MODULE: English Literature in the 20th Century

TUTOR: Prof. dr. Sanda Berce

L6.$MODERNITY$and$Tradition.$
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1) Tradition$and$the$Literary$Canon:$
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Canon:$a)$Logocentric$(Logos!=!Word!+Centre)!
! The!value!of!the!Word!in!the!literary!text:!Aesthetic!+!Ethical!(theories!
about!the!literary!canon;!the!functional!theories!about!literature!(interest!in!
Literature!as!function/role/place!in!society/community/culture;!
! Contemporary$theories$about$canon:$$
aesthetic!valueGGGGGGGGGGthreshold!art;!
ideological!difficulties!(antiGcanon!movement!=(ethnicity;!race;!gender;!
sexual!orientation)!
b)$Authoritarian$(authority$of$the$literary$text):$
curriculumGGGGGGGGGsyllabusGGGGGGGGGGReadership!(the!Reader,!the!Critic,!the!
literary!Historian,!the!Theorist,!the!Book!market,!the!Institution!of!
Literature)!
" No!one!has!access!to!the!canon!as!totality[]!the!works!invoked!as!canonical!
change!continually!according!to!many!different!occasions!of!judgment!or!
contestation!(p.30);!
" the!distinction!between!canonical!and!nonGcanonical!can!be!seen!not!as!
the!form!in!which!judgments!are!actually!made!about!individual!works,!but!
as!an!effect!on!the!syllabus!as!an!institutional!instrument,!the!fact!that!works!
not!included!on!a!given!syllabus!appear!to!have!no!status!at!all!(p.30)!
" The!historical!condition!of!literature!is!that!of!a!complex!continuum!of!major!
works,!minor!works,!works!read!primarily!in!research!contexts,!works!as!yet!
simply!shelved!in!the!archive!(p.30);!
" Changing!the!syllabus!cannot!mean!in!any!historical!context!overthrowing!
the!canon,!because!every!construction!of!a!syllabus!institutes!once!again!the!
process!of!canon!formation!(J.Guillory,!The$Cultural$Capital,!pp.30G31,!199)!
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1) The$concept$of$Modernity:$a$retroactive$perspective.$
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Modernity=!a!historical!phenomenon!with!convergent!and!divergent!merging$
characteristics$such!as:!
a) rationalization!of!everything!in!the!world;!
b) domination!of!an!analytical!practice!and!state!of!mind;$
c) contractual/transactional!human!relations;$
d) urbanization;$
e) social!and!individual!alienation;$
f) accelerated!time!(perceived!both!physically!and!historically);$
g) emphasis!on!communication!and!an!enormous!increase!of!available!
informational!data!quantities!$

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 h) increase!of!human!mobility!(in!space!and!place);;$
i) individualism!and!tendency!of!selfGinvention!(ironically!coinciding!with!
social!conformity;$
j) equality!and!homogeneity;$
k) utopian!pressures!toward!progress.$
$
Modernity=$a$gradual$mode$of$existential$organization$in$the$Western$world$
(all$over!its!history;!it!grew!faster!after!1500,!increased!with!a!speed!after!1800!and!
even!faster!after!1950.!
- it!spread!from!the!West!all!over!the!planet!(usually!peacefully)!
(2)$$$Critique$of$Modernity:!
1) Disadvantages:!!
(a) destructive!of!spirituality!and!of!morality!(!it!encourages!greed,!selfishness,!
random!violence,!lack!of!compassion,!neglect!of!the!elderly,!abuse!of!the!
weakest,!feeling!of!emptiness,!of!absence(lack!of!soul),!NIHILISM;!!
(b) anxiety!and!violent!revulsion!against!the!tendency!towards!uniformity,!
homogenization,!repetitiveness,!treat,!uncertainty,!ALIENATION.!
!
2) Advantages!(beneficial!effects!of!modernity):!
(a) advantages!material!in!nature!(higher!standard!of!living:!medical,!
technical,!housing,!circulation);!
(b) increase!of!existential!options;!
(c) the!decrease!of!discrimination!and!exploitation;!
(d) wider!freedom!and!legal!rights;!
(e) mobility!(social!and!geographical);![but!mobility!is!also!traumatic!
inspiring!the!experience!of!UNCERTAINTY$(cf.!Gidddens,!1990:!
separation!of!space!from!place/!emptying!of!space;!PLACE=!Local(e)!
refers!to!the!physical!settings!of!social!activity!as!situated!
geographically,!place!becomes!increasingly!PHANTASMAGORIC)!
phantasmagoric!=!!(1)!having!a!fantastic!or!deceptive!imagination;!
(2)having!the!appearance!of!an!optical$illusion!(created!by!imagination);!
(3)!changing!or!shifting$as!a!scene!made$up!of!many!elements.!
DisGplacementfamiliarity!replaced!by!estrangement)]!
!
Modernity$is$dissemination$of$the$principles$and$choices$of$
Enlightenment!over!the!globe!with!little!respect!for!locally!grown!modes!
of!behavior,!customs!and!social!imaginary;!
Modernity$is$a$set$of$developments!interpreted!as!the!equivalent!of!a!new,!
technologically$sophisticated$world;!
Modernity$expresses$the$centrality$of$the$human$person!outside!any!
relationship!with!nature,!social!humanity,!other!human!beings,!cosmos!as!a!
whole.!
!
3) The$concept$of$pre$$Modernity:$a$retroactive$perspective.$

