1. Fragmentation and Disillusionment: This reflects the sense of disillusionment and fragmentation following World War I. Modernist works often feature broken narratives, disjointed syntax, and unreliable narrators. The world is presented as chaotic and unpredictable, mirroring the real-world anxieties of the time.
2. Focus on Interiority and Consciousness: The focus shifts from external actions to the internal world of characters. Stream of consciousness techniques and psychological realism become prominent, exploring the complexities of human thought, feelings, and motivations.
3. Experimentation with Form and Style: Modernists rejected traditional literary structures and conventions. They experimented with new forms, such as free verse poetry, non-linear narratives, and innovative use of language.
4. Emphasis on Individuality and Alienation: Modernist literature often portrays the isolation and alienation of the individual in a rapidly changing world. Characters grapple with loss of faith in traditional values and struggle to find meaning in a seemingly meaningless universe.
5. Themes of Modernity and Urbanization: Modernist writers engaged with the complexities of modern life, including the rise of technology, urbanization, and consumerism. They explored the impact of these changes on society and individual experience.
Examples of Authors:
* T.S. Eliot (The Waste Land)
* Ernest Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises)
* F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby)
* William Faulkner (The Sound and the Fury)
* Ezra Pound (The Cantos)
* Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway)
These are just some of the core elements of Modernism in American Literature. It is a rich and complex movement, and each author and work brought their own unique interpretations to these themes.