Modernism_General_Characteristics_I.ppt

Modernism:GeneralCharacteristicsI,I.Introduction,Modernismasawayofthinking.,II.ModernisminPhilosophy:TheIdeasofFriedrichNietzsche,1.Assaulton(andRejectionof)Christianity“Christianityiscalledthereligionofpity.Pityisopposedtopassionswhichenhancetheenergyofthefeelingthetonicoflife:itsactionisdepressing.Onthewhole,pitythwartsthelawofdevelopmentwhichisthelawofselection.Itpreservesthatwhichisripefordeath,itfightsinfavourofthedisinheritedandthecondemnedoflife;thankstothemultitudeofabortionsofallkindswhichitmaintainsinlife,itlendslifeitselfasombreandquestionableaspect.”,2.CritiqueofScience“Astothefamousstruggleforexistence,itseemstome,forthepresent,tobemoreofanassumptionthanafact.Supposing,however,thatthisstruggleexists,anditdoesindeedoccur,itsresultisunfortunatelytheveryreverseofthatwhichtheDarwinianschoolseemstodesire:thatistosay,itisalwaystothedisadvantageofthestrong,theprivileged,andthehappyexceptions.Speciesdonotevolvetowardsperfection:theweakalwaysprevailoverthestrongsimplybecausetheyarethemajority,andbecausetheyarealsothemorecrafty.”,3.CritiqueoftheIdeaofProgress“Mankinddoesnotrepresentadevelopmenttowardsabetter,strongerorhighertype,inthesenseinwhichthisissupposedtooccurto-day.Progressismerelyamodernideathatistosay,afalseidea.”,4.RejectionofWesternMorality“Iwillformulateaprinciple.Allnaturalismismoralitythatistosay,everysoundmoralityisruledbyalifeinstinct.Conversely,themoralitywhichisantagonistictonaturethatistosay,almosteverymoralitythathasbeentaught,honoredandpreachedhitherto,isdirectedpreciselyagainstthelife-instincts,itisacondemnation,nowsecret,nowblatantandimpudent,oftheseveryinstincts.”,III.SigmundFreud:TheDiscoveryoftheIrrational,1.TheNatureofDreamsTheInterpretationofDreams(1900)Freudapproacheddreamsseriously.Hethoughtthat,byanalyzingdreams,hecouldunderstandtheworkingsofhispatientspsyches,andcurethemoftheirpsychologicalillnesses.InTheInterpretationofDreams,Freudfamouslyarguedthat“adreamisafulfillmentofawish.”Freudsanalysisofdreamsledhimtoconcludethathumanbeingsare,muchmoreoftenthanpreviouslythought,drivenbydark,sinistermotives.,2.Psychoanalysis:BasicPrinciplesTheInterpretationofDreamswasFreudsfirstmajorwork,whichmarkedthebirthofpsychoanalysisasabranchofpsychology.Bythesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury,FreudspsychoanalysishadchangedirreversiblythewayinwhichWesternculturethoughtabouthumanbeings.Psychoanalysisinsistedthatsexualityisthemostfundamentalhumancharacteristic.Theconceptof“polymorphousperversesexuality:”AccordingtoFreud,childrenexhibita“polymorphousperversesexuality.”Whatthismeantwasthat,fromthemomenttheyarebornandduringthefirstseveralyearsoftheirlives,childrenareprofoundlysexualbeings.Withoutconsciouslyrealizingit,theyderivesexualpleasurefromtheactivitiesinwhichtheyengage;they,infact,seeksexualpleasureintheseactivities.,3.FreudsConceptionoftheHumanPsycheTheSuperego:thehumanconscienceTheEgo:thehumanrationalselfTheId:theseatoftheirrationalimpulses,IV.ModernisminLiterature,1.NaturalismLiteraryNaturalismdevelopedoutofnineteenth-centuryliteraryRealism.ItwasaRealismthataspiredtodescriberealitywithscientificprecision.EmileZolaGerminal(1885),AsaformofRealism,Naturalismwasapre-Modernistmovement.Asaprincipleofart,theideaofconstructingarealisticrepresentationofrealitywasformulatedbyRealistsbeforeModernism,andwasabandonedbyModernists.LikeliteraryModernism,however,Naturalismwasaliterarymovementthatwashighlycriticalofnineteenth-centuryEuropeansocietyandculture.Inthissense,itbelongstoModernism.ZolasportrayaloftheextremelyhardlivesofminersinGerminal,forexample,exposedtheenormoussufferinginflictedbymodernEuropeansocietyonitsworkingclass.Inthisway,thenovelwasabittercritiqueofmodernEuropeansociety.,2.SymbolismSymbolismemergedandbecameapowerfulartisticmovementinEuropeduringthelastquarterofthenineteenthcentury.Inpoetry,theleadingfiguresofSymbolismwereStephaneMallarmeandPaulVerlaine.,Symbolistpoetsrejectedwhattheythoughtwastheboringandlifelesscultureofnineteenth-centuryEurope,turnedtheirbacksonit,andturnedtowardsartastheonlysourceofmeaning.Forthem,artbecameareligion.Symbolistpoetsbelievedthat,behindtheworldofappearances,thereexistedahiddenreality,onethatwastruerthantherealityperceivedthroughthehumansensesandhumanreason.Thissecretrealityincludedboththeinteriorworldofhumanbeings,andaninvisiblerealitybehindthematerialworldthathumansperceive.,Symbolistpoetrydidnotproviderealisticdescriptionsofhumansinnerworldandofthematerialrealityinwhichwelive.Instead,byusingmetaphoricallanguageandsymbols,ittriedtoevokethetruer,superiorreality,hiddenbehindtheworldofappearances.,PaulVerlaine,ForCharlesBaudelaireIdonotknowyounow,orlikeyou,norDidIfirstknoworlikeyou,Iadmit.ItsnotformetofurbishandrestoreYourname:ifItakeupthecauseforit,ItsthatwebothhaveknowntheexquisiteJoysoftwofeettogetherpressed:His,orOurwhores!He,nailed;they,swooninginlovesfit,Madlyanoi