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 (as!in!V.Nemoianu,$2011:$Tradition,$the$Beautiful$and$the$Uncertainties$of$
Global$Humanism)!
Despite!geographical!distances!and/or!racial!differences,!without!knowledge!of!each!
other,!until!1500!all!civilizations!on!the!planet!had!surprising!similarities!and!they!
presented!themselves!as!such!up!until!the!French!Revolution(1789).!These!
similarities!are!the!following:!!
(a) the!central!social!unit!was!the!family;!
(b) the!political!organization!was!a!projection!of!the!patriarchal!organization!
whereas!the!system!!was!biological,!organic,!patrimonial;!
(c) technology!was!primitive;!the!sources!of!energy!were!almost!exclusively!
natural;!
(d) pollution!was!minimal!(of!natural!causes/volcano!erruptions,!forrest!fires);!
(e) medicine!was!intuitive;!
(f) transfer!of!info!was!oral;!links!with!the!natural!and!animal!world!were!close;!
(g) the!faculty!of!reason!was!considered,!at!best,!the!equal!of!a!number!of!others!
such!as!emotion,!intuition,!imagination,!spontaneity,!dream;!
(h) standards!of!living!were!low!and/or!unpredictable;!
(i) agriculture!was!the!main!field!of!activity;!
(j) industry!was!represented!by!craftsmanship!and!mining!industry;!
(k) group!or!individual!violent!clashes!were!frequent!and!a!heroic!or!chivalric!
ethos!prevailed;!
(l) many!cultures!were!proudly!exclusivist;!
!!!!!!!(m)!there!was!a!strong!continuity!bond!between!generations:!wisdom!and!!
knowledge!was!transferred!over!generations!and!played!a!huge!role!in!human!life;!
(n) technological!innovation!and!rational!speculation!were!limited!and!reserved!
to!small!groups!or!individuals;!
(o) confidence!in!transcendent!levels!of!reality!were!almost!unanimous.!
!
(I) MODERNITY$!=!!*a$temporal$/$historical$concept$:$!
(a)!it!refers!to!ways!in!which!the!PRESENT!is!perceived!and$understood!in!its!
historical,!unique,!up@to@dateness$;!!
(b)!it!exhibits!a!!particular!sense!of!historical$consciousness.!
$
Cf.$Ruesen,$What$is$Historical$Consciousness.$A$Theoretical$Approach$to$Empirical$
Evidence,$2001$:$$
Definition:$*$Historical$consciousness!includes!the!mental!operations!(emotional!
and!cognitive,!conscious!and!unconscious),!through!which!experienced$time$in$
the$form$of$memory!is!used!as!a!means$of$orientation$in$everyday$life.!!
e.g$meaningful$time$=!History!itself!has!been!denoted!as!meaningful!time;!
natural$laws!are!also!meaningful!time.!!

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 *!Meaningful!time!is!given!sense!by!memory$(assumed$to$be$the$precondition!to!
make!sense!and!meaning!of!time);!then!historical$consciousness$can!be!
distinguished!as!specific$means$of$human$interaction$with$time$as!opposed!to!
other!methods).!
*$The$human$past!recalled$by$historical$consciousness!is!a!temporal!process!
referring!to!the$present!and!the$future.!History$as$content$of$historical$
consciousness$is$a$relationship$between$present$and$future$and$appears$with$and$in$
the$remembered$past:$
*$Historical$consciousness$is!stimulated!by!experiences$of$the$present;!
*Historical$consciousness$articulates!an$experience$of$temporal$differentiation$
between$THEN$and$NOW$(bridging!this!divide!referring!the!one!to!the!other);$
!
(II)$MODERNITY````````a$reference$of$the$PRESENT$to$the$past!through!what!the!
former!distinguishes!itself!from!the!latter.!!
Cf.$M.Clinescu,1987:!the!concept!of!!Modernity!is!reflected!in!the!!!irreconcilable!
opposition!between!the!sets!of!values!!corresponding!to!:!
!(1)!the!"objectified,!socially$measurable$time!of!capitalist!civilization"!(i.e.!time!as!
more!or!less!precious!commodity,!bought!and!sold!on!the!market)!and!to!!
$(2)!the$personal,!subjective,!"imaginative$dure"!(!i.e.!the!private!!time!created!by!
the!"unfolding!of!the!self")!.!
definition$:$Dure$(!Duration!)!=Henry!Bergson!(Fr.!philosopher)!=the!idea!that!
time!may!speed!up!or!slow!down,!while!for!science!it!would!remain!the!same.!
The!main$feature$of$duration!:!it!is!ineffable!(it!can!only!be!shown!indirectly!;!it!!can!
never!reveal!!a!complete$idea,!it!can!only!be!grasped!through!INTUITION!)!
SPACE!is!homogenous!;!DURATION$is$juxtaposed!and!converted!into!!a!succession!of!
parts,!one!coming!after!the!other.!
!
!#!the$foundation$of$modernist$culture$is$the$identity$of$private$time$and$the$
Self.!It!contains!a!profound!sense!of!crisis!because!it!is!produced!by!an$isolated$self$
as!a!reaction!against!$the$desacralized,$dehumanized$time$of$social$activity!:!!

