https://at-ceu.studyguide.timeedit.net/modules/CAW5021?type=CORECourse BackgroundThe imperative to "make it new," coined by the modernist poet Ezra Pound, called for radical innovation in artistic expression. Breaking away from the stale conventions of the Victorian era, artists of the fin-de-siècle and the first decades of the twentieth century sought new forms of artistic expression better suited for modern times. Their experimentations reflected unprecedented challenges posed by the new era, ranging from hopeful advances in scientific thought, new understanding of human psyche and sexuality or the fight for women's suffrage to the trauma of WW I that shattered all hopes.Course SignificanceThe course uses literary texts as tools to probe multiple forces shaping modern society, ranging from historical and cultural to economic and political. As authors artistically negotiate the world they reflect in their stories, working with literature offers students a unique interpretive perspective and agency to enhance their epistemological toolbox.