Modernism, Nationalism, and the Novel

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Political debates on 'national character' spurred modernist writers to innovate narrative forms, countering claims that modern novels neglect the external world. Pericles Lewis argues that modernists, rather than abandoning political themes, explored how the nation-state influences individual consciousness. By examining authors like Joyce, Proust, and Conrad, he highlights how these novelists created narrators who reflect and reshape social realities. Their techniques, such as multiple perspectives and involuntary memory, emphasize the interplay between individual identity and national identity, especially in times of crisis.