Reflection on Modernism

As we approach the due date for our first major essay, I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain my notion of Modernism gained from our in-class discussions and analyses.

Modernism began as a reactionary movement against the changes in society brought on by the Industrial Revolution. As science and technology transformed the social and economic landscape of Western civilization, productivity and innovation came to be regarded as the keystone principles at the forefront of societal progress. Communities began to value science over the traditional humanities, and leaders in education experienced conflict over the role of non-scientific subjects in producing well-educated citizens, as seen in the heated debate between Huxley and Arnold. In a world of factories, mass production, and ever-accelerating technological progress, efficiency became paramount in all pursuits. As countries honed their industries and pushed for greater profits, that same discerning eye was turned onto literature. What was the role of literature, a traditionally lofty and abstract field, in a world increasingly concerned with the concrete, the measurable, and the profitable?

The uncertainty of the role of literature in a ‘modern’ society is the fundamental question Modernists sought to answer. Pervasive doubt over the definition and worth of literary merit forms a common thread linking the different off-shoot movements of Modernism we have discussed in class. Ezra Pound sought to incorporate literature into the realm of science by imposing empirical values onto the literary form, uniting the utility of science as a means for expanding human knowledge with literature as a means of expanding the human soul. Imagism, as defined by Ezra Pound and Amy Lowell, addressed the ambiguity of sensation and perception by capturing only the essential aspects of an idea, isolating the point of confluence between absolute reality and human reality. The function of literature as a means of addressing ambiguity was further expanded by Ernest Hemingway, in whose short stories “The Battler” and “The End of Something”, the character Nick Adams experiences significant conflicts whose ultimate implications are left unsaid, existing only under the surface of the narrative, inviting interpretation. Throughout these works, the central meaning often begets a greater complexity or unknowability, reflecting a broad appreciation of the mercurial ambiguity of modern reality. I believe that this tension in the relationship between the concept of modernity and the demands of reality is the defining characteristic of Modernism and the artists who worked to define and re-define it.

Carolyn Baxter