Exploring the evolution of modernist literature, this work examines how early modernists used theories of consciousness and aestheticism to challenge naturalism and redefine reality. Key figures like Thomas Mann, Marcel Proust, and James Joyce exemplified this movement, influenced by concepts of moral ambiguity and perception. After World War II, the landscape shifted as elitism yielded to diversity and mass culture. Richard Lehan traces this transformation from the late nineteenth century to contemporary expressions of modernism, highlighting its lasting impact on literature.
