Modernism in Literature
How and with what consequences did modernism in literature affect society after World War I?
Student A
Candidate Code: fch707
Session Number: 001227-0096
Word Count: 1,854
1
Section A: Plan of Investigation
Between 1914 and 1918, the first Great War broke out and all of Europe was ravaged.
The horror that struck the people of all the powers that were involved shocked many into
wanting to change the view of people about society and the world from spiritual to realistic. This
paper will investigate and examine pre-modernism literature, WWI and its effect on society, how
and why modernism in literature arose, and its effect on society after WWI. To determine the
causes and consequences, however, this paper will focus on two important sources: a primary
source example of modernist poetry from Wilfred Owen (“Dulce et Decorum Est”) and a
secondary source that examines the effects of modernism in society.
2
Section B: Summary of Evidence
Pre-Modernism

Before 1650s

Considered before the Age of Reason

Based on “revealed knowledge from authoritative sources” (Hoffman)

The main “holders and interpreters of revealed knowledge” was the Church (Hoffman)

“Literature was passed along by oral tradition or held closely by a very high educated
elite” (andykalan)

Life was dominated by beliefs in the supernatural realm.

Truth was measured by if the “phenomenon could be observed within physical reality” or
if “[it] was coherent with past initial truth claims” (andykalan)

Less advanced – little to no technology (slow), communication, and land/individual
craftsmanship
World War I’s Effect

Men came back injured, couldn’t go back into the workforce

Suffered many psychological issues (post-traumatic stress disorder)

Wives and children were left behind to survive on their own

Women had replaced the men in the labor force while they were fighting in the
battlefields (Effects of World War I)

Disillusionment caused revolutions and new desires of standards of living

Genocide of Armenians in Turkey

Influenza epidemic worldwide

“Belief in human progress was shattered by World War I” (Mintz)
3

“Disillusionment with international and national politics and a sense of distrust in
political leaders and government officials” arose (“World War I: Aftermath”)

German author Ernst Jünger glorified the war and its violence while in Erich Maria
Remarque’s novel All Quiet on the Western Front portrayed a vivid and realistic picture
of trench warfare, the experience of the frontline and its troops, and the alienation of the
“Lost Generation.”

Lost Generation: returned from war, unable to adapt to the peace and quiet,
misunderstood by the home front (family, friends, etc.)
Modernism and its Effect on Society, Post World War I

Occurred because of a series of cultural shocks
o Shell-shocked Western civilization due to World War I
o “War to end all wars” – later look at with such astonishment and horror

“Culture defined in terms of an interconnected field of activity in which hierarchy and
even causality is problematic; …or literature might seem akin to science….” (Armstrong)

Belief that religion, politics, and society ruled the world no longer sufficed in the world

Modern life was “horrific, chaotic, and ultimately futile” (Matterson).

“The previous generation’s way of doing things was a cultural dead end” (Rahn).

Differences in gender and cultures/races
Modernism in Literature and its Effect on Society, Post World War I

Modernist literature arose to bring out the horror that was once hidden and to let
everyone know what has happened to civilization and society

Modernism poetry wanted to stretch the possibilities to craft something that was not
previously imagined.
4

Imagist poetry began to rise; primarily about steering from the aesthetic points of view
and concentrating entirely on “’the thing itself’, in the words of critic poet T. E. Hulme”
(Rahn).
o Used minimalist language, less structural rules, directness in their words
o Did not write about the beauty of nature and in the world itself; possessed full
freedom

French poets were the first to begin refining such a beautiful art in literature because they
weren’t scared to cross taboos in society at the time.

American Literature was made up of a group of writers and thinkers who became known
as the Lost Generation (Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald)

