Eng426 20th century english literature

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. 
   Account for the effect of the First World War on the 20^th Century English Literature.
   
2. 
   Discuss two of the major events of the Twentieth Century.
   
3. 
   How would you describe modernist literary proposition and style?
   

7.0 REFERENCES/ FURTHER READING

Barlow, Adrian (2002). The Great war in British Literature. Cambridge: University Coote,S. (1993).The Penguin History of English Literature. London: Penguin.

Francis, A. Keith (2007). Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species. London: Fraser, G.S. (1964). The Modern Writer and his World. London: Andre Deutsh.
Freud, Sigmund (1910). The Origin and Development of Psychoanalysis with Introduction and commentary by Raymond E. Fancher. Trans. Harry W. Chase. New York: New York University, 1998.
Jeffares, N. (Ed) (1983-1991).Macmillan History of Literature (10 vols). London: Macmillan.
Laja, O.O (2011).University Literature Book 2: Prose and Poetry. Ilorin: Ibitola.
Lorcher, Trent (2015). “Modernism in Literature: Quick Overview”. Ed. Wendy Finn.www.brighthubeducation.com
Peacock, H.L.A. (1970). A history of modern Britain, 1815- 1979. London: Heinemann.
Press.
Reed, C. (1996).“Redefining and defining” A Roger Fry reader.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Tilltson, G.(1978).A view of Victorian literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Williams B.L (2002). Modernism and the Ideology of History:Literature, Politics and the Past. New York: Cambridge University Press.

UNIT 3: Thematic Concerns, Styles and Techniques of Twentieth Century English Literature

Content
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives

0. 
   Main Content
   
1. 
   Modernist Thematic Concerns
   
   1. 
      Lack of Communication
      
   2. 
      Solitariness and Aloness
      

3.1.3 Trauma and Gloom

4. 
   Existentialism
   
5. 
   Search for New Grounds
   
6. 
   Rebellion and Individuality
   

3. 2. Modernist Styles and Techniques

1. 
   Anti- Tradition
   
2. 
   Subjective Realism
   
3. 
   Stream of Consciousness Technique
   
4. 
   Convoluted and Fragmented Plots
   

3.2.5 Focus on Characterisation
3.2.6. Autobiographical Narrative
3.2.7. Open- Ended Conclusions
3.2.8. Complex Language
3.2.9. Time as a Symbolic Sequence
3.2.10. Epiphany
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-marked Assignment
7.0 References/ Further Reading

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Modernist writers as you have seen from the introduction to this module believed that literature must change so as to reflect the new changes in the society. In the last unit you learnt about the Victorian era, its style of writing, and the differences between the modernist and the Victorian literatures. This unit deals with the thematic concerns of modernist writers. This unit will reinforce what you have learnt in the previous units.

In order to effect a change from tradition and conform to modern realities, modernist writers employed new techniques in their works. Because there was a disregard of any

authority irrespective of what it was and the belief that there was no final answer, they made their stories open-ended. In addition, because of the distrust of former orders and history, there was heavy reliance on personal experiences which then makes their novels autobiographical. Plots of modernist novels are fragmentary and episodic, having parallel structures, employing stream of consciousness, a focus on the minds of characters and a focus on the development of characters rather than plots

0.