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!time$consciousness$reflected$in$modern$culture$lacks$such$justifications;$it$functions$
as$intellectual$myth!(!M.Clinescu,!1987).!
!
(III)#!Modernity$is$a$concept$that$refers$to$CONFLICT:$
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1) Between!Modernity(!perceived!as!rationality)!and!Tradition;!
2) Between!Modernity!and!itself!(!cf.M.Calinescu:!!antithetical$counter@modernity$
,!1992,!The!Turn!of!the!Century:$Modernity,$Modernism,$Modernization);$
3) Between!different!types!of!Modernism!and!the!Modernist$crisis!(!an!example!of!
institutional!tension:!the!crisis!of!the!RomanGCatholic!Church!generated!by!
attempts!made!for!intellectual!modenization);$
4) The!conflict!within!the!concept!of!Modernization!in!general,!applied!to!the!
intellectual!and!cultural!modernization;$
5) Modes!of!social!organization#!Change:!nature!of!change,!$pace!of!change!and!
scope!of!change!with!fundamental$consequences$of$modernity!(cf.A.Giddens,!
1990):!globalization,!universalizing!of!its!reflexive!knowledge,!the!dynamic!
character;$
#!Connecting$individuals!as!part!of!a!dialectics!of!change!(!at!both!local!and!global!
poles);!
#!It!makes!presence!and!absence!mingle!in!new!ways!(!Giddens,!1990:!175G177).!
(IV)$MODERNITY!=$the$quality$of$being$MODERN/$to!be!upGtoGdate.!The!triad!!
modernity!,!$modernism!,!$modernization!!refers!to!a!false!etimology!of!the!word!
!MODERN$!(!Lat.!modus!=!mode,!fashion!and!not!!new!).$
MODERNITY```````$modus$=$NEW$
*(1)!In$English,!it!has!been!in!use!since!the!17th!century;!by!the!end!of!the!18th$
century!it!is!used!in!an!aesthetic!context!by!!Horace!Walpole!(!!modernity!of!
modulation!!with!reference!to!configuration!of!ideas!and!terminology);!
*(2)!In$French,!it!appeared!in!texts!from!the!first!half!of!the!19th!century(!connected!
with!the!rejection!of!newly!borrowed!words!,i.e.!modernite,!but!they!accepted!
modernize)$
*(3)!1863,!Baudelaire!suggested!a!broader!concept!of!artistic!modernity!(!Le$peintre$
de$la$vie$moderne):!Modernity$is$more$than$the$Present$observed$in$its$up`to`

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dateness$(distinctive,!fugitive,ephemeral).!It!is!the!!memory$of$the$present!(!la!
memoir!du!present).$
*(4)!The!first!theorist!of!Modernity!was!Paul!Valery!(1924,!Situation$de$Baudelaire:!
poetry!of!Modernity).$
(5)!The$radicalized$consciousness$of$modernity!#!beginning!with!the!romantic$
modernist$thought!(!antique!ideals!vs.!the!classicist):!!
(a)!it!unbound!itself!of!specific!historical!ties!;!!
(b)!it!was!seen!as!an!opposition$between$TRADITION$and$the$PRESENT!
!i.e;!!the$new=!the!distinguishing!mark!of!works!that!count!as!modern!stylish"G!
"outmoded";!modernGclassical!!
#!a!modern!work!becomes!classic!because!it!has!once!been!modern.!
!
(V)!#!AESTHETIC$MODERNITY!is!an!aesthetic$of$transience!(elusive,!
evanescent,!ephemeral)!and!a!crisis$concept!involved!in!a!threefold!dialectical!
opposition!to:$$
(a)!TRADITION;!!
(b)$the$MODERNITY$of$BOURGEOIS$CIVILIZATION$(with!its!ideals!of!rationality,!
utility!and!progress);!
!(c)!to$MODERNITY$ITSELF!(in!so!far!it!perceives!itself!as!a$new$tradition$or$form$of$
authority)!
Modern#!new,!to!be!new,!upGtoGdate,!of!the!present!or!recent$times;!
Modernity#!being!modern!(a$temporal/historical!concept;!a$quality!of!being!
modern).!
(V)$Aesthetic$Modernity:$a$diachronic$view$
(a) It!assumed!clear!aspects!in!Baudelaires!work;!
(b) it!unfolded!in!various!avantGgarde!movements!and!reached!its!climax!in!the!
Caf!Voltaire!of!the!Dadaists!and!in!Surrealism;!
(c) it!is!characterized!by!attitudes!which!find!a!common$focus$in!a!changed$
consciousness$of$time:!expressed!through!the!vanguard!and!the!avantGgarde.!
The!exaltation!of!the!present!in!the$cult$of$the$new!and!the$cult$of$an$
undefined$future.!

