What was new about Modernist literature Essay Example
What was new about Modernist literature Essay Example

What was new about Modernist literature Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 11 (2874 words)
  • Published: December 25, 2017
  • Type: Essay
View Entire Sample
Text preview

According to Ezra Pound, the goal of modernist literature was to bring about novelty and freshness (Pound; 1934). Nevertheless, one cannot fully grasp the essence of this significant literary movement without first understanding its opposite, as is often done in post-structuralist analysis: realism. Realism was a conventional and non-experimental style of writing characterized by its adherence to chronological plots, continuous narratives conveyed by omniscient narrators, and conclusive endings (Barry 1995: 82).

Modernism, at its pinnacle in the early 20th century, dared to explore unconventional chronology and narrative techniques that frequently left readers startled and confused. This essay aims to elucidate and examine the ground-breaking nature of modernism through the analysis of two iconic texts: Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse and T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land. I have opted to discuss these specific works due to their c

...

omprehensive embodiment of modernist elements in both structure and substance, while each offering a unique approach within their respective genres.

Woolf's novel is distinctively modernist because of her use of the 'stream of consciousness' technique (Kolocotroni 1998: 448). Unlike traditional narration and dialogue, this technique allows for a portrayal of the psychological dimension of characters, which is crucial in modernist literature. Woolf herself emphasized the importance of exploring the "dark places of psychology" in her essay The Common Reader (Woolf 1957: 192).

The interior monologue is employed to depict the unvoiced thoughts of the guests at the Ramsay's dinner gathering, highlighting their incapacity to openly communicate and their hidden inner distress, whether it be intellectual, maternal, or artistic, as shown by the instance of 'She would move the tree rather more to the middle' (page 138). Hence, the strea

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

of consciousness technique is crucial to the characterization of the novel due to the characters' reticence and the sparse plot. She transforms herself into Mrs.

Ramsay's stream of consciousness is brought to life through the use of parenthesis, allowing us to experience her thoughts and emotions in a vivid manner. In addition, Woolf supplements this internal perspective by occasionally presenting the streams of consciousness of other characters, such as Mrs. Ramsay's husband, her friend Lily Brisco, and her children. This multi-dimensional portrayal of Mrs. Ramsay allows us to fully understand and connect with her character through various perspectives, ultimately forming a comprehensive and solid vision of who she is.

Throughout the novel, parenthesis is used for various purposes. For example, it is used for afterthoughts or asides, such as "(The bill for the greenhouse and all the rest of it) (p. 134)" and "(it was in her nature, or in her sex, she did not know which) (p. 214)". However, in a more modernist sense, parenthesis is employed to create a non-standard novel form. This can be seen in the use of parenthesis to encapsulate an entire chapter, "[Macalister's boy took one of the fish and cut a square out of its side to bait his hook with.

The mutilated body (which was still alive) was tossed back into the sea (p. 243). This starkly contrasts with the continuous prose employed throughout the novel and reflects how the reader is informed about the deaths of various characters. For instance, "[Mr Ramsay stumbling along a passage stretched his arms out one dark morning, but, Mrs Ramsay having died unexpectedly the night before, he stretched his arms out."

The empty parentheses

on page 175 are shocking to the reader, embodying a modernist technique. Additionally, To the Lighthouse includes the Oedipus Complex, aligning with Freudian ideas. The novel's existence during a time when Freud's theories on infant sexuality and the unconscious were widely known explains modernists' fascination with psychoanalysis and stream of consciousness.

This passage demonstrates the novel's focus on the mother and James' animosity towards his father. The theme is highlighted in the opening pages, where James is denied his mother's promised trip to the phallic symbol of the lighthouse. The text expresses James' intense desire to harm his father, with the mention of various potential weapons. Stevie Davies also identifies another Oedipal moment in relation to the feminist aspect of the novel.

