Common Themes Among Classic Literary Novels Pre 21st Century
Classic literature in the 20th century dealt with themes such as alienation, isolation and the ever present shadow of war. The 20th century is also when novels became increasingly introspective, as though the authors were questioning themselves, the world around them and their own existence. This is unsurprising considering that the bulk of the 20th century revolved around one war or another.
In the early part of the 20th century, many novels looked at the changing pace of modern society and the impact of industrialization. Then World War I came along and themes shifted to that war, followed by hopes for peace and ominous theories of another, even worse, war. Books like “The Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum and “Kim” by Rudyard Kipling explored some of these themes involving isolation, alienation and the beginnings of industrialization. The obscure introspective book that was “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” by James Joyce was another classic example of these types of themes.
Once World War II came to pass, authors were more nervous and fearful of modern technologies, seeing the destruction they wreaked. Works became darker and more obscure. “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is a classic war novel by Earnest Hemingway and the classic “Animal Farm” by George Orwell further illustrated this fear of technology and controlling governments.
After World War II, fear of the nuclear age was a theme and many novels began to focus on minority literature. “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger also dealt with the common themes of alienation, isolation and rebellion. “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R Tolkien dealt with war and the threat of destruction and later became the inspiration for the fantasy genre.
