Here's why:
* Rejection of Traditional Form: Modernist writers experimented with new forms and structures, breaking away from the traditional linear narratives and clear-cut characters of Victorian novels. This included techniques like stream of consciousness, fragmented narratives, and non-linear timelines.
* Rejection of Societal Values: Modernist writers often questioned and challenged the social norms, moral codes, and traditional values of their time. They explored themes of alienation, disillusionment, and the breakdown of traditional structures in the aftermath of World War I.
Key features of Modernism in Literature:
* Emphasis on subjective experience: The focus shifted from objective reality to individual perception and feelings.
* Experimental forms and styles: Modernists experimented with new ways of writing, including stream of consciousness, free verse, and collage.
* Themes of alienation, disillusionment, and the search for meaning: The experiences of war and rapid social change led to a sense of fragmentation and uncertainty.
* Rejection of traditional values: Modernist writers challenged social conventions and explored the darker aspects of human nature.
Notable Modernist writers:
* James Joyce
* Virginia Woolf
* T.S. Eliot
* Ernest Hemingway
* F. Scott Fitzgerald
* Franz Kafka
* Marcel Proust
Modernism, while a complex and diverse movement, was marked by a desire to break away from the past and create new forms of literature that reflected the complexities of the modern world.