Ryan+M

1.Modernism refers to a set of cultural tendencies and movements. Basically modernism is when people started to realize that the way they do things and think is outdated. Back in the old days people used to ride horses around for example. Then after man created the automobile people realized that riding a horse wasn't efficient. So to further modernize our culture people began to make the transition from horses to cars. The act of improving our lifestyle by finding ways to make life easier and less complicated.......Modernism -Ryan McChesney

3.T.S Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a beautiful example of a modernist poem. In this poem Eliot expresses Prufrocks failure with women. A great example of this would be in the 7th stanza of this piece. “ With a bald spot in the middle of my hair--[They will say: ``How his hair is growing thin!'']” (Eliot). When he says with a bald spot in the middle of my hair he is referring to how unattractive he is. His expression of alienation, he continues the poem with, they will say how his hair is growing thin. Thus showing his disgust with himself. If we dig deeper we can see how he relies on the opinions of women. He shows this as the basis of how he views himself. This show his modernistic train of thought because he feels alienated. -Ryan McChesney

Week 4 Reading Response

Define the term of Existentialism

Existentialists in my view are modernists who are independent, but what defines an Existentialist? Martin Heidegger believed Existentialism arose from tension between person and public. Is this true? Is it their views or their morals? Existentialists believe “I think: therefore I exist” and in reality this is true. Animals think. If we think about modern life there is always thought present, whether it be from some higher being or our own minds. I believe all it takes to be and existentialist is an open mind and a will to learn. The rest will find itself. -Ryan McChesney