The scene depicted here presents a stark contrast to the lack of communication of affection between Mr and Mrs Ramsay, and also reflects Mr Ramsay's continual need for sympathy, which he seeks from his wife as well as Lily Brisco later in the story. This repression and redirection of desire leads to the portrayal in the novel of the sexualization of the characters' thoughts and emotions.

The scene where Mr Ramsay forcefully thrusts the 'beak of brass' into Mrs Ramsay's 'delicious fecundity', with the angered child James 'stiff between her egs', is the most evident example (pp. 33-9). This scene represents an aggressive phallic penetration and appropriation of the female life-force, closely resembling the repetitive thrusting of a sexual act, with its 'rapture' (p. 40) carrying connotations of rape and its slightly disgusted aftermath suggesting post-coital feelings. However, despite these implications, all the characters are simply engaging in conversation, with one of them knitting quickly. (Davies

1989: 55) Furthermore, the novel's form is undeniably modernist.

The novels Sons and Lovers and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, along with To the Lighthouse, all follow the kunsterroman form, which is a novel that explores the development of an artist. In To the Lighthouse, this is shown through the character Lily Brisco, who embarks on an artistic journey by painting Mrs Ramsay's portrait. This parallels Virginia Woolf's own intellectual journey of capturing her mother through her writing. Woolf even states that her novel can be seen as more of an elegy, which is a modernist reinterpretation of traditional genre conventions.

Furthermore, Mr Ramsay's intellectual journey in reaching 'Z' is reflected in his physical journey to the lighthouse at the end of the novel. James also reaches the end of his journey at the lighthouse and realizes that his hatred is not directed towards his father but rather towards his father's constant desire for pity. James also comes to understand that the mature depiction of the lighthouse does not negate the beautiful image from his childhood. This idea is further emphasized when Lily comprehends that Mrs Ramsay's stance on marriage and children is neither right nor wrong, thereby reinforcing the feminist theme of the book, which promotes freedom of choice.

The coexistence of these epiphanies represents the belief of modernists and structuralists that language (or art) not only reflects and records the world but also shapes it. This idea suggests that 'how we see is what we see' (Barry 1995: 82). Additionally, Virginia Woolf's use of the subjective and autobiographical form was also embraced by other modernists like Joyce and Lawrence. In this

form, the protagonist (in this case, the 'asexual' artist Lily Brisco) serves as the author's representative alter-ego, contradicting the modern practice of 'close reading' and the 'death of the author'. However, both Joyce's and Woolf's works embody a deeply personal vision (Morris 1985: 6). Woolf's subjectivity filters into the novel, with her own presence evident in characters like Lily, Cam, and Mr Ramsay, as well as through streams of consciousness. This is a highly modernist approach not found in realist texts like Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Despite having multiple narrators, Wuthering Heights is not autobiographical nor penetrated by the author's presence.

The novel's incoherent chronology is distinctly modernist. The initial part of 'The Window' covers a short period of time but makes up most of the novel's "story" (here, "story" refers to the lack of action but abundance of meaning). On the other hand, 'Time Passes' spans over ten years and is only twenty-six pages long. Yet, the final section of the novel presents a more coherent timeline, resulting in a more immediate and steady path to understanding.

Furthermore, Virginia Woolf has faced criticism for the absence of action in her novels, which adds a sense of datedness and realism to her work. This can be seen as a consequence of her cultured and refined nature, resulting in a highly self-conscious art and a distant approach to life's raw experiences. Aiken describes this as her skillful ability to keep the realities of life at a distance. Similarly, Conrad also recognized the translucent nature of human experiences but sought to delve into them, embracing the intense emotional encounters that they emanate. In contrast, Woolf presents only the surface

level, merely providing us with the outer casing (Muller 1937: 317-28).

This emphasis on lack of action is evident in Woolf's prioritization. For instance, the reader is only actively involved in physical action when accompanying Mrs Ramsay on her shopping trip and the journey to the lighthouse. There are mentions of external events such as Minta's lost brooch, Mr. Ramsay's academic pursuits, and the consequences of Paul and Minta's marriage. Consequently, due to the absence of significant events, Woolf's characters are portrayed as delicate beings sheltered from engaging in any substantial or intense dramas (Muller 1937: 317-28).

