The Modernism Movement
The modernism movement is a twentieth-century drive that takes the current literature forms, especially the thought of the shifting conditions of the society in concern. There has been however various critics and arguments about the specific time of the beginning of modernism. Some of the critics are between the 1880 – 1950 whereas other scholar divide the duration with the emphasis on the pre and post era. Some other critics as well debate that the movement was initiated in 1890 and ended after the second world war. This research will draw most of the arguments from ‘Seize the Day’ by Saul Bellow. According to Bellow (2), modernism is the use of modernity as a technique in the skills which most writers consider as a creative approach. Bellow further argues that modernity is a method of how to show the creative power and the main idea is transforming into laying more emphasis on the content and not the form of writing as well as the ability for the scholars to explore the horizon of expression and interpretation. The perception of imagination as well would interpret this differently by the literature procreation. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze modernism characteristics found within the works of Virginia Wolf and the incorporation of the flow of consciousness to the free direct speech and analysis with regard to Saul Bellow’s fictional theory in ‘Seize the Day’.
Development
The current era presents one of the most prosperous time periods in Europe and literature where the classic elements link with the modern elements. The modern novelty is no longer for the prose but is also present in the theatre hence a sign of a fresh start. The 20th century presents modernism as a literary movement is achieved in its peak of development. The modernist scholars and poets have based their works on the main themes like breakdown, alienation, spiritual neglect, disillusionment and the rejection of the religious concern and the replacement of the past belief and the impact of the world war on humanity. In the stylistic point of view of poetry and prose, there is a show of the clear passive voice and the streams of awareness technique, the irony, satire and imagery representations. All who are found within the seven publishes of Virginia wolf. Besides the style of poetry, the poetry has also experienced the effect of the shift caused through the timely modernism. This has been passed down to the writers through their writing through the influence of the public, political and literary growth.
The Modernist Ideology
As earlier indicated, modernism disrupts with the conventions of the mythical genres which were famous during the past era. “In the Victorian era, pragmatism and naturalism were the most excellent means of writing where the scholars would organize their narratives as the idea of idealism influenced the several fictional elements of the novels” (Abrams 211). The realist literature was aimed at describing the life its natural way, and the naturalism presented the practicality in the face of the Victorian wires. The modernist literature criticizes the fictional laws of the past by imitating the past core values and the shifting caused by technology and modernity in several manners. Therefore the modernist novel has got some worries; the challenges of its method, the showcase of the internal state of awareness, and the basis of the destructive negativity behind the structured life face. However, these characteristics are not the same among the writes depending on their own belief. The postmodernism writers are divided into two main categories; the traditionalists and the new modernists. The traditional modernism is a critic response to the Victorian era whereas the current modernism was a critic against the loss through the love of the new methods. James Joyce, Virginia wolf, and Herbert Lawrence are some of the critical scholars who severely impacted by the current modernism narrative technique. Therefore about the modernist narratives, their differences from the old narratives is the methods of the novels. Some of the essential areas and themes of argument include:
Irony
It is defined as the difference in the speaker’s interpretation with the real meaning of a spoken word. In the modernist novels, it is an important technique that helps to identify the distinction of a novel as there is no longer the existence of common attitude (Abrams 97). It is also used for different intentions with the most important role being the modernist epistemological level. The narrators also use the technique to present the analysis of its effect and maintain a gap between the Victoria and idealism novelty. The modernist writers also use the technique to flaunt realism ironically to present the undeniable truth as the new embraced norms.
The Flow of Awareness
In the modernist novel, Bellow defines the consciousness as a method or identity for a particular manner of writing that assumes to reproduce without the involvement of the writer and it has the sense of interpretations by relating with awareness, not aware concern memories (20). The modernist writes preset their sense of distrust all through the wring and stress on this technique due to their rejection with the career pretenses of hopefulness. In ‘Seize The Day’ by Saul Bellow, the narrator has embraced the second form given by Jesse since it provided an idea of the quest of another strong concern being followed by Tommy Wilhelm who is the critical novel’s character.
Individualism
It presents the narrator's opinions on the unlike the conservative narrative standards meaning that the internal definition of the artist is of more concern, unlike the external world. The modern alleviated individual is denied of their relative freedom thus trapped within the society that controls the lifestyle and how he lives. In the modernist novels, the estranged human awareness creates the possible lead to the uniqueness of the people and therefore has a positive impact on the audience. In the 'Seize the Day,' the two factors presented are carefully indicated so that the modern man estrangement is technically represented to the eager audience who can identify the burden of strangeness in each narration of the misery of Tommy.
