The turn of the 20th century was marked by a revolution in psychological, social, and philosophical thought. It was time to move on to something neoteric. It was time to move away from banal tradition. This period of revolution allowed men such as Charles Darwin, Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud to become famous for their radical and avant-garde theories. Additionally, women were exasperated by their role as role models in society. They yearned for independence, the ability to vote, and, above all, legal equality. This period also brought the renewal of European expansion. With new motivations, such as economic motivations, social imperialism, and new theories of racial superiority, the British Empire began to focus on the colonization of Asia and Africa. However, not all change is necessarily good. New thought processes led to the belief in superior races and ethnic groups, which in part caused World War I. People became cynical, people became mean, and people became destructive. Through the works of writers such as TS Eliot, WB Yeats, and Joseph Conrad, literary modernism shed light on the true nature of humanity's heart. With this newly integrated view of humanity, a new theory emerged involving the psychology and behaviors of men and women. Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis. ("Sigmund Freud") At the turn of the 20th century, Freud boldly asserted that humans entered the world as pleasure-seeking creatures. With this statement, Freud ventured into the world of psychosexual development and eventually developed the theory that humans are irrational creatures. He believed that humans had the potential to do horrible things. The man was corr...... middle of paper ...... Literature the main authors. 8th ed. New York: WW Norton, 2006. 2610-613. Print “God is dead”. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 5, 2012. Web. May 15, 2012. “Heart of Darkness.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, December 5, 2012. Web. May 15, 2012. “Irrational.” Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Internet. May 15, 2012. “Sigmund Freud.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 15, 2012. Web. May 15, 2012. “Trench warfare.” Trench warfare. Internet. May 15, 2012. .Yeats, William B. “The Second Coming.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. New York: WW Norton &, 2006. 2402-403. Print.