This module introduces Italian modernism in prose and theatre, examining key works such as those by Luigi Pirandello, Italo Svevo and Carlo Emilio Gadda. It begins by exploring the development of modernism across Europe and attempting to individuate its principle characteristics. Once this framework has been established, key Italian modernist texts are examined in relation to their links to, and divergences from, modernist trends. This will lead to an exploration of some key issues, such as those relating to language, communication, subjectivity, relativism, and madness, and will also involve discussions of the stylistic features of the texts.