The Sculptor's Funeral

Modernism is a term that describes certain literary techniques, styles, and themes in British and American literature written during the early 1900s. This movement was motivated by the desire to challenge established patterns of representation. For example, Modernist prose writers often experimented with multiple perspectives and used fragmented narrative styles. Their work often reflected cultural changes provoked by urbanization, industrialization, the spread of capitalism, and scientific advances. In Cather’s works, this is often apparent in the use of fragmented or ambiguous identities, as demonstrated by characters such as Merrick, whose characterization defies the era’s gender norms. For example, the frontiersmen of Sand City mock him for his refinement and his sensitive nature.

Modernist literature is often seen as a break from artistic tradition. Cather’s work is considered something of a contradiction. Like other writers of Modernist literature, the author demonstrates a thematic awareness of the complex struggle between tradition and progress in works such as “The Sculptor’s Funeral.” However, her fiction also frequently challenges typical Modernist representations by retaining the realist tendencies of the preceding literary generation. She relies upon realistic depictions of the spread of mass culture in the West, representing this as a form of conformity that paradoxically casts artistic tradition as the purest form of self-expression. For example, the author scorns the modernity that underpins the materialism of the people of Sand City in her short story, describing the Western frontier as a “desert of newness and ugliness and sordidness” (333). At the same time, the train that cuts through the countryside at the beginning of the story acts as a “world-wide call for men” rather than a symbol of industrialization and materialism (329). Unlike the soulless modernity Steavens encounters in Sand City, Cather presents the train as a positive symbol, a way to reach the culture and refinement of civilization in the East. She selectively exalts and condemns progress in her use of symbolism and her choice of themes. Cather’s works demonstrate the self-conscious awareness that is typical of Modernist literature but preserve a much more traditional view of beauty and art.

Cather also adds elements of social realism that highlight the materialism and corruption of modern society on the frontier. Social realism is another Modernist technique that includes realistic depictions of class, racial, and gender inequities. This is evident in the inclusion of characters such as Roxie, the servant of the Merrick family who comes from a diverse racial background. Her knowledge of family secrets is juxtaposed with the tendencies of the Merrick family and the townspeople of Sand City to maintain a façade of social propriety, despite their moral corruption.