Modernism In English Literature

The purpose of this essay is to investigate the Modernism in English literature especially in The Translator (a novel written by Leila Aboulela). Modernist literature is a major English genre of fiction writing, popular from the 1910s into the 1960s. After the end of the reign of Queen Victoria in 1901, the industrialization and globalization are increasing. New technology and the horrifying events of both World Wars (but specifically World War I and atomic bomb) made many people question the future of humanity: What was becoming of the world? Was the old world end? Writers reacted to this question by turning toward Modernist emotion. Modernist fiction spoke of the inner self and consciousness. Instead of progress, the Modernist writer saw a decline of civilization. Instead of new technology, the Modernist writer saw cold machinery and increased capitalism, which alienated the individual and led to loneliness. In fact, Modernism evolved as an artistic reaction to dramatic changes in politics, culture, society, and technology.

In social context also, in science, there was a remarkable shift away from Newtonian science and toward Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Moreover, in the second half of the nineteenth century, Darwin had questioned the idea of Genesis, leading to the dilemma of faith and doubt. Similarly, Marx had debunked the idea of a man in God’s image by showing man as an economic being. In philosophy, Nietzsche, too, had challenged religion by saying, “God is