The Seizing of the Day by Saul Bellow
This is a narrative concerning Tommy Wilhelm a middle age man, who has no job and is waiting upon his separated wife for a divorce. He and his father live separately in Gloriana hotel and are in desperate need of his father’s assistance who cannot help them. Although the narrative is confined to a single day, the numerous recurrences are the present. Tommy through Dr. Tamkid who is a therapist due to the stress from his wife and father. He invests in Lade business but is later deprived of his investment shares by Dr. Tamkin who according to the novel is a con individual leading to the development of the narrative of pretense that father confuses Tommy. Full of frustrations, he decides to abandon the stress and ends up attending a funeral of the unknown individual. Tommy breaks into tears which later allow him to have the rays of hope and happiness. The main themes of the narrative are:
The Consciousness of Selfhood
It is a type of inferior monologue technique in this narrative, used by the modernist narrators to create a notion of epistemological incomprehension. As we read the novel further, Tommy’s thoughtful participation is expressed artistically, and the sense of bewilderment is revealed in the manner he defines the outside elements based on his internal world as the conclusion turning point of his individuality. In the description of his father, he asks, “Who is this damn … dyed hair and fish teeth? Where does he collect all these guys?” (Bellow, 36). Therefore the monologue is an indication that how he thinks the outside world is a determinant of the internal. Through the symbolism, he expresses his critics of himself as upsetting his father. His characterization is not determined in a straight way or else he will not fall into the modernist character category, his constant variation in his mood is the result of the internal monologues. The novel is generally a movement narrative since its stream of consciousness theme focused on modernism. Tommy’s awareness is an indication which exalts humans however outrageous they might be. Unlike in the Victorian and realism narratives, the modernist consciousness stream in the style of internal monologue assists the characters of the novel to show their personality as well as a sense of isolation. The internal monologues are not accountable and are not sequential which indicates the originality of modernism.
Individualism
Tommy Wilhelm’s personality is ironically centered since he has not attained the individual awareness. According to Levenson (58) his father still refers to him as “Wilky’ a sound of childishness”. Additionally, the constant portrayal of all about himself is a most showing of his internal world as he refers to himself “fair-haired hippopotamus” (Bellow 10). This is a way of animal similes separation from humans. The use of animal imagery regularly presents poor communication in the modernist narratives on the basis that animals and humans are unable to communicate mentally. In this novel, the presence of individualism is based on several supporting ground which includes, the trues and pretender personality. “The person and his or her obvious self, the person and humanity… if you wanted to talk about glass and water, you had to begin back with God creating the heavens and earth, the Apple, Abraham, Mosses, and Jesus…” (Bellow 89 - 90). The caustic gesture on the glass and water indicate the separation of human and the inadequate information in the modern city word—the talk on god as well present illogicality. Lastly, is the personality and humankind, indicated by Tomys gesture in the market and needs his father’s help. Therefore, individualism increases the artist opinions contrary to the literary novel procedures and strategies according to Levenson as used in the novel. The first strategy is the poetical weight technique strategy for the modernist narratives, to put an unknown burden on each word and explanation. The second strategy is the trial to surprise the self-awareness explained in the setting of the bank when Tommy inquire from the manager if Dr. Tamkin will receive all the money; the manager replies “no, it does not give him any rights over…,only over the funds, I deposited with you” (Bellow 66).
Irony
The sarcastic features are evident all within the narrative beginning with the characterization of Tommy which is ironic in contrast to the realism narratives where the characters are labeled in one sentence. The shift in attitude in character is also sarcastically presented. “Wilhelm was used to active life and liked to go out energetically in the morning” (Bellow, 8). Ironically the novel mentions that “He had put many efforts, but that was not the same as working hard, was it?” Bellow (22). The difference on this descriptions indicates several character personality description in the modernist novels. The irony in the new narratives is as well linked to the uncertainty through the four evaluation tests to identify if they did achieve their objectives. They include focusing themselves with the dissimilarity of reality from appearance. Worry on the personal and impartial awareness, seek for the auspicious meaning aspiring to make a shift in the destroyed norms and tradition through modernity and begin to be individually aware of the effects of literature as an arbitration and realism tool. The most significant sarcastic point represented in this narrative is by the caustic shift of the artistic reality as the alternate for the challenges of Tommy arises. The crying in another unknown person’s funeral is a visual experience.
Conclusion
In summary, the novel uses various modernist techniques in the novel of ‘Seize the Day’. The theme of individualism has been presented and realized through the new exploration that we get from the narrative. The unmatched and in-depth narration of the protagonist as a villain who is not able to meet the anxieties of the conservative of the readers indicates the anti-cultural levels of modernism. The application of irony is definitely new regarding the structures sequences. It makes us conscious of what we belief as a reality and what we think is the meaning of truth hence increasing the readers thought of epistemological reasoning in a narrative. Therefore it’s significant that the novel as modernist narrative presents a solution to the main protagonist, Tommy Wilhelm.
Works Cited
Abrams, M. H. "Glossary of Literary Terms (3rd Ed.)[Z]. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston." (1971).
Bellow, Saul. Seize the day. Penguin, 2003
Levenson, Michael, Ed. The Cambridge companion to modernism. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
