Solid Air

Paper Summary:

In this article the writer looks at an understanding of modernism as a fundamentally dialectical system which brings together the forces of individual characters and social mechanisms. The writer studies a belief that modernity stands for the distinct interaction between individual people and their social environment which ultimately alters both. The writer looks at the work of author Marshall Berman, who believes that in order for current modernism to possess any substantive perspective regarding itself, the paths through which it has already traveled need to be discussed. While glancing at the opinions of other writers, the writer claims that Berman aims to develop some sort of theoretical and historical landscape through which people today can perceive the meanings of underlying the modern world.

From the Paper:

"Obviously, by defining the appearance of modernity as being somewhat superficial or shallow, the works of writers who decisively stepped out of the traditional boundaries regarding social and political philosophy become particularly important subjects for Berman's discussion. It is reasonable to think that as modernization spread through human history, its literary indicators began to appear evermore readily; as changing history increasingly acted upon individuals, many individuals reciprocated this influence, in degree, by contributing to the works of literature. According to Berman, if we look at modernism as a progression of three phases--introduction to modern life, revolutionary reactions, and the spread of modernity on a global scale--then it is possible to understand the present as well as the future, not just within art and literature, but it philosophy and life as well."

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