Modernist thinking - using logic as a foolproof warrant – responds to underlying needs of immediate gratification and self-validation. The more divided societies become, the more rooms there are for deliberate manifestation of modernist desires. This research paper starts with the hypothesis that modernist self, as identified in British modernist literature, manifests in a continuous struggle for authentic identity-making against societal constraints and existential crises. By emphasizing the struggle between maintaining a civilized persona and self-centered desires, as a central theme of modernism, the study thus hypothesizes that the representation of the modernist self is also shared in the Restoration era, the Romantic era, and the Victorian era of British literature. The theoretical foundations to determine individualistic tendencies, self-realization, authenticity, and struggle against societal contexts as central themes to the formation of the modernist self are based on analyzing philosophical concepts of Cartesian dualism, Mill’s utilitarianism, and Sartre’s existentialism. The research project includes literature analysis of literary works from famous authors during each mentioned period of British literature in terms of socio-cultural contexts, psychological development, points of view to highlight the rising awareness of increasing individualism. Changes within the British society during the Restoration era to the Modernist era of British literature are discussed in terms societal changes’ influences on an individual’s pursuit of happiness. The paper seeks to prove that authors during the Restorations era, Romantic era, and Victorian era have unique ways in which their characters are written to become an authentic versions true to their values.

Authors:
Tuan Anh Chau, Angelo State University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
My name is Tuan Anh Chau and I am a Master's student. My interests are in modernist literature and existential psychotherapy and my current project is a meta-analysis on the effects of smartphones on ADHD symptomology among American young adults.

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