Modernist Novel Essay

Sam Stefania
English-German
3rd year
Continuity and Change in the Modernist Novel
The early 20th century can be characterized as a century of constant tension. The literature that
emerges in these times starts to break free from the constraints that were present in the traditional
literature. New domains are being explored, new techniques are being employed and the way in
which the world is seen, suffers a radical change. Some of the most important authors of this
time are Virginia Woolf, James Joyce and D. H. Lawrence. Each of them has their own
contribution to the development of modernist literature and while they retain certain traditional
features, they succeed in changing the face of literature.
Virginia Woolf can be considered one of the most important modernist writers, rebelling against
a literature dominated by patriarchal norms and a focus on the outside world. In the study
Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Brown, she condemned the way in which Edwardians wrote literature,
stating that: the Edwardians were never interested in character in itself ; or in the book in itself.
They were interested in something outside1. She considered that the focus on the outside
world prevented the reader from getting a true image of the characters. The omniscient narrator,
present in the traditional literature, prevented the reader from having an active role. In Woolfs
novels, this Godlike narrator gives place to the characters consciousness. The reader ceases to be
a passive observer and starts having an active role, being a co-producer of meaning.
1 Woolf, Virginia. Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown. London: The Hogarth Press, 1924. 12.
Print
Thus, modernist literature tries to explore all these new and turned scientific domains that deal
with a new type of confused and enigmatic man. In writing, modernist authors sought
encapsulating all these results in one work or another, and the way they did it led to new and
innovating writing and narrative techniques. The psychology, the philosophical and spiritual
exploration of the man are now modernists most important issues.
The attention is concentrated on the way all the perceptions and sensations and representations
are connected together and thus on how exactly the character reacts at his/her lowest level of
sensorial psychological processes.
Modernist literature doesnt focus on the plot. In fact, there is no plot at all. All the actions are
ephemeral, but what remains in the memory of the characters is everlasting and it will revive
every time something or someone comes to them or crosses their minds remembering them
everything, every single emotion or sensation. One of the most used thematic characteristics is
spiritual loneliness. In Dubliners, everyone seems to be affected by a general alienation. In each
of the 15 stories, someone seems to be frustrated because of his incapability of escaping from the
monotonous life governed by rules and order. The general atmosphere is oppressive and sad.
Joyce, though, slightly inserts some political and historical-geographical factors that had led to
the status of Dublin and of the Dubliners of his time.
Modernist writers also play with words and language, every word might have or not, many other
connotations. One has to rethink if what he/she had read, meant something or another.
Ambiguity and equivocal language are constantly present and the reader cannot be sure he
understood exactly what was meant.

As a modernist writer, James Joyce can be considered the most innovative writer of the 20th
century since his works are extremely hard to digest by the readers. In his later novels, he adopts
different writing styles in the same novel. Even though Joyce seems to organize Ulysses nearly to
obsession, the book is not organized on most common principles of fiction and the impression of
shapelessness remains in the mind of the readers. Then, the vocabulary Joyce uses in Ulysses is
not only hard to understand, but its even impossible to comprehend, for a lot of it was invented
by him and then some of Joyce's sentences can be quite hard to process even though you know
what every word means in particularly : From outrage (matrimony) to outrage (adultery) there
arose nought but outrage (copulation) yet the matrimonial violator of the matrimonially violated
had not been outraged by the adulterous violator of the adulterously violated."2
Concluding, Modernist Literature is placed somewhere between Naturalism and the age of The
Lost Generation, between the continuity of what has been previously written and the innovation
brought in style, writing, narrative perspective. Characterized by a self-conscious break with
traditional styles of poetry and verse, modernists experimented with literary form and expression.
The modernist literary movement was driven by a desire to overturn traditional modes of
representation and express the new sensibilities of their time.
Bibliography:
1. Humprey, R The Stream of Consciousness in the Modern Novel

2. Alberes, RM Istoria romanului modern
3. Booth, WC Rethoric of Fiction
2 (Ulysses, Ithaca).

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Sam Stefania

Continuity and Change in the Modernist Novel

features, they succeed in changing the face of literature.

exploration of the man are now modernists most important issues.

sensorial psychological processes.

spiritual loneliness. In Dubliners, everyone seems to be affected by a general alienation. In each

the status of Dublin and of the Dubliners of his time.

understood exactly what was meant.

brought in style, writing, narrative perspective. Characterized by a self-conscious break with

representation and express the new sensibilities of their time.

1. Humprey, R The Stream of Consciousness in the Modern Novel

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