Applied Modernism

Rough Draft

"Richard Corey" is a modernist poem. The way that the author describes the bleak futures of everyone around Richard Corey who are looking at him knowing that their lives will never be that good is a form of modernism. When you have those people working hard to earn their money to support their families and then Richard Corey goes and commits suicide. It must mean that he was not happy. Money can't buy happiness is a key modernist phrase here. You can also see the whole "inner world vs outer world" phrase after Richard kills himself. On the outside he looks happy and contempt with his fine clothing and wealth pouring from his pockets yet something wasn't right on the inside. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

"Fahrenheit 451" is definitely a modernist style novel, even after reading the first page you can tell. The way the world is depicted in a sort of chaotic and destructive way with the war and a bleak future as well as the burning of books. He might as well have been burning knowledge. Montag's thought process can also be a modernism factor. The way his mind is dead set on one thing and one thing only, doing his job and slaving away day after day. Another contributing factor to this being a modernist novel is how Montag and Faber stick it to the man by breaking the rules just like T.S. Elliot did with his writing style of layering meaning.

"The First Seven Years" is a modernist story. Just like I have stated previously, there is rebellion in this short story too. The daughter of Feld does not want to go to college or rely on a man to keep her safe. She wants to be independent and find a job to begin her life after high school. Although it may be hard to see it, this story has an "unreliable narrator" that is changing his decision as the story progresses, just like a modernistic writing style. Lastly, it shows the inner world of Sobel, the man in love with Feld's daughter. It shows his thoughts and struggles as the story continues.