Humors Place in the 20th Century Novel Essay -- Literature Literary E

Humors Place in the 20th blow Novel In her essay, The Beautiful and Sublime Revisited, masthead Murdoch saysThe innovational novel, the flagitious novel, does tend toward either two extremes either it is a tight metaphysical object, which wishes it were a poem, and which attempts to convey, often in mythical form, round primeval truth about the human condition or else it is a loose journalistic epic, documentary or possibly even didactic in inspiration, crack a commentary on current institutions or on most matter out of news report (264).Murdochs words do hold some truth in them. Certainly, her words can be applied to many of the most well-known current novels from James Joyces Ulysses to Aldous Huxleys Brave clean World. However, her descriptions can just as easily be applied to the post newfangled novel. Though unassumingness has generally been associated with ultramodern literature, it is an aspect of post modern literature, as well. However, unlike most works of mod ern literature, the post modern novel does not focal point solely on this earnestness, or on short-lived along a message of some sort. Rather, it strikes a delicate balance between humor and seriousness between laughter and conveying some rally truth about the human condition or offering a commentary onsome matter out of history. Before I magnify further, perhaps it is necessary to make a distinction between the terms modern and post modern as they will be used in this study. In the most general sense of the word, modern refers to those writings published before and during World warfare II, while post modern refers to the works that came after(prenominal) this time period. Now that this distinction has been made, the issue of humor in modern and post modern l... ...h serious subjects, it also isnt accurate to say that at that place is no humor in modern literature. Many modern novels have humor in them. Ulysses is a good example of such a modern novel. However, in general, hu mor seems to be more prevalent in post modern literature.Works CitedBolger, Dermot. A Second Life. Penguin Books London, 1994. Forster, E.M. A Passage to India. Harcourt San Diego, 1924. Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day. time of origin International New York, 1988. Joyce, James. Ulysses. Vintage International New York, 1934. Lawrence, D.H. Women in Love. Penguin Books London, 1920 Murdoch, Iris. The Sublime and Beautiful Revisited. The Yale Review, pp.247-271. 1959. ---. Under the Net. Penguin Books London, 1954. Rauk, John. social Reception of Tolkien and Other Modern Writers. Michigan res publica U., East Lansing, MI. 28 Apr. 2004. Humors Place in the 20th Century Novel Essay -- Literature Literary EHumors Place in the 20th Century Novel In her essay, The Beautiful and Sublime Revisited, Iris Murdoch saysThe modern novel, the serious novel, does tend toward either two extremes either it is a tight metaphysical object, which wishes it were a poem, and which attempts to convey, often in mythical form, some central truth about the human condition or else it is a loose journalistic epic, documentary or possibly even didactic in inspiration, offering a commentary on current institutions or on some matter out of history (264).Murdochs words do hold some truth in them. Certainly, her words can be applied to many of the most well-known modern novels from James Joyces Ulysses to Aldous Huxleys Brave New World. However, her descriptions can just as easily be applied to the post modern novel. Though seriousness has generally been associated with modern literature, it is an aspect of post modern literature, as well. However, unlike most works of modern literature, the post modern novel does not focus solely on this seriousness, or on passing along a message of some sort. Rather, it strikes a delicate balance between humor and seriousness between laughter and conveying some central truth about the human condition or offering a commentary onsome m atter out of history. Before I elaborate further, perhaps it is necessary to make a distinction between the terms modern and post modern as they will be used in this study. In the most general sense of the word, modern refers to those writings published before and during World War II, while post modern refers to the works that came after this time period. Now that this distinction has been made, the issue of humor in modern and post modern l... ...h serious subjects, it also isnt accurate to say that there is no humor in modern literature. Many modern novels have humor in them. Ulysses is a good example of such a modern novel. However, in general, humor seems to be more prevalent in post modern literature.Works CitedBolger, Dermot. A Second Life. Penguin Books London, 1994. Forster, E.M. A Passage to India. Harcourt San Diego, 1924. Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day. Vintage International New York, 1988. Joyce, James. Ulysses. Vintage International New York, 1934. Lawrence, D .H. Women in Love. Penguin Books London, 1920 Murdoch, Iris. The Sublime and Beautiful Revisited. The Yale Review, pp.247-271. 1959. ---. Under the Net. Penguin Books London, 1954. Rauk, John. Societal Reception of Tolkien and Other Modern Writers. Michigan State U., East Lansing, MI. 28 Apr. 2004.