Modernist Fiction: Key Features and Narrative Innovations
Modernist Fiction: Key Features and Narrative Innovations
Q1. Key Features of Modernist Fiction vs. Traditional Narratives
Modernist fiction, emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, radically departed from traditional narrative forms. It responded to the disruptions of the modern world—industrialization, urbanization, war, and shifting philosophies—which challenged established beliefs. Traditional narratives, especially realism, emphasized linear storytelling, coherent plots, and objective
Read MoreWilliam Blake’s ‘The Clod and the Pebble’: Love’s Dual Views
William Blake’s ‘The Clod and the Pebble’, a profound work from his collection, masterfully presents two distinct and opposing perspectives on the nature of love. This poem, characteristic of Blake’s exploration of duality, delves into the theme of love through the contrasting voices of a humble clod of clay and a resilient pebble. The poem maintains a delicate balance between these two viewpoints, with Blake employing a consistent poetic style across the main stanzas to highlight their
Read MoreLiterary Insights: Neruda, Rilke, Tolstoy, Chattopadhyay, Chekhov
Pablo Neruda’s “Cat’s Dream” Analysis
Uncovering the Soul of Ordinary Things
In Cat’s Dream, Pablo Neruda uncovers the latent soul of ordinary things by meditating on the quiet, mysterious life of a cat. He sees the cat not just as an animal, but as a symbol of peace, grace, and silent wisdom. The poet marvels at the cat’s detachment from the chaos of the human world. By observing its stillness, poise, and independence, he discovers a deeper essence within the mundane. Neruda believes that even
Read MoreMary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Romanticism & Science
Mary Shelley: Life, Romanticism, and Frankenstein (1797-1851)
The Romantic Movement: Origins and Ideals
Romanticism is a cultural and political movement that took place in both Germany and England. The great majority of critics and historians agree that the Romantic Period began in 1798, when Wordsworth and Coleridge published Lyrical Ballads. This period would last until 1829, with Lord Byron’s death. Romanticism arose as a reaction against the rationality of the Enlightenment and neoclassical
Read MoreSpanish Post-War Literature: Key Authors and Masterpieces
Spanish Post-War Literature: Authors and Their Works
Luis Martín Santos
Luis Martín Santos (1924-1964) was a pivotal figure in Spanish literature.
A Time of Silence
His seminal work, A Time of Silence (1962), is a landmark novel. The plot centers on a young doctor and researcher named Peter, who is supplied with mice in the grim slums. Peter becomes involved in the death of a young woman and is arrested. When released from prison, his girlfriend is killed by Cartridge, the loving daughter of ‘the
Read MoreBritish Literary Eras: Romanticism and Victorian Masterpieces
Romanticism (c. 1780s-1830s)
Romantic poets often exhibited narcissistic tendencies, emphasizing the landscape as a reflection of themselves. They focused on the individual, imagination (often related to the evasion to a perfect world), and the presence of children, particularly in relation to innocence. Romanticism is deeply connected to the poetry of consciousness, national identity, the self, and nature.
There are distinct generations of Romantic poets:
- Early Romantic Poets: William Blake, William