Analysis of Modernism and Key Authors in American Literature

This essay delves into the concept of modernism within 20th-century American literature, highlighting its art, political, and cultural movements. It examines works by T.S. Eliot (The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock), Susan Glaspell (Trifles), and Marianne Moore to illustrate the transformation of American literature, particularly concerning the role and perception of women. The analysis covers the evolving views on women's contributions to literature, their struggle for justice, and their increasing involvement in the renaissance period, ultimately showcasing modernism's profound impact on reshaping American literary landscape.

Running head: MODERNISM IN AMERICAN LITERATURE 1
Modernism in American Literature
Name
Institution

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Modernism in American Literature
In essence, Modernism is not something new particularly in the American literature for
the last couple of decades now. In this light, modernism in the American literature brought with
it an array of art, political and cultural movements. Various literature works have been written
that helped in the transformation of modernism some which include The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock, Trifles by Susan Glaspell, and Ronan snail by Marianne Moore. This paper intends to
discuss in detail the aspect of modernism in the American literature in the 20th century and its
characteristics as discussed by Prufrock, Glaspell, and Moore.
Primarily, American literature has undergone a lot transformation in a couple of decades
considering that writing works had been for long considered not to be for women. In this regards,
most writers were men but this changed drastically to pave the way for women. In the poem, The
Love Song The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock talks about women who were speaking to
themselves about the American Renaissance as well as the Michelangelo (Gikandi, 2018).
Although the writer is not specific what the women spoke about, something was certain
concerning what women felt about the American literature. Women had started believing that
indeed they as well can add values to the changing literature (Gikandi, 2018).
In the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell, the author narrates how women were thought of in
the 20th century as being inferior being something that has changed with time. In the play, john
wright was strangled and women were the main suspect of the murder specifically the victim’s
wife. Through the play, the author tries to justify how we're mistreated unjustly in the society.
Most of the time women were accused of worrying too much about the “women stuff”
(Konstantinou, 2018). At the end of the play, a lot of questions are raised concerning the truth
about women’s justice in the American society.

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Marianne Moore is another author who made a lot of impact in the American literature by
addressing the issues surrounding the women justice and their involvement in the renaissance
period. The writer trough her statements says that she dislikes poetry but then goes ahead and
amend her statements to say she actually take poetry as a rather place for genuine. In essence,
this shows how women took a turn in adding value to the American literature and have a positive
viewpoint on the society (Konstantinou, 2018).
In a nutshell, American literature has no doubt seen various transformations in the last
couple of decades now. Apparently, the works of writing had been initially portrayed to be a man
thing but the viewpoint changed to accommodate women what is known as the modernism in the
American literature.

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References
Gikandi, S. (2018). Writing in limbo: Modernism and Caribbean literature. Cornell University
Press.
Konstantinou, L. (2018). American Pulp: How Paperbacks Brought Modernism to Main Street
Illegal Literature: Toward a Disruptive Creativity The Aesthetics of Middlebrow Fiction:
Popular US Novels, Modernism, and Form, 1945–75.