British Modernism

Question 1

One can make many arguments for the beginning of British Modernism. Arguing for WWI, how does it relate to the Battle of Somme?

Answer 1

–> ne of the bloddiest battles in WWI -> brutal -> leading to disillusionment, rejection of traditional belief in heroism, nationalism
* psychological trauma

Question 2

What complicated the argument of WWI as a starting point for Modernism?

Answer 2

• you cannot see one point as complete shift -> no clear cut possible
  –> Modernism did exist before -> WWI main catalyst

Question 3

What can, loosely, be defined as characteristics of Modernism?

Answer 3

• rejection of traditional linear narratives and objective viewpoints
  -> instead of fragmented structures, multiple perspectives, stream of consciousness
  –> reflect complexities /uncertainties of modern life
• disillusionment and alienation
  –> struggles with isolation, existential doubts, loss of meaning

Question 4

How does time function in the text “Eveline” by Jame Joyce?

Answer 4

• introspection: blending past memories with present anxieties
  –> nostalgia for the familiar past and fear of uncertain future
• time as subjective and fluid
  –> psychological entrapment -> paralysis

Question 5

Is it wise to leave home? How does this question which Eveline considers relate to the Irish context?

Answer 5

• duty to be there for family vs. desire for personal independence
• economic challenges in Ireland -> hope of better life abroad but anxiety of leaving roots

Question 6

What allusion did Joyce use in “Eveline” to avoid writing a text “too scandalous”

Answer 6

• uses religious imagery and references -> particularly catholic symbolism to address duty, guilt and moral conflict
  –> exploring themes like sexuality/oppression aligned with Ireland’s deeply religious culture

Question 7

Woolf uses the image of the dome from Percy Shelley’s Adonais in “Kew Garden”. How does she implement it in the text?

Answer 7

• evolve sense of fleeting and delicate nature of life
  –> mirroring beauty of garden and transient thoughts & interactions passing by
• symbol of all-seeing narrator -> bringing together different thoughts/experiences
  –> feeling of connection between their separate lives

Question 8

What is the narrative situation in the text “Kew Garden”

Answer 8

• fluid, omniscient
  -> moves between different character’s thoughts
  -> blending inner reflection with external descriptions of the garden
  —> fragmented yet interconnected

Question 9

How is the narrative situation in “Kew Garden” Modernist?

Answer 9

• fragmentation
• stream of consciousness

Question 10

What core elements of Modernism does “Kew Garden” hold?

Answer 10

• subjective experiences and fleeting impressions
• capturing complexity of conscious and perception

Question 11

Why is the text “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot difficult to read?

Answer 11

over-connectedness -> too much information, you don’t know how to connect it; use of conjunctions; change of pronouns; overload of intertextuality
–> too much for our perception

Question 12

How does the poem “The Waste Land” stick together? How can we make sense of it?

Answer 12

• recurring imagery of nature, movement and fleeting thoughts
  –> overarching theme of passage of time
• elements like flowers and garden help connect different parts
  –> focusing on feelings and sensory instead of clear storyline

Question 13

What is the concept of “over-connectedness” in Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land”?

Answer 13

• reflects on modern life -> constant social interactions and overwhelming information leads to loss of personal identity and meaningful relationships

Question 14

What is the “Modernist” goal of the poem?

Answer 14

• to capture the fragmented, alienated experience and individuals in a rapidly changing world, using experimental structure shifting perspectives -> uncertainty/complexity of modern life