This document discusses the characteristics of modernist literature and the modern age. It notes that modernism involved a break with tradition and an emphasis on individual perspectives over absolute truths. Modernist literature explored interiority and stream of consciousness. The modern age saw experimentation in literature and was influenced by the chaos of World War I and II. It was a period of anxiety, disillusionment, and fragmented meaning.

1. Name : Rasila Jambucha
Roll no: 22
Paper: The Modernist literature
Topic: General characteristic of modernist age
Submitted to: Smt.s.b.Gardi
Department of English
M.K.Bhavnagar University

2. what is modernism?
 strong and international break with tradition against
established religious, political, social views
 no connection with history or institution
 no things as absolute truth-all are relative
 people make their own meaning in the world
Rise of mass communication
Celebration of inner strength
(It was) international and interdisciplinary movement

3. Characteristic of modernism in literature
 literature exhibits perspectives
- meaning comes from the individuals perspective
 interiority is represented
- inner psychology, stream of consciousness
 perception of language change
- language is “thick” with multiple meaning
 emphasis on the experimental
- open ending

4. Modern age
 totally opposite from Victorian age
 believed in rational thinking
 prose created the most(bitter satire, scientific fiction,
realistic)
 world war first and second create chaotic situation in
society, literature.
 anti war literature and absurd theater
 includes science and psychology –impact of colonialism
 new term AVANT-GARDE introduce

5. General characteristic of modern age
 Anxiety and interrogation
-Freedom of thought and action, rational thinking
 Art for art sake
-concentration on the problem of modern life, role of realism
 Growing interest in the poor class and the working class
-(poor) challenge to the social conscience
 impact of socio-economic condition on literature
-raised voice against poverty, change the pattern of economic
thinking, Marxism influence on literature

6.  psychology and literature
- new theory of psychology “stream of consciousness”
 the impact of the two world wars
- second war has influence on man and human life, anti-war
book
 symbolism, formalism, individuality and absurdity
 experimentation was one of the finest qualities of this
age

7. Modern poetry – characteristic
Open form
Formal
characteristic
Free verse
juxtaposition
intertextuality
metanarrative
Classical
allusion

8. Dislocation
of meaning
Thematic
characteristic
disillusionmen
t
Substitution
of mythical
past
Stream of
consciousnes
s
Breakdown
of social
norms
Product of
metropolis

9. Modern Literature
 has pessimism, disillusionment, melancholy, sense of
fragmentation, scientific methodology, decay of plot and
character
Eliot’s- waste land i.e., of ugly and
broken society of western world
because impact of world war

10. it’s a example of scientific methodology
and symbol

11.  this both example of decay of plot and
character

12. Difference between Modern age and Victorian age

13. Difference between modern and Victorian
modern Victorian

14. Modern age Victorian age
Rejects old forms Acceptance of all forms
realism imaginative
meaninglessness superficial
complex easier
intellectuality general
Loss of faith Blind faith

15. Values differences in the modern world
Pre modern world
• Ordered
• Meaningful
• Optimistic
• Stable
• Faith
• Mortality/values
• Clear sense of identity
modern world (early 20th cen,)
• Chaotic
• Futile
• Pessimistic
• Fluctuating
• Loss of faith
• Collapse of mortality/values
• Confused sense of identity

16. conclusion
 age of science and scientific discoveries
Reconstruction of new values
Because of political turmoil revolutionary ideologies rise:
Facism, Nazism, communism takes place