It portrays modernism less as a movement in revolt from the modern world. But it does provide you with illuminating answers that can enhance your appreciation of the literature, philosophy, politics, and morality of this seminal moment in literary history. Literary modernism in the englishspeaking world reflects a conf. Modernism in literature characteristics of modernism in. A cultural history explores modernisms struggle with a split temporality in which the old and the emerging new struggle, and in which, with the horror of the great war, notions of a traumatic or frozen time emerge. Although prewar works by henry james, joseph conrad, and other writers are considered modernist, modernism as a literary movement is typically associated with the period after world war i. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. But despite all this, these lectures are brilliantly organized, crystal clear, and an invaluable tool for finally wrapping your brain around a dramatic roster of authors and an enduring canon of literature. The struggle for modern history audible audio edition. The struggle for modern history the great courses professor jeffrey perl on. Literary modernism, or modernist literature, has its origins in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mainly in europe and north america, and is characterized by a selfconscious break with traditional ways of writing, in both poetry and prose fiction.
Modern western literature commenced from the 1890s. She tells us about the history of the movement, and picks five works that exemplify or explain it. Its pleasing to note that such objections have a long history. Nor do they shy away from the difficulties of literary modernism itself. The teaching company the great courses audio cd 1991. Modernist writers in general rebelled against clearcut storytelling and formulaic verse from the 19th century. It is a theory of the nature of history and politics as well as. The horrors of world war i 191419, with its accompanying atrocities and senselessness became the catalyst for the modernist movement in literature and art. Instead, many of them told fragmented stories which reflected the fragmented state of society during and after.
The struggle for modern history does not shrink from the challenges imposed by these questions. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. Written by jeffrey perl, the great courses, audiobook narrated by jeffrey perl. Join professor jeffrey perl on an intriguing reconsideration of some of the most controversial authors of the 20th century. The enormity of the war had undermined humankinds faith in the foundations of western society and culture. Lewis, wide sargasso sea by jean rhys, white teeth by zadie sm. Modernist literature has been dismissed as elitist, narcissistic, even pretentious. Modernist authors felt betrayed by the war, believing the institutions in which they were taught to believe had led the civilized world into a bloody conflict. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Modernism is a period in literary history which started around the early 1900s and continued until the early 1940s.
English literature20th centuryhistory and criticismhandbooks, manuals, etc. It considers such topics as modernism, market culture and obscurity. Modernism is about form more than content, says the scholar of english literature. So much of modernism is defined by a struggle of a will, or the faultlines of a. A cultural history explores modernisms struggle with a split.