What is the main focus of modernist literature?

The main focus of modernist literature is the exploration of new forms and perspectives on reality. This movement emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a response to the profound changes in society brought about by industrialization, world wars, and shifts in philosophical thought. Modernist writers sought to break away from traditional narrative structures and conventions to capture the complexity and fragmentation of modern life.

Modernism embraced a variety of styles and techniques, including stream of consciousness, unreliable narrators, and non-linear timelines, to reflect the inner workings of the human mind and the fluidity of experience. By challenging established norms, modernist authors such as Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and T.S. Eliot aimed to present a more nuanced, subjective interpretation of reality, often exploring themes of dislocation, identity, and existential uncertainty. This innovation in form and perspective set modernist literature apart from previous literary movements.