Crisis and Modernism
It is a period of crisis due to the scientific progress and new views of man and of the of the universe, spread through the society. The movement is known as modernism or age of anxiety. The authors start rejecting the traditional conventions and focus on the individual.
The analysis of the psychology of the human’s mind is at the center of every story. The unconscious controls our impulses. Modernism also focused on the idea of the decay, the lack of values and certainties and it focused also on the individual’s inner world and his relationship with society. It is a period of new scientific discoveries that introduced the idea of:
- relativity = the isn’t only one perspective but many. The truth is fragmentated.
- subjectivity = there is a focus on the individual, especially their inner life.
Relativity and Subjectivity
The major stylistic device is Human beings are seen as paralyzedby the values of the society and unable to change. What artist can do is just to make people aware of its conditions.
He was born in Dublin in 1882 and studied languages at University college in Dublin. His interest was for a broader European culture and this led him to think of himself as a European rather than an Irishman. In his novels he gives the reader a realistic portrait of Dublin but from the point of view of an European. He moved to Paris but then came back to Dublin. In 1905 he moved to Trieste where he became friend with Italo Svevo. In the same year he finished his main work ‘Dubliners’, published in 1914. Because of financial issues he moved to Zurich in 1915 and then to Paris in 1920, where he published Ulysses. In 1940 when France was occupied by Nazis he moved back to Zurich where he died, one year later.
Joyce was a modernist author. The facts are explored from different points of view simultaneously and are presented as clues, fragmentation of clues. His stories open up in medias res, with the analysis of a particular moment. The portrait of the character is based on the introspection thanks to the inner monologue. Time is subjective, leading to psychological change.
Portraits of Dublin
It consists of 15 short stories that are all set in Dublin. His effort was to give a realistic portrait of the life of ordinary people doing ordinary things and living ordinary lives. He resorts to the impersonal narrator. The stories are arranged in 4 groups: childhood, adolescence, maturity and public life.
He portrays Dublin as a cruel city where compassion for others doesn’t exist. Characters are portrayed as paralyzed and afflicted people, because they are unable to change and they can’t make decisions. He describes a time of crisis and uncertainty. To gain realism he uses symbols to point out facts and analyzes the particular. He also employs the epiphany technique, a sudden realization caused by an external object.
Domande da interrogazione
- What characterizes the modernist movement and its impact on literature?
- How do the concepts of relativity and subjectivity influence modernist literature?
- How did James Joyce's background influence his portrayal of Dublin in his works?
- What narrative techniques does Joyce employ in his stories to convey modernist themes?
- How does Joyce depict the city of Dublin and its inhabitants in his collection 'Dubliners'?
The modernist movement, also known as the age of anxiety, emerged during a period of crisis due to scientific progress and new views of humanity and the universe. Authors began rejecting traditional conventions, focusing instead on the individual and the psychology of the human mind. This era emphasized the decay of values and certainties, exploring the individual's inner world and their relationship with society.
Relativity and subjectivity are central to modernist literature, highlighting that there isn't just one perspective but many, leading to a fragmented truth. The focus is on the individual's inner life, with human beings often portrayed as paralyzed by societal values and unable to change, which artists aim to make people aware of.
James Joyce, born in Dublin in 1882, viewed himself as a European rather than solely an Irishman, which influenced his realistic portrayal of Dublin from a broader European perspective. His works, such as 'Dubliners', offer a detailed depiction of ordinary life in Dublin, reflecting his experiences and observations of the city.
Joyce uses techniques such as opening stories in medias res, employing inner monologues for character introspection, and presenting facts from multiple perspectives simultaneously. He also uses symbols and the epiphany technique to highlight moments of sudden realization, contributing to the themes of paralysis and psychological change.
In 'Dubliners', Joyce portrays Dublin as a cruel city lacking compassion, with characters depicted as paralyzed and unable to make decisions. The stories, arranged in groups reflecting different life stages, use an impersonal narrator to provide a realistic portrait of ordinary people living ordinary lives amidst a time of crisis and uncertainty.
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