Comparative Analysis
of Modernism and
Postmodernism in
Literature
-By Nirali Dabhi

Introduction
Name: Nirali Dabhi
Roll number: 13
Enrollment Number: 4069206420220006
Sem: 2 M.A
Paper number: 110
Paper Name: History of English Literature –
From 1900 to 2000
Topic: Comparative Analysis of Modernism and
Postmodernism in Literature
Submitted to: Smt S.B. Gardi, Department of
English, M.K.B.U
Email: niralidabhi95@gmail.com

Table of Contents
1. What is Modernism…?
2. What is Postmodernism…?
3. Characteristics of Modernism
4. Characteristics of Postmodernism
5. Writers of Modernism and Postmodernism
6. Difference Between Modernism and Postmodernism
7. Examples of Modernism in Literature
8. Examples of Postmodernism in literature

What is Modernism…?
● Modernism was a movement in the arts in the
first half of the twentieth century that rejected
traditional values and techniques, and
emphasized the importance of individual
experience.
● Modernism was a movement not just in
literature but also in arts, philosophy, and
cinema.(Adam)
● Its spirit is best reflected in a motto coined by
Ezra Pound: ‘Make it new.’
● Aronowitz reminds us that modernism is a
philosophy or ideology, a response, if you will,
to the frightening" facts" of modern
life.(Brodkey)

What is Postmodernism…?
● Post-modernism cannot be understood by
ignoring modernism.(Sheeba)
● Postmodernism is a school of thought or a
movement that took place after World War
II.
● Postmodernism relies on concrete experience
over abstract principles, knowing always that
the outcome of one's own experience will
necessarily be fallible and relative, rather
than certain and universal.
● Postmodern texts are marked by the mixture
of times, cultures, languages, real facts and
fiction, the present and the past.(Fedosova)

Characteristics of Modernism
● Individualism: Modernism values individualism and
subjective reality over societal events, with
protagonists struggling to adapt to change.
● Experimentation: Literary modernism rejected
established writing norms and allowed experimentation
with form
● Absurdity: The Theatre of the Absurd reflects the idea
that human existence has no grand purpose or
meaning.
● Symbolism: Symbolism became a central
characteristic of modernism in literature, with authors
leaving blanks for the reader's imagination to fill.
Modernists used symbolism in every layer of their
works, with multiple valid interpretations.
● Formalism: Formalism included the use of invented or
foreign language and unconventional structure.(Adam)

Characteristics of Postmodernism
● Globalization and multiculturalism: huge
globalization , different cultures are getting
mixed. We can see the effect of this on
architecture , food, music, literature, education,
fashion, organizations
● New literary trends: Postmodern authors tend
to use irony and black humour in their writings.
They present subject-matters, even the serious
ones, with the playfulness and fragmentation.
● Intertextuality: the referencing and
incorporation of other texts, including popular
culture, literature, and history, to create multiple
layers of meaning.

Writers of Modernism and Postmodernism
Modernist Writers
● James Joyce
● Virginia Woolf
● T.S. Eliot
● William Faulkner
● Franz Kafka
● Samuel Beckett
● Marcel Proust
● D.H. Lawrence
● Ezra Pound
● Gertrude Stein(Adam)
Postmodernist Writers
● Thomas Pynchon
● Don DeLillo
● Salman Rushdie
● Italo Calvino
● David Foster Wallace
● Jorge Luis Borges
● Kurt Vonnegut
● William S. Burroughs
● Toni Morrison
● Jeanette Winterson

Difference Between Modernism and Postmodernism
● The main difference between
modernism and postmodernism is
that modernism is characterized by
the radical break from the traditional
forms of prose and verse whereas
postmodernism is characterized by
the self-conscious use of earlier
styles and conventions.
● Modernists believe that truth is
objective; postmodernists
considered truth relative.(Yousef)

Characteristic
● Worldview
● Use of Language
● Narrative Structure
● Role of the Author
Modernism
● The world is
chaotic and
uncertain.
● Language should
be precise and
direct.
● Narrative structure
should be
straightforward
and linear.
● The author is an
objective observer
who provides a
clear perspective.
Postmodernism
● The world is fragmented,
indeterminate, and subject to
constant change.
● Language is ambiguous, self-
referential, and open to
interpretation.
● Narrative structure is
fragmented, non-linear, and
often self-referential.
● The author is a participant who
acknowledges their subjective
perspective and the role of
language in shaping meaning.
● Chat Gpt : Make a table on Difference Between Modernism and
Postmodernism in literature

Examples of Modernism in Literature
● James Joyce's Ulysses
● T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land
● Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
● Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway
● Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis
● William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury

Examples of Postmodernism in literature
● Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow
● Don DeLillo's White Noise
● Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children
● Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler
● Jeanette Winterson's Sexing the Cherry
● Toni Morrison's Beloved

Work Cited
● Adam J. “Modernism in Literature: Definition, Characteristics, Examples,
and More.” Essay Writing Service, 23 January 2023,
https://essaypro.com/blog/modernism-in-literature.
● Brodkey, Linda. “Modernism and the Scene(s) of Writing.” College
English, vol. 49, no. 4, 1987, pp. 396–418. JSTOR,
https://doi.org/10.2307/377850.
● Fedosova, Tatyana. “Reflection of Time in Postmodern Literature.”
Academic Journals, 2015,
https://www.athensjournals.gr/philology/2015-2-2-1-Fedosova.pdf.
● Nel, Hannes. “Research Article 14: Modernism – iNtgrty.” iNtgrty, 22 July
2019, http://www.intgrty.co.za/2019/07/22/research-article-14-
modernism/.

● Sheeba. “Postmodern literature: Practices and Theory.” March 2017,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328449584_Postmodern_
literature_Practices_and_Theory.
● Yousef, Tawfiq. “Modernism, Postmodernism, and Metamodernism:
A Critique.” International Journal of Language & Literature, June
2017, http://ijll-net.com/journals/ijll/Vol_5_No_1_June_2017/5.pdf.

Thank You