Modernism

1. Modernism

2. Definition • International movement characterized by: • a spirit of revolt and experimentation in all artistic fields (literature, visual arts, music etc.) When It originated at the beginning of the XXcentury, during a period of deep social and intellectual changes. Consequences • It implied: • A break with traditional valuesand conventions • A rejection of Naturalism and Decadencein favour of introspection and technical skill.

3. Main features • Intentional distortion of shapes(see, for example, Cubism). • Breaking down of limitations in the concepts ofTime and Space. • Awareness that our perception of realityis necessarily uncertain,temporary and subject to change. • No final and absolute interpretation of reality. • Need toreflect the complexity of modern urban life in artistic forms. • Emphasis on the intensity of the isolated “moment”or “image” to provide a true insight into the nature of things. • Importance of both the unconscious and conscious life. • Interest in the primitive and a reconsideration of the past without the restrictions imposed by national or continental cultures

4. NEW PHYLOSOPHICAL THEORIES • William James’s and Henri Bergson’s theories on the concept of Time. • James in his “Principles of Psychology” said that : • “Our mind records every single experience as a continuous flow of “the already into the not yet”. This means that ... • Past, Present and Future do not exist separately, as independent realities, but they are a single undivided entity, closely interwoven, and influence each other continuously. • Bergson, instead, made a distinction between a) Historical Time and b) Psychological Time. • Historical time is external, linear and measured in terms of the distance travelled by a pendulum or the hands of a clock. • Psychological time, instead, is subjective and measured by the emotional intensity of a moment.

5. NEW SCIENTIFIC THEORIES • Freud in his “The interpretations of dreams” explained that : • the development of human psyche is deeply affected by the unconscious. Therefore, man’s actions could be motivated by irrational forces of which he might know nothing (see, for example, the Ancient mariner’s behaviour in Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”); • the super-ego, i.e. the constraints of society, education, moral laws on the individualcould profoundly distort man’s behaviour (see, for example, Angel’s Clare’s behaviour towards Tess when he finds out about her previous story with Alec Durberville”); • consciousness is a complicated multi-layered phenomenon in which Past and Present coexist .This means that, individuals react to reality according to their own personal history, and, most important of all, the perception of Reality is a subjective experience. • Albert Einstein in his Theory of Relativity stated that : Time and Space were Subjective Dimensions , so he also contributed to the demolition of the idea of an objective reality.

6. Consequences in the literary field • Modernist novelists shifted their attention from society to man. • They did not feel the need : 1. to build a well structured plot, • to lead the character through a well arranged chronological sequence of events, • because • the distinction between past and present is meaningless in psychological terms. • ( see W. James’s and Henri Bergson’s notions of Time) • the passing of time is not necessary to reveal a character who can be revealed in the course of one single day through the analysis of his/her consciousnessand through a complete insight into his emotional response to external events. • The final result is that: • Modernist Novelists reject the Omniscient narrator; • The point of view now is inside the character.

7. NEW NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES TO DESCRIBE THE INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS • Joyce’sEpiphany : • A sudden spiritual manifestation , caused by : 1. a trivial gesture; 2. an external object; 3. a banal situation. It leads …. • the characters to a sudden self-realization of themselves and the reality surrounding them. • The Stream of ConsciousnessorInterior Monologue used to • reproduce the uninterrupted, continuous flow of thoughts, sensations, memories, associations and emotions in a flux of words, ideas and images which is quite similar to the mind’s activity.

8. MAIN THEMES COMMON TO ALL WORKS OF THIS PERIOD • the isolation and alienation of modern man. • the relationship between love and loneliness. • the absence of real communication among human beings, since everyone is prisoner of their own consciousness.

9. THE INTERIOR MONOLOGUE • The VERBAL EXPRESSION OF A PSYCHIC PHENOMENON • (i.e. The psychic phenomenon expressed through words). • The Interior Monologue has no introductory expressions such as “he thought /he remembered /he said etc” nor formal structures, logical and chronological order. Four Different Forms of Interior Monologue • Indirect interior monologue • The writer never lets the character’s thoughts flow without control and maintains a logical and grammatical organisation. • The Interior Monologue characterised bytwo levels of narration: • One external to the character’s mind and the other internal. • The Interior Monologue: • The character’s thoughts flow freely, not interrupted by external elements. • The Extreme Interior Monologue: • Words fuse into others to create new expressions. THE STREAM OF CONSCOUSNESS • a psychic phenomenon.