Any historian of the literature of the modern age will take virtually for granted the adversary intention, the actually subversive intention, that characterizes modern writing -- he will perceive its clear purpose of detaching the reader from the habits of thought and feeling that the larger culture imposes, of giving him a ground and a vantage point from which to judge and condemn, and perhaps revise, the culture that produces him.

Summary

This quote suggests that literature written in the modern age is intentionally designed to challenge and criticize the prevailing cultural norms. It argues that modern writing aims to detach readers from their ingrained ways of thinking and feeling. By providing readers with a different perspective, literature prompts them to evaluate and potentially reject the values and beliefs imposed by the larger culture. The purpose is to empower individuals to judge, condemn, and possibly reshape the culture that influences and shapes them.

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