MODERNISM: MODERNISM: American Literature American Literature 1914-19451914-1945

Realism and Realism and Modernism Modernism

Whereas REALISMWhereas REALISM– Emphasized Emphasized

absolutismabsolutism– Believed that a Believed that a

single reality could single reality could be determined be determined through the through the observation of observation of naturenature

MODERNISMMODERNISM– Argued for cultural Argued for cultural

relativismrelativism– Believed that people Believed that people

make their own make their own meaning in the worldmeaning in the world

MODERNISMMODERNISM Rebelled against nineteenth century academic and Rebelled against nineteenth century academic and

historicist traditions historicist traditions ““Traditional" forms of art, architecture, literature, Traditional" forms of art, architecture, literature,

religious faith, social organization and daily life: outdatedreligious faith, social organization and daily life: outdated

Causes of the Causes of the Modernist TemperModernist Temper WWI (1914-1919)WWI (1914-1919) UrbanizationUrbanization IndustrializationIndustrialization ImmigrationImmigration Technological EvolutionTechnological Evolution Growth of Modern ScienceGrowth of Modern Science Influence of Austrian Sigmund Freud Influence of Austrian Sigmund Freud

(1856-1939)(1856-1939) Influence of German Karl Marx (1818-Influence of German Karl Marx (1818-

1883)1883)

WWIWWI

URBANIZATIOURBANIZATIONN

INDUSTRIALIZATIONINDUSTRIALIZATION

IMMIGRATIONIMMIGRATION

Oscar Handlin states, “Once I thought to write a Oscar Handlin states, “Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the immigrants discovered that the immigrants were were American history.”American history.”

TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTIONTECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

GROWTH OF MODERN GROWTH OF MODERN SCIENCESCIENCE

Scientists became aware thatScientists became aware that

the atom was not the smallest unit of matterthe atom was not the smallest unit of matter matter was not indestructiblematter was not indestructible both time and space were relative to an observer’s both time and space were relative to an observer’s

positionposition some phenomena were so small that attempts at some phenomena were so small that attempts at

measurement would alter themmeasurement would alter them Some outcomes could be predicted only in terms of Some outcomes could be predicted only in terms of

statistical probabilitystatistical probability the universe might be infinite in size and yet infinitely the universe might be infinite in size and yet infinitely

expandingexpanding

SIGMUND FREUD SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939)(1856-1939)

Invented the use of psychoanalysis Invented the use of psychoanalysis

as a means to study one’s as a means to study one’s

“ “unconscious”unconscious”

KARL MARX (1818-KARL MARX (1818-1883)1883)““The history of all hitherto existingThe history of all hitherto existing society is the history of classsociety is the history of class struggles.”struggles.”

““The development of Modern Industry,The development of Modern Industry, therefore, cuts from under its feet thetherefore, cuts from under its feet the very foundation on which the bourgeoisie very foundation on which the bourgeoisie

produces and appropriates products. What produces and appropriates products. What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the all, are its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable.”inevitable.”

SHIFTS IN THE SHIFTS IN THE MODERN NATIONMODERN NATION from country to cityfrom country to city from farm to factoryfrom farm to factory from native born to new citizenfrom native born to new citizen introduction to “mass” culture (pop introduction to “mass” culture (pop

culture)culture) continual movementcontinual movement split between science and the literary split between science and the literary

tradition (“science vs. letters”)tradition (“science vs. letters”)

Social Snapshot of the Social Snapshot of the TimesTimes Result of Political TurmoilResult of Political Turmoil

– Revolutionary Ideologies RiseRevolutionary Ideologies Rise FascismFascism

– The separation and persecution or denial of The separation and persecution or denial of equality to a certain group based on race, creed, equality to a certain group based on race, creed, or originor origin

NazismNazism– Socialism featuring racism, expansionism and Socialism featuring racism, expansionism and

obedience to a strong leaderobedience to a strong leader CommunismCommunism

– Control of the means of production should rest in Control of the means of production should rest in the hands of the laborers. the hands of the laborers.

Fascism and

Nazism

CommunismCommunism

Modernism TimelineModernism Timeline

1914: Outbreak of 1914: Outbreak of WWIWWI

1917: US enters 1917: US enters war, Russian war, Russian RevolutionRevolution

1919: 1919: – WWI ends, WWI ends, – Einstein’s Relativity Einstein’s Relativity

theory confirmed, theory confirmed, – Prohibition beginsProhibition begins

1920’s: THE JAZZ AGE1920’s: THE JAZZ AGETo F. Scott Fitzgerald it was an “age of miracles, an age of art, To F. Scott Fitzgerald it was an “age of miracles, an age of art,

an age of excess, an age of satire.”an age of excess, an age of satire.”

