Civilization in decline was a theme of modernism.
Modernism is a literary movement that began in the early 20th century. During this time, there was an enormous amount of upheaval from wars, first the Spanish-American War, and then the utterly devastating first World War. Poets and novelists began to question the basis of western civilization and its Judeo-Christian inheritance. There was increased fragmentation in narratives as writers sought to establish a new foundation for their work.
Fragmentation and Alienation
A falcon on a falconer's glove.
The most common element in modernism is a sense of loss. This loss can be felt on several levels. There is the loss of civilization, a theme that T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound take up in their poems. There is also the loss of a connection with nature. When W. B. Yeats writes that "The center cannot hold / The falcon cannot hear the falconer" in his poem "The Second Coming," he is bemoaning the fact that the connection between humanity and nature has been compromised, if not severed. Relationships between men and women suffer the same fate, leading to the collapse of all cities, and ultimately, civilization itself.
The Decline of Religion
Religion becomes less and less influential.
Another common characteristic of modernism is the decline of the importance of religion. Many authors decided to replace traditional religion with a new form of symbolism, which was often pagan in origin. Ezra Pound revived ancient Greek poetry in his lengthy poem, "The Cantos." James Joyce, too, emphasized the lessening importance of religious faith in his characters' lives. In his novel "Ulysses," Leopold Bloom is a nonpracticing Jew, and Stephen Daedalus is a nonpracticing Catholic. At times, religion is mocked in modernism, but modernism's main critique of religion is that it is no longer strong enough to provide the foundation for civilization.
New Narrative Modes
Interestingly, although modernists implemented new methods of narration, they borrowed heavily from the literary tradition. For example, James Joyce's "Ulysses" uses what T. S. Eliot refers to as the "mythic method." In this narrative style, the ancient past and the contemporary scene are presented simultaneously; Leopold Bloom's journey back to his wife Molly is the same as Odysseus returning back home to his wife Penelope. Advances in psychology also contribute to new methods such as the stream of consciousness; readers are presented with the inner thoughts of an author's characters in an often confusing manner. William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf are notable practitioners of this new writing style.
Critique of Technology
Robots have replaced human beings on many assembly lines.
The main recurring image of modernism is the machine. Technology automates much of normal human activity, and in the early 20th century, many found it disturbing. Today, we think little about the effect that technology has on our participation in the world. One of the best examples is the invention of the boat engine. To get across a lake in a sailboat, you have to zigzag across the water, paying close attention to angles and wind direction. With an engine, you just go straight across the lake. These artists were concerned that technology would remove us from the persistent rhythms of nature, so much so that we would become automatons ourselves.
