Faculty of philology department of english philology viktorija mi

CHAPTER 3. THE INTERFACE OF TIME AND SPACE IN MODERNIST LITERATURE 
 
It is clear from the evidence provided in the previous chapters that the notion of time and 
temporality was the object of interest since ancient times up to the period of Modernism. However, 
although it was thoroughly studied and portrayed in various forms of art, its definition and true 
nature remain vague and debatable. I believe that it is high time this notion was redefined in a 
clearer and more detailed way. In general, what is time? What layers does this abstract notion 
consist of? Indeed, there are many possible definitions and explanations. For instance, in Longman 
Dictionary of English Language and Culture the notion of time is scientifically defined as a 
continuous measurable quantity that continues from the past, through the present, and into the 
future. James F. Luhr (2003: 43) believes that time is a purely scientific term and, interestingly, he 
says that such notions of time and space “make us realize that our planet exists within a context”. 
As the quotation implies, Luhr aims to define the notion of time from the cosmic perspective. He 
also states that  we use our concept of time to place events in sequence one after the other, and to 
compare how long events last, what events are prior and what follows them. Belinda Gallagher 
shares similar beliefs about the importance of time and space in our lives. She says that time is an 
abstract constantly changing concept: in her words, time “stretches out in every direction and goes 
on forever – no one knows where it ends”. (2000: 50). In accordance with Onega and Landa (1996: 
131), during history, a variety of answers was given to the question of whether time is like a line or, 
instead, like a circle. On the one hand, there is an underlying process of motion and forces from 
which time emerges, thus, what we perceive as time is a certain real current that influences our life. 
On the other hand, it is impossible to measure time, thus, speaking of the representation of time in 
fiction, we can say that our memory creates the illusion of the future or the past. Conscious 
perception of events gives the feeling of present, while future is a mental construct patterned on 
memory experience of the past. Indeed, the present time is the only real notion, while the other 
temporal dimensions are imaginary and false. The clash between the two opposite beliefs does not 
seem to terminate as no solid evidence for any of these theories has been found yet. (Gore 2005) 
The concept of time with human mind and claims that the concept of time emerges as our mind 
tries to make sense of the world around us that is filled with continuous change. According to 
Norman S. Greenfield, William Champlin (1965:45), to understand time we have to understand the 
very mechanism which is responsible for this continuous change from which our mind creates the 
illusion of flow of time. Time becomes evident through motion and it is possible to measure it by 
comparison with other motions. The world around us is constantly changing, and the changes in 

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nature, the growth of all living organisms, and the endless movement of the smallest parts of the 
bodies are all clear undeniable signs of continuous change.
In their study, Onega and Landa (1996:112) provide one more conspicuous explanation of 
time comparing it to history that has a beginning, a period of development and growth, and an 
ending. In their words, every situation or event in both real life and fiction is bounded by temporal 
norms that indicate how long a certain activity lasts, what stages or periods it covers, and how it 
affects other elements of natural or fictional reality. The sequence of actions always assumes great 
significance and disregard for the logicality of the sequence causes discrepancy and 
misunderstandings. 
The notion of time may also be classified into natural, conceptual, and fictional. (Genienė 
2007:157). I would like to propose the following figure to illustrate this idea: 
Figure 3. The Notion of Time.