(1) opposes imitating reality and advocates expressing the writer's subjective feelings.

Expressionism literature opposes the reappearance of reality, but demands the objective obedience to the expression of subjective thoughts. Expressionism holds that the ego is the center of the universe and the source of truth. They subjectively believe that truth is the expression of self-consciousness, and "reality must be created by us". Edes Mitter, an expressionist, advocates that artists should go through everything and experience their inner feelings with subjective spirit. The result of the experience will produce a kind of passion, which is lasting, infinitely expanding and inclusive. Artists should use this passion to express the illusion of things. The so-called illusion is a deeper visualization of things, that is, the pure truth of things. If it is to show the house, it is necessary to abandon the shape of the house and show its essence; To be a prostitute, she should not wear perfume, paint, carry a handbag or shake her thighs.

(B) emphasize the performance of the inner world of the characters

Expressionists believe that the process of artistic creation is the process of expressing people's inner world, that is, "from the inside out" rather than "from the outside in" like Impressionism. Toler said: "Peel off a person's skin so that he can see the soul hidden in his heart." In order to do this, expressionism takes many special ways.

1. Use inner monologues extensively.

2. Strong contrast

3. simultaneity

4. fanatical passion

Third, a lot of symbolic expressions are used.

Expressionist literature does not pay attention to the realism of the environment and the characterization of personality, but adopts symbolic expression techniques to give abstract ideas a certain form. In expressionist works, whether it is expressionist novels or expressionist dramas, people are symbolic, not concrete, disproportionate, abstract and bloodless figures.

References:

[1] quoted from Special Studies on Modern Western Literature, Hunan University Press.

[2] Quoted from "Collected Works of Foreign Literature Studies" No.2.

[3] Quoted from Yilin 1979, the first issue.

[4] "On the Characteristics of Expressionism Literature" by Peng Qian.