The early 20th century brought a revolution in psychological, social, and philosophical thought. It was time for something neoteric. The time had come to break away from worldly tradition. This period of revolution allowed men like Charles Darwin, Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud to achieve fame with their radical and cutting-edge theories. Furthermore, women were exasperated by their modeled roles in society. They sought to be independent, they wanted the ability to vote, and, above all, they wanted legal equality. This period also led to the renewal of European expansion. With new motivations, such as economic ones, social imperialism, and new theories of racial superiority, the British Empire began to focus on the colonization of Asia and Africa. However, not all changes are necessarily positive. New thought processes led to beliefs in superior human races and groups, which in part caused World War I. People became cynical, evil and destructive. Through the work of writers such as TS Eliot, WB Yeats, and Joseph Conrad, modernism in literature shed light on the true nature of humanity's heart. With this newly incorporated view of humanity, a new theory involving humanity's psychology and behaviors has emerged. men and women. Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis. (“Sigmund Freud”) Towards the end of the 20th century, Freud boldly asserted that human beings came into the world as pleasure-seeking creatures. Through this statement, Freud ventured into the world of psychosexual development and eventually developed the theory that human beings 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: W. W. 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. Network. May 15, 2012. "Sigmund Freud." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 15, 2012. Web. May 15, 2012. “Trench Warfare.” Trench warfare. Network. May 15, 2012. Yeats, William B. “The Second Coming.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2006. 2402-403. Press.