What are modernist ideas?

Answer 1

Historically it referes to the period at the turn of the last century, when the industrial revolution promised an exciting change in industry. Factories able to mass produce were being built all over Europe and the Western world. Cities saw massive growth as people from the countryside came looking for work. This was reflected in the modernist movements in art at the time, as artists who saw a rapid change in the world attempted to express this change in the avant-garde. The first world war went a long way to changing peoples attitudes towards modernity, as the capabilities of the machine and mass production took on a sinister role, causing death in unimaginable quantities.

Generally nowadays it means to bring things up to date with the technology and fashion of the present day.

Answer 2

The term "modernist" first came into use only in the 1960s to describe a generation of disillusioned post-war writers. Modernist writing is most particularly noted for its experimentation, its complexity, and its attempt to create something new. When time-bound, modernism is primarily located in the years 1890-1930; when genre-bound, modernism is associated with innovation and novelty that has been stretched to include such figures as John Donne, William Blake, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Laurence Sterne. Modernist literature candidly portrayed the disjointed, disintegrating, and discordant aspects of Victorian life rather than merely conforming to a propagated myth of harmony, peace, and order. In terms of sexuality and family life, modernist literature offered descriptions sympathetic to feminism, homosexuality, and androgyny, in addition to a suggestion of the constraints of the nuclear family, which seemed to hamper the individual's growth and development. Modernist literature also tended towards feelings of apocalypse and despair following decades of Victorian doubt. Modernist texts focus on social, spiritual, or personal collapse.

Answer 3

Modernist ideas in literature and art reject traditional forms and embrace experimentation, fragmentation, and subjectivity. Modernist writers and artists sought to portray the complexities and uncertainties of the modern world, often through techniques like stream of consciousness and non-linear narratives. Modernism is characterized by its skepticism towards established norms and its emphasis on individual experience and perception.

Answer 4

Modernist writing involves experimentation with form as well as a more realistic and pessimistic outlook on life.