By exaggerating the truth (apex)
Modernist writers of fiction tended to prefer indirect characterization. Modernist writers also preferred unreliable narrators. Other literary devices used in modernist writing were stream-of-consciousness and interior monologue.
Yes, omniscient narrators are found in modernist literature. Modernist authors sometimes used omniscient narrators to provide different perspectives and insights into the characters and events of the story. However, modernist writers also experimented with different narrative techniques that challenged traditional forms of storytelling, including unreliable narrators and stream-of-consciousness narration.
By exaggerating the truth (apex)
Modernist writers often favored simple settings.
Existentialism was one of the prominent philosophical influences on modernist writers, but not all modernist writers adhered to existentialism. Many modernist writers drew from a variety of philosophical and literary movements, such as surrealism, naturalism, and symbolism, to express their ideas and themes. Existentialism's focus on individual experience, freedom, and the search for meaning resonated with some modernist writers, but it was not the only philosophy impacting their work.
Virginia WoolfJames Joyce
larger; more varied
In many cases, modernist writers made heavy use of symbolism.
Modernist writers experimented with stream of consciousness, fragmentation, and unreliable narrators to engage readers in new ways and challenge traditional literary conventions. By embracing ambiguity and complex narrative structures, they invited readers to actively participate in constructing meaning and interpreting their works.
Mid-19th
to use new forms of plot
French writers and artists such as Charles Baudelaire, Gustave Flaubert, and Edouard Manet.