Modernism is a movement in the arts that developed during the twentieth century. Modernist ideas developed in response to dramatic changes around the world, including the rapid rise of industrial development and resulting changes in the environment and daily life, the movement of the population from farms to cities, and the horrors of World War I. Modernist works can be quite disturbing, because although events and characters seem realistic at first, the reader soon realizes the world of the story is slightly twisted from the one we expect. The characters, however, may act as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Other characteristics of Modernism include 2. Which setting would be more likely for a Modernist story, a dark cave where dragons live or a factory? Explain.
3. What kind of approach would a Modernist author use to tell a story about library books that have stories of personal events in the life of the reader?
4. Would a Modernist author explain why the vines around a house gradually cover the entire house, blocking the doors and windows? Why or why not?
5. If you were to write a Modernist story, how would your characters react to the strange things going on around them?