Modernism TimelineModernism Timeline

19201920– League of Nations League of Nations

begins; begins; – 1919thth Amendment Amendment

granting women the votegranting women the vote 1921—Irish Free State 1921—Irish Free State

proclaimedproclaimed 1922—Fascists march 1922—Fascists march

on Rome under on Rome under MussoliniMussolini

1923—Charleston 1923—Charleston crazecraze

Modernism TimelineModernism Timeline

1925—1925—– Image of human Image of human

face televisedface televised– Hitler published Hitler published

Mein KampfMein Kampf 19271927

– Lindbergh flies solo Lindbergh flies solo across Atlanticacross Atlantic

– Al Jolson, first Al Jolson, first talkietalkie

Modernism TimelineModernism Timeline

1929—US stock 1929—US stock market crashes;market crashes;

19331933– Hitler appointed Hitler appointed

Chancellor of Chancellor of GermanyGermany

– First German First German concentration concentration campscamps

– Prohibition ends in Prohibition ends in USUS

1930’s: THE 1930’s: THE DEPRESSIONDEPRESSION““True individual freedom cannot exist without economic True individual freedom cannot exist without economic

security and independence. People who are hungry security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.” – Franklin D. Rooseveltare made.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Modernism TimelineModernism Timeline

1934—Hitler 1934—Hitler becomes dictatorbecomes dictator

1936—Civil War in 1936—Civil War in Spain beginsSpain begins

1938—Germany 1938—Germany occupies Austriaoccupies Austria

19391939– Hitler and Stalin Hitler and Stalin

make pact;make pact;– Germany invades Germany invades

PolandPoland– Great Britain and Great Britain and

France declare war France declare war on Germanyon Germany

Modernism TimelineModernism Timeline

19411941– Germany invades Germany invades

USSRUSSR– Japan bombs Pearl Japan bombs Pearl

Harbor, US enters warHarbor, US enters war 19421942

– Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of Midway;Battle of Midway;

– T-shirt inventedT-shirt invented 1944—D-Day 1944—D-Day

invasion of Franceinvasion of France

Modernism TimelineModernism Timeline

19451945– End of war in End of war in

EuropeEurope– Atomic bomb Atomic bomb

dropped on Japandropped on Japan– First computer builtFirst computer built– Microwave oven Microwave oven

inventedinvented– United Nations United Nations

foundedfounded

Modernist LiteratureModernist Literature The literary form of The literary form of

Modernism and especially Modernism and especially High modernismHigh modernism

Different from Modern Different from Modern literature: history of the literature: history of the modern novel and modern modern novel and modern poetry as one poetry as one

At its height from 1900 to At its height from 1900 to 19401940

Authors: Authors: – Poems: Poems:

T. S. EliotT. S. Eliot– The Waste LandThe Waste Land

Robert Frost Robert Frost W.B. Yeats W.B. Yeats Ezra Pound Ezra Pound

– Short stories and Short stories and Novels:Novels:

James JoyceJames Joyce William Faulkner William Faulkner Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway

– The Old Man and the The Old Man and the SeaSea

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad

– The Heart of DarknessThe Heart of Darkness Virginia Woolf Virginia Woolf F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald

– The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby D.H. Lawrence D.H. Lawrence Katherine MansfieldKatherine Mansfield

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERNIST WRITINGMODERNIST WRITING A movement away from realism into abstractionsA movement away from realism into abstractions A deliberate complexity, even to the point of elitism, forcing A deliberate complexity, even to the point of elitism, forcing

readers to be very well-educated in order to read these worksreaders to be very well-educated in order to read these works A high degree of aesthetic self-consciousnessA high degree of aesthetic self-consciousness Questions of what constitutes the nature of beingQuestions of what constitutes the nature of being A breaking with tradition and conventional modes of form, A breaking with tradition and conventional modes of form,

resulting in fragmentation and bold, highly innovative resulting in fragmentation and bold, highly innovative experimentationexperimentation

A variety in content because with a stable external world in A variety in content because with a stable external world in question, subjectivity was ever more valued and accepted in question, subjectivity was ever more valued and accepted in literatureliterature

Along with the social realist and proletarian prose of the 1920s Along with the social realist and proletarian prose of the 1920s and 1930s came a significant outpouring of political and protest and 1930s came a significant outpouring of political and protest poetry.poetry.

