What characterizes modern literature? The first few slides of this 31-slide PowerPoint discuss what sparked the change to Modernism and discuss some of the key figures of the time (like Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud). The 20s and 30s are both briefly touched on, and some characteristics of the work produced during this period are noted. To finish, the isms are introduced: Fauvism, Cubism, Dadaism, Expressionism, Surrealism, and Symbolism.