Pre-modernism, Modernism and Postmodernism Literature

Author: Gao Weiguang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-07
Features: This book starts from the Romanticism and Realism literature of the early and mid-19th century and explores the spiritual mechanism of modernism's emergence from the internal dilemmas and burgeoning vitality within Romanticism and Realism literature. It argues that it is precisely the internal dilemmas of Western Romanticism and Realism literature that gave rise to Western modernism. Romantics were dissatisfied with the various ugly phenomena of reality, yet they did not engage in resistance and struggle in real life but instead hoped to transform reality through the spiritual world. This inevitably led Romantic literature into dilemmas and was surpassed by Realist literature. On the other hand, the dilemma of Realist literature stemmed from its excessive emphasis on reality and reason, leading it into religious messianic fantasies and ultimately being surpassed by the rapidly developing times. It is precisely this negation of negation in the history of Western modern literature that allowed Western modernist literature to emerge from the cradle of Realist literature. However, the transcendence of Western modernist literature over Realist literature is not entirely an antagonistic relationship but rather one with a profound spiritual connection. This connection is reflected in the anti-realistic elements within Realist literature. Many writers who achieved significant success in traditional literature actually contained modernist elements in their works. Later modernist writers built upon this foundation to attain a unique position in the history of modern literature.