Short note on Expressionism
Question: Write a short note on “Expressionism”.
Introduction
Expressionism means freedom of choice and freedom of expression. This is a modernist movement in the 20th century.
Founder of expressionism
Expressionism first appeared in 1905, when a group of four German architecture students wanted to be painters. They formed the group Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Dresden. They are Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Fritz Bleyl, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and Erich Heckel.
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Purpose of expressionism
An expressionist tries to convey emotion and meaning rather than reality. Each expressionist has its own unique way of “expressing” their emotions in their art or writing. In order to express emotion, the subjects are often perverted or exaggerated.
Characteristics of Expressionism:
- Emphasis on abstraction and subjectivity.
- The theme of searching for the meaning of life.
- Distortion of reality.
- Disjoined and confusing plots.
- The setting may be non-realistic or partly realistic.
- Frequent changing of dialogues and locations.
- Peculiar use of punctuations.
- Music and light may be used to express the state of mind of a character etc.
Conclusion
To sum up, it is one of the striking terms in English literature. Undoubtedly, this term develops the history of English drama.
