking to the old adult male, Miss Lonelyhearts all of a sudden feels, “ as he had felt old ages before, when he by chance stepped on a little toad. Its spilled backbones had filled him with commiseration, but when it? s agony had become read to his senses, the commiseration turned to ramp? ” ( 17 ) . This remembrance of times parts is really characteristic of modernists texts. The clip continuum in a character? s life is really existent and evident. But the events that lead to a contemplation Don? T ever have any kind of noticeable correlativity, except for the character himself. This makes the text all the more existent, as people frequently think this manner in existent life every bit good.
All three of these texts are modernist because they have characters who are introverted, without being introverted because of the events around them. Alternatively, it seems to come from some point indoors, perchance incorporating the struggle that is involved with modernisation in literature.
