The Modernist Short Story

Vocabulary

glossary iconYou may have already seen these terms in the module overview, but you will see these again in the following reading. If you need to review the meanings of these terms, be sure to access the glossary.

  • two students working at a computeracrid
  • archaic
  • circumvent
  • illuminated
  • inextricable
  • intent
  • pauper
  • persistent
  • plaintive
  • solemn
  • virulent

 

Characteristics of the Modernist Short Story

Characteristics of Modernist Short StoryAs you have learned, Modernism emerged as a literary movement in response to the destruction of core beliefs of the American people after World War I and the Great Depression. No longer did Americans trust the government, their religious leaders, or their own cultural identities. This fragmentation and uncertainty is evident in the fictional writing of the time. In this interactivity, click the notes on the bulletin board to examine the elements of the Modernist short story in further detail.

View a printable version of the interactivity.

 

William Faulkner

Williams FaulknerWilliam Faulkner (1897–1962), the master of the southern Gothic tale, wrote about the decay of traditional values as small communities became swept up in the modern world. Although his complex structures and rambling stream of consciousness dismayed critics at first, Faulkner came to be considered the most innovative writer of his time because of his narrative experimentation with point of view.

Born near Oxford, Mississippi, Faulkner set most of his novels and stories in a world that closely resembled the impoverished farmland of his hometown. At best a mediocre student, Faulkner dropped out of high school but continued to educate himself on his own. Failing to meet the height and weight requirements for the U.S. Army, he enlisted in the Canadian Royal Air Force at the outbreak of World War I. However, the war ended before he completed training. Following the war, Faulkner took a string of short-lived odd jobs in his native Oxford and New Orleans. During this time, Faulkner began writing, and within a few years, he had found his voice. The themes of his novels and stories come from the history and struggles of the American South of which he was so familiar: racism, search for meaning and identity, and the struggle to connect the social and moral burdens of the past to those of the present.

Faulkner spent most of his life writing and creating a vast fictional society with the Sartorises, Compsons, Bundrens, and Snopeses, many of whom make recurrent appearances throughout his literary works. By the time Faulkner received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1950, most of his best writing was behind him; despite this, he continued to write many more stories until his death in 1962.

reading iconLocate and read the short story, "A Rose for Emily," by William Faulkner. As the story of Miss Emily unfolds, you are confronted with some important truths about the rest of the community in which she lives: its loyalty to family and the past, its pride, its faithfulness to old values, and its scorn for all that is newly accepted. As you read, take note about Miss Emily's characteristics and behaviors. What are your thoughts about the motives for her strange behavior?

Eudora Welty

Eudora WeltyEudora Welty (1909–2001) is considered one of the leading American writers of the 20th century. Welty is known for using a great amount of detail and compassion to develop deep characters toward which many readers feel sympathetic. Welty grew up and lived most of her life in Jackson, Mississippi. Her writing reflects the attitudes and hardships of the rural people of the Deep South. Although her characters show the suffering of poor Americans, Welty still manages to color her prose with optimism. When Welty was first beginning a career, she worked as a publicist for a government agency. This gave her the opportunity to travel around the countryside of Mississippi, taking photos and interviewing people. This experience provided much inspiration for her stories and directly influenced her first successful short story called "Death of a Traveling Salesman."

 

reading iconLocate and read the short story, "A Worn Path," by Eudora Welty. The story is told in limited third person from the point of view of Phoenix Jackson, an elderly, southern African American woman. It follows her on her arduous journey to town to obtain medicine for her ailing grandson. Since her mind wanders a bit, the reader must work to differentiate between what is real and what is imagined. Welty has created a strong character in Phoenix, one that will make her readers think. As you read this story, think about how you feel about Phoenix. Do you admire her? Do you feel sorry for her? Are you concerned for her as the story unfolds? What do you think of her grandson? Is he truly alive or is he only in Phoenix's mind?

 

Modernist Short Story Review

Modernist Short Story Reviewself-check iconNow that you have explored characteristics of Modernism in the short stories of William Faulkner and Eudora Welty, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Select the characteristics of Modernism present in each story. Click on the player button to get started.