T. S. Eliot expressed the destructiveness of modern life through a deep concept of
sadness and loss.

Others found a way to express themselves through the fresh sense of freedom and
responsibilities that they gained through leaving behind traditional ways of the previous
generation.
o Wilfred Owen: English poet and soldier, influenced by Siegfried Sassoon,
realistic poetry gave insight to why the war was so tragic and destructive
5
Section C: OPVL
“Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen (see Appendix A for poem)
This poem was written by Wilfred Owen in 1917 during the First World War. However,
it was published after he died in 1918. The purpose was to expose the truth about how horrific it
was to fight in the war and the condemnation of it. It was also written to inform people about
how their perception of the world and reality should change because reality did not parallel with
the mind. Before World War I and the modernist movement, people believed that the world was
a fantasy and that faith would change the world. Owen wanted people to change this mindset and
start thinking outside of the norm, to challenge how people perceived the world. To a historian,
this poem is a firsthand account of a soldier’s life at the front and during the war because Owen
had fought and experienced the war himself. This poem, however, could be a limitation because
it does not give insight to how nationalist people felt about the war or other soldiers’ responses to
the war, so this poem could be biased or skewed in Owen’s desire. Owen only addresses the
horrors of the war, of how people who actually fought at the front thought about the war. He
does not delve into other aspects of the war. It was also published posthumously, so other
publishers altered it. This thus changed the true message of the poem.
“Modernism” by Josh Rahn
Josh Rahn who has a Masters degree in English Literature and Library Science wrote this
article. It was written to inform readers and learners of what modernism is, how it is defined, and
why it is important to history. Historians could use this as an example of how people, in today’s
society, view modernism and why they think it is important or why it is a fascinating subject to
investigate or learn about. Rahn holds a degree in English Literature, so he could have a
6
thoughtful idea(s) about modernism and its history. However, because this article was written by
an outside person less than a decade after World War I occurred and after modernism rose, so he
could be missing a lot of important information that is needed to completely understand
modernism. He interpreted what others have written about this time period, so he could also be
struggling with figuring out what is right and what is wrong. He also only wrote about his own
opinions and thoughts; therefore, it makes a reader think more along the lines of how he thought
of it, not objectively.
7
Section D: Analysis
Four years of unimaginably destructive warfare forced many struggling artist and authors
to “think outside of the box” and focus on what is in front of their mind’s eye. They began to
contradict the past and certain earlier periods’ norms. Many authors and artists sought to
experiment and engage in individual views that were heartily discouraged in the past. To them,
they had the freedom to be radical in the sense of politics and individualism, especially being
very sexual. This broke them from traditional ways of the world and allowed them to express
their minds in a very unfamiliar, peculiar way. Modernism also saw a radical change in
experimenting with the literary form and its expression; new technological innovations brought
upon a new way of communication (movies). Newly established ideals of the time (psychology)
also brought upon a change in the way people viewed the world. Exploring the world in a very
real and revealing way gave way to people learning about the state of things and the world in the
early twentieth century. This modified the view of the world from romantic and nationalistic to
realistic.
According to T. E. Hulme, the critic poet mentioned in Rahn’s article, poets began to
focus on “the thing itself” rather than hiding from it or straying away from the idea. “Belief in
human progress was shattered by World War I” and the world was seen as “horrific, chaotic, and
ultimately futile” (Mintz, Matterson). Many people believed that “the previous generation’s way
of doing things was a cultural dead end” (Rahn). Because of this, a revolution was bound to
happen in the world. Those who catalyzed this event were the people who were mostly affected
by the catastrophic event of the First Great War. The First World War awestruck many people,
disillusioned them, and forced them to open their eyes and rethink their society. Believing that
others (rulers of the countries) would make the change that was necessary for the world was not
8
the most effective method. Putting the people’s trust in someone who did not care worried
society the most. Modernism found its way in society when people started to think. People
started to understand the world around them and what was actually happening. Countries
engaged in unimaginable things, and nobody could do anything before the new mindset of
humanity. The commonwealth began to realize that the world was not a safe place and neither is
human kind. It was necessary to bring about a change in perspective of things in the world.
To bring about this innovation of thinking, struggling artists and authors began to
illustrate humanity. They wrote about the differences of the mind and of the aesthetic views of
the world. They exposed the unfortunate and unimaginable truth. They wanted to alter how the
previous generations’ mentality. Their attitudes did not fit the facts and the events that were
occurring in the “beautiful, peaceful” world around them. People could not continue living with
the idea that their ultimate ruler was the best and that advancements in the world were not
supposed to happen. They needed to become individuals and fight for what they should have.
Trudging along through life would have done nothing good for anyone. Through modernist
literature, the future was laid out in front of everyone. People could believe it and change or they
could forget about it and follow what they have learned from previous generations.
9
Section E: Conclusion
Modernism in literature was not the only factor that helped change the outlook of
humankind in the world. However, it played a huge role in the development of new ideals in
society. Authors and artists helped portray a world that was real and inartificial. It is hard to
conclude if society changed rapidly after World War I and modernism, but it did change for the
better eventually. It opened people’s minds and eyes to how things were in the world and why
something should change. People began to think and experiment with a new insight on life. Their
minds started to picture a new world around them, and the previous generations’ mentality
slowly faded.
Word Count: 1,854
10
Appendix A:
“Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.
GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.-Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
11
Section F: Bibliography
andykalan. "Analysis of History: The Story of Premodernism, Modernism &
Postmodernism."Directions on Upward Existence (2012): n. pag. Wordpress.com. Web. 6
Apr. 2014.
Armstrong, Tim. Modernism: A Cultural History. Cambridge: Polity, 2005. Print.
"Effects of World War I." Effects of World War I. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.
Hoffman, Louis. "Premodernism, Modernism, & Postmodernism: An Overview." An Overview
of Premodernism, Modernism, & Postmodernism. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
Hudson, Dale, and Maeve Adams. "The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The 20th
Century: Topic 1: Overview." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The 20th
Century: Topic 1: Overview. W. W. Norton & Company, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
Kareer, Rahul. "WWI's Impact On Society." WWI's Impact On Society. Blogspot.com, 20 Oct.
2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
Matterson, Stephen. "1890-1940s Modernism." PBS. PBS, Mar. 2007. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
Mintz, Steven. "The Global Effect of World War I." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American
History. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
Owen, Wilfred. “Dulce et Decorum Est.” London: Chatto & Windus, 1963. Print.
Rahn, Josh. "Modernism." Literature Periods & Movements. Jalic Inc., 2011. Web. 14 Mar.
2014.
Robinson, Fiona, Dr. "British Art and Literature During WWI." Smarthistory. Khan Academy,
n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
"World War I: Aftermath." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust
Memorial Council, 10 June 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
12