Modernism

Prepared by : 

Shvan Goran  

        Modernism is a term referring to art, poetry, literature and philosophy of Europe and America in the twentieth century ^[1].  It is a cultural movement which reacted against Victorian traditional customs of society ^[2]. Modernists rebelled against Victorian principles; and emphasized humanism over nationalism, it means they despised national issues if compared with human issues; and they emphasized that humans were part of and responsible to nature which they mean human can control nature ^[3]. 

Another definition of Modernism It’s a modern thinking, personality, custom ^[4].  Generally Modernism was a movement against traditional principles of life in society in terms of religious, political and social. It was a break against traditional beliefs in the Western society and Modernists tried to make people think about their life in modern ways and be responsible of themselves and their behavior.

        There is a controversy on the beginning of Modernism; most of scholars suggest that it began after World War I, but some others think that it started in the late nineteenth century in France. In the same way some say that Modernism ended with World War II ^[5].

          Modernism is described by some characteristics; one of them is the strong feeling towards separating or breaking away from traditions in society. Another feature is a long search to find new ways to human’s level in the universe ^[5].                       

      Modernists showed a new subject for literature and did feel that their way of looking at their life needs a new form and style of writing, and the meaning of changing the world was encouraged by new developments such as new understanding from beginning of fields of psychology and sociology, the study of human race (anthropological) and studies of comparing religions, changing the way of which power is shared in society especially when women started taking part in society and work as equal as men.  One of other developments was new information technology like radio and cinema ^[6].

    To summarize, we know that Modernism brought about some radical changes over important issues in Western traditional societies and rebelled against traditional principles, Modernism emphasized human over other things around.

29/10/2011

References:

1.       Babylon pc dictionary (Modernism)

2.       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernism

3.       http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/moddef.html

4.        http://www.answers.com/topic/modernism

5.       Babylon dictionary / poetry and Literature Terminology (Modernism)

6.       http://www.sprog.asb.dk/tt/Giddens/Lectures/some_characteristics_of_modernism.htm