The deaths of Mrs Ramsay, Andrew, and Prue are represented in an unconventional way by the use of barren parenthesis. Additionally, the existence of the First World War is ironic as it caused Andrew's death and the fame of Augustus Carmichael. The quote, '[Prue Ramsay died that summer in some illness connected with childbirth, which was indeed a tragedy, people said. They said nobody deserved happiness more],' emphasizes the tragic nature of Prue's death. These deaths symbolize the ephemeral and fleeting nature of life, despite the maternal virtue, beauty, and intelligence possessed by these characters.

Woolf's lack of "narrative interest" creates meaning and appeal rather than negating it, as she expresses in Between the Acts: "Did the plot matter?... The plot was only there to beget emotion... Don't bother about the plot: the plot's nothing." The novel's ideology is often modernist, particularly in its portrayal of society. Notably, the novel highlights the secular aspect through the character of 'little atheist' Charles Tansley and men's pursuit of philosophy and mathematics, both objective and non-religious subjects.

Despite the feminist element in the novel,

the portrayal of Mrs Ramsay's need to give men sympathy and protection as they 'negotiated treaties, ruled India' (p. 11) reinforces Victorian values regarding gender roles. This reference to imperialism and the Treaty of Versailles is ambiguous regarding the writer's opinions but clearly defines Mrs Ramsay as content with her societal role, unlike Lily Brisco and Mr Ramsay. Additionally, the claim that 'There is no God' (p. 279) and 'leaping into space' contribute to a bitter and scientific view of life.

The author further mentions imperialism when describing Lily, who is depicted as "screwing up her Chinese eyes" (p. 123). This phrase, although implying imperialism, may also serve to present Lily as skeptical and less attractive compared to Mrs. Ramsay, Prue, and Minta. Additionally, the continuous references to literature create a literary world that allows readers to connect with the text. However, this assumes that readers possess cultural intelligence. According to Bell (1924: 461), "an oversexed person will never appreciate the art of Virginia Woolf; nor will the fundamentally stupid."

The novel incorporates literary allusions and features a modernist tone, as Woolf potentially critiques her predecessors and society's perception of literature. For instance, Mr Ramsay pessimistically suggests that people may not truly appreciate Shakespeare as much as they claim, although he acknowledges the value of some of the plays (p. 145). Similarly, Charles Tansley asserts that Sir Walter Scott's works are no longer being read (p. 159). Moreover, James is narrated the tale of the fisherman's wife, which adopts a realistic approach with a didactic purpose, thereby presenting a moral counterpoint to the modernist novel.

According to Fiedler (1974: 194), Mr Ramsay's continuous referencing of poetry in To

the Lighthouse serves to highlight the significance of literature in life and emphasizes the novel's status as an 'art novel'. Additionally, Mr Ramsay's quotation from William Cowper's The Castaway, specifically the line 'We perished, each alone' (p. 224), paradoxically references a poem where only one man dies but uses the pronoun 'we'. This allusion by Mr Ramsay may imply that following his wife's death, he, his children, and humanity as a whole have also met their demise.

In her 'elegy', Virginia Woolf, like him, uses literature as a means to express emotion. The Waste Land and To the Lighthouse are both undoubtedly modernist works with similarities in their innovative ideology and use of allusion. However, while the novel celebrates life, the poem portrays a condemnation of it. The novel may have an informal time line and ephemeral tone, but it remains continuous and coherent. In contrast, The Waste Land is fragmented, as is typical of modernist literature.

The structure of The Waste Land is fragmented, with the poem divided into five sections. In the first section, there are four vignettes, each featuring a different speaker, including an aristocratic German woman and a soldier from World War One. The poem's poetic form is also fragmented, with partial rhyme schemes and short bursts of structure in 'The Burial of the Dead'. These elements both stabilize and destabilize the reader due to the fragmented content of the section.

