Read the following excerpt from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by
James Joyce:
The wide playgrounds were swarming with boys. All were
shouting and the prefects urged them on with strong cries.
The evening air was pale and chilly and after every charge
and thud of the footballers the greasy leather orb flew like
a heavy bird through the grey light. He kept on the fringe of
his line, out of sight of his prefect, out of the reach of the
rude feet, feigning to run now and then. He felt his body
small and weak amid the throng of the players and his
eyes were weak and watery. Rody Kickham was not like
that: he would be captain of the third line all the fellows
said.
What aspect of this excerpt most clearly marks it as a work of Modernism?
O
A. It jumps from one topic to another without making any attempt to
connect them.
O
B. It observes human nature through athletics rather than
academics
O
C. It focuses on a main character who is the antithesis of a
traditional hero.
O
D. It presents the topic of competition from two completely different
perspectives.
Answer:
B. It observes human nature through athletics rather than
academics
Explanation:
Modernism has to do with a movement within society from the twentieth century where people sought to align with the values and experience of modern life.
From the excerpt, the aspect that clearly marked it out as a work of Modernism is option B because it observes human nature through athletics rather than academics.
The excerpt was talking about boys playing on a playground and how excited they were.
