I Hope This Thesis Statement Gets Better...

I have always found it fascinating how the Modernist movement that was founded by Ezra Pound at the beginning of the 20th century changed the way people wrote and viewed literature. After the First World War, Modernism became the most popular form of literature, and for me, the most interesting.

The only rules of Modernism were, as Ezra Pound said, to "make it new." There was a constant alienation after World War I that is present in the different literature of the era. Consequently, this leads most people to believe that the Modernists were void of spirituality, morals and ethics. However, from what I have read, I believe that there is an ever-present yearning for meaningful human connection and spirituality. So, this has led me to ask myself a few questions:




Were the Modernists actually rejecting religion and society or were they just searching for spirituality in human interaction and excessive living?

Did the Modernists lose hope in humanity or were they striving to find meaning in human contact and relationships? 

Did World War I act as a scapegoat for a loss of faith in humanity, social norms and universal alienation or was it due to a decreased sense of morality?

What was the real inspiration behind the Modernist movement? Was it alienation from society? Was it a  disguised yearning for faith/spirituality and meaningful human connection?

I'm going to read some more and look for what I think was the aim of Modernism. After reading Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Eliot and Salinger, I cannot agree that these authors had rejected spirituality or human connection. I feel like their alienation stemmed from lack of morality as they yearned for increased meaning in relationships and meaning from religion. At this point, I sound like I am rambling and my argument is not very coherent, but I feel like I'm close to something. At any rate, I'm excited to see where my thesis ends up.