The presence of foreign languages may be perplexing, however, it is not necessary for the reader to immediately translate them. The incorporation of non-English words contributes to a cosmopolitan style, serving as a reminder of the fragmented state of Europe during the 20th

century. Additionally, in the first part of 'A Game of Chess', Eliot employs unrhymed iambic pentameter, typically associated with social stability, to depict the paranoid thoughts of an aristocratic woman. Nevertheless, as the woman deteriorates mentally, Eliot introduces repetition in her dialogues with her lover, exemplified by her plea "Speak to me."

The use of dialogue in "'A Game of Chess'" can be seen as a mix of prose and poetry, similar to the poetic style used by Virginia Woolf in To the Lighthouse. The second half of the poem, with its working class vernacular and repeated phrases, breaks the convention of iambic pentameter and adds a modernist touch. In 'The Fire Sermon', the form becomes musical, reflecting the cheap sexual encounters described with the repetition of "Twit twit twit". This blending of sermon-like language with sordidness is seen as blasphemous, similar to the atheist tone found in To the Lighthouse. In 'What the Thunder Said', the musical form continues, but the structured final stanzas create a sense of relief for the reader compared to the repetitive and apocalyptic opening. Unlike To the Lighthouse, The Waste Land uses an abundance of religious, philosophical, and literary references from Greek, Medieval, and Victorian literature that can create a sense of alienation for the reader.

According to Eliot in The Metaphysical Poets, he expresses the 'difficulty' in which the poet must expand their perspective, make references, and use indirect language in order to convey their intended meaning. Eliot accomplishes this through his utilization of allusions, foreign languages, and ever-changing personas. Similar to Woolf's novel, The Waste Land embodies a modernist ideology concerning imperialism and war. This social divide is exemplified

in 'A Game of Chess' through the frustrated and overly emotional love of the aristocratic woman (who mirrors Cleopatra's suicide) and the cultural and revitalizing love of the working-class woman.

The text highlights the dissatisfaction with culture and the ineffectiveness of sexuality in providing solace. Similar to Woolf's novel, death is depicted in an unconventional manner, a characteristic of modernist literature. The demise of Phlebas is portrayed in a matter-of-fact manner, as seen in the line 'Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead' (p. 39), emphasizing the fleeting nature of life. Moreover, this notion is reinforced through Eliot's portrayal of the Crucifixion, where Jesus remains unreborn.

The Waste Land, unlike To the Lighthouse, has a more cosmopolitan and historic perspective that allows readers to understand society on a larger scale. In 'What the Thunder Said', cities are depicted as being destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again, reflecting the decline of ancient civilizations such as Jerusalem, Greece, Egypt, and Austria. This emphasizes the fleeting nature of life. Nevertheless, even amidst the innovation of modern texts, elements of realism have permeated into the modernist movement.

During the modernist era, the concept of the unconscious was not a new idea. However, it was in this period that psychoanalytic approaches, particularly with the publication of Freud, reached their peak. In modernist literature, some characters still retained Victorian and outdated traits in contrast to the new writing forms and ideologies. For example, Mrs. Ramsay is portrayed as a stereotypical mother and wife with her name being withheld from the reader, reflecting a traditional and conservative perspective. In contrast, characters like Lily Brisco and Mr. Ramsay represent feminist and intellectual elements.

Thirdly, the bildungsroman form utilized in

various modernist texts is not limited to modernist literature. Realist texts, like Wuthering Heights, also portray the development of multiple characters into adulthood. In conclusion, modernism did bring novelty to literature by incorporating contemporary ideas such as psychoanalysis and societal factors like imperialism and war. Modernist writers shifted away from coherence and objectivity, embracing difficulty and subjectivity instead. Nevertheless, the most groundbreaking aspect of modernism was its utilization of form to convey meaning.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New