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 (d) The!new$time$consciousness!(!promoted!in!the!philosophical!work!of!
Bergson)!expresses:!
(1) an$experience$of$mobility$in$society;$
(2) an$experience$of$acceleration$in$history;$
(3) an$experience$of$discontinuity$in$everydaylife.$
#$Aesthetic$MODERNITY$is$the$celebration$of$dynamism$and$the$longing$for$a$
stable$present$#$$Historical$memory$$is!replaced!by$the$affinity$of$the$
present$with$the$extremes$of$history:!the$subversive$force$of$the$new$aesthetic$
consciousness.$
CONSEQUENCES:!*!affinity!for!the!present!(!nostalgia!for!the!present!);!
(e) decadence;!
(f) revolt!against!the!norms!of!tradition.$
(1)#$Aesthetic$Modernity$revolts!against!the!normalizing!functions!of!tradition!
(rebelling$against$all$that$is$normative).!!
(2)#$Aesthetic$Modernity!is!directed!against$a$false$normativity$in$history$:!the$
avant`garde$spirit$used$the$past$in$a$different$way$:!the!Present!as!a!!moment!of!
revelation!!and/or!the!growth!of!kitsch!:!
e.g.$Walter$Benjamin!(and!the!spirit!of!surrealism)!constructs!the!relationship!of!
modernity!to!history!!in!a!postGhistoricist!!attitude!$Jetztzeit!!or!!the$present$
as$a$moment$of$revelation$$;!
e.g.!M.Clinescu,!1987(!Five$Faces$of$Modernity,!Duke!University!Press,!Durham,!
1987):!the!growth$of$kitschand!the$role$of$kitsch!(!as!one!of!the!most!typical!
products!of!modernity)!!
KITSCH=!a!phenomenon!of!compulsion(!i.e.!the!fear$of$boredom)!and!consumption(!
the!need$to$escape)#!the!widespread!view!of!art!as!play!and!display:!!
!in!kitsch!the!two!bitterly!conflicting!modernities!are!confronted!with!their!own!
caricature!!!or!!in!Postmodernism,!kitsch!is!the!triumph!of!the!principle$of$
immediacy!(!of!access,!of!effect!and!of!instant!beauty),!designed!to!either!save$time!(!
its!enjoyment!is!effortless!and!instantaneous)!or!to$kill$time!(!it!frees!man!of!his!
disturbed!time)!consciousness!because!kitsch$both$justifies$aesthetically$and$it$
makes$"bearable"$the$empty,$meaningless$present!(!M.Clinescu:!1987,7G8):!

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GGGGGGGG! !The$relationship$between!modernity,!avant-garde,!decadence$and$kitsch@$
for$all$their$heterogenous$origins$and$diversity$of$meaning$reflect$intellectual!
attitudes!that!are!directly!related!to!the!problem!of!time:$not$the$phisical$or$
epistemological$time$of$the$philosophers,$nor$the$scientific$construct$dealt$with$by$
phisicists,$but$the$human!time!and$sense!of!history!as!experienced!and!valued!
culturally!!(!M.Clinescu,!1987:!9).!
(3)#$The$$Norms$of$$Modernity:$the$new$norms:!against$the$conventions!and!
virtues$of$everyday$life!(rationalization!under!the!pressures!of!economic!and!
administrative!imperatives).!
e.g!as!in!!Daniel!Bell,!The$Cultural$Contradictions$of$Capitalism!(1976):!the!crisis!of!
the!developped!societies!of!the!West!are!to!be!traced!back!to!the!split!between!
culture!and!society!(civilization):!!Modernist!culture!penetrated!the!values!of!
everyday!life!#!dominance!of!hedonistic!motives!expressed!in:!(a)!unlimited$self`
realization;$(b)$demand$for$authentic$self`$experience;(c)$the$subjectivism$of$
hyperstimulated$sensitivity;!
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