The late 19th and 20th centuries were rich in various technological innovations and major social upheavals. From the conflicts caused by a world at war to the burgeoning industrial revolutions, civilization has grown in leaps and bounds. This led to new ways of creative expression, both in the visual arts and literature, that broke the bonds between tradition and classical design. The term modernism can characterize a wide range of styles and techniques, but it encompasses the same fundamental ideals and principles that allow a work to be easily identified as a modernist work. A predominant theme in modernism is the futility of unnecessary embellishments. Old forms of art and literature were so heavily adorned with frivolous designs that new thinkers were keen to reduce their craftsmanship to the bare minimum. In architecture, for example, there is a great contrast between the Paris Opera designed by Garnier in 1861 and the Brauhaus workshops designed by Gropius in 1925. The incredible and intricate design of the opera house is a wonderful illustration of everything that the modernist wanted to move away from; golden statues and carefully carved stone existed only as beauty for the sake of being beautiful. However, working at a time still affected by the heavy consequences of the Great War, Gropius designed his workshops in a very simple manner. Not only were these superfluous ornaments unnecessary, but resources were also scarce, leading Gropius to use cost-effective materials such as glass and concrete for the majority of his buildings. However, there was still beauty in such simplified work. From the shine of the glass to the crisp, precise geometry, there was still art to be found for all those...... middle of paper ...... the story itself, where Borges made his work relatively simple to read, but to understand the true meaning, the reader had to break the illusion of a normal narrative. Borges breaks away from the typical writing style in which the moral of the story is nicely packaged and handed to you at face value. The idea behind modernism is to break the chains that bound artists and authors; exceeding the limits imposed on them by the conventions of their predecessors. A true modernist was not afraid to risk his prestige or his career in the hopes of setting new standards for what it means to be a true work of creative genius. The tenacity of the modernist style is the same as that of history's greatest inventors and philosophers, changing the way we perceive the world and leading us on the path to a more advanced civilization..