TECHNIQUES IN TECHNIQUES IN MODERNIST WORKSMODERNIST WORKSThe modernists were highly conscious that they were The modernists were highly conscious that they were

being modern—that they were “making it new”—and being modern—that they were “making it new”—and this consciousness is manifest in the modernists’ this consciousness is manifest in the modernists’ radical use of a kind of formlessness.radical use of a kind of formlessness.

Collapsed plotsCollapsed plots Fragmentary techniquesFragmentary techniques Shifts in perspective, voice, and toneShifts in perspective, voice, and tone Stream-of-consciousness point of viewStream-of-consciousness point of view Associative techniquesAssociative techniques

COLLAPSED PLOTSCOLLAPSED PLOTS

Begins arbitrarilyBegins arbitrarily Advances without explanationAdvances without explanation Often ends without resolution Often ends without resolution Consists of vivid segments Consists of vivid segments

juxtaposedjuxtaposed Is ironicIs ironic

SHIFTS IN SHIFTS IN PERSPECTIVE, VOICE, PERSPECTIVE, VOICE, AND TONEAND TONE representations of the speech of the representations of the speech of the

uneducated and the inarticulate uneducated and the inarticulate colloquial, slangy, and popularcolloquial, slangy, and popular traditional educated literary voice was traditional educated literary voice was

lostlost average novel became shorter than it average novel became shorter than it

had been in the nineteenth centuryhad been in the nineteenth century tends to be written in the first person tends to be written in the first person one character’s point of viewone character’s point of view

Stream-of-consciousness - depicts the mental and Stream-of-consciousness - depicts the mental and emotional reactions of characters to external events, emotional reactions of characters to external events, through the practice of reproducing the unedited, through the practice of reproducing the unedited, continuous sequence of thoughts that run through a continuous sequence of thoughts that run through a person’s head, most usually without punctuation or person’s head, most usually without punctuation or literary interference.literary interference.

STREAM-OF-STREAM-OF-CONSCIOUSNESSCONSCIOUSNESS

"Everything (he kept saying) is something it isn't. And everybody is always somewhere else. Maybe it was the city, being in the city, that made him feel how queer everything was and that it was something else. Maybe (he kept thinking) it was the names of the things. The names were tex and frequently koid. Or they were flex and oid or they were duroid (sani) or flexsan (duro), but everything was glass (but not quite glass) and the thing that you touched (the surface, washable, crease-resistant) was rubber, only it wasn't quite rubber and you didn't quite touch it but almost. The wall, which was glass but turned out on being approached not to be a wall, it was something else, it was an opening or doorway--and the doorway (through which he saw himself approaching) turned out to be something else, it was a wall. And what he had eaten not having agreed with him."(excerpt- "The Door" by E.B. White. The New Yorker, 1939)

Stream of Consciousness in E.B.

White's "The Door"

Formal Characteristics of Formal Characteristics of Modernist LiteratureModernist Literature

Open Form Open Form Discontinuous narrative Discontinuous narrative Juxtaposition Juxtaposition

– Two unlike things are put next to one another Two unlike things are put next to one another – A quality of being unexpected A quality of being unexpected – To compare/contrast the twoTo compare/contrast the two– Example: A teacup and its saucer are expected Example: A teacup and its saucer are expected

Classical allusions Classical allusions – A figure of speech A figure of speech – Making a reference to or representation of, a person, Making a reference to or representation of, a person,

place, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, place, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, – Directly or impliedDirectly or implied

MODERNISM INCLUDES MODERNISM INCLUDES OTHER “ISMS”OTHER “ISMS” FauvismFauvism CubismCubism DadaismDadaism ExpressionismExpressionism SurrealismSurrealism SymbolismSymbolism

Works CitedWorks Cited

Baym, Nina, ed. Baym, Nina, ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature.The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New New

York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1998. York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1998. Harmon, William, and C. Hugh Homan, eds. Harmon, William, and C. Hugh Homan, eds. A Handbook to Literature. A Handbook to Literature.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1996.New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1996. Kimmelman, Burt, ed. Kimmelman, Burt, ed. The Facts on File Companion to 20The Facts on File Companion to 20thth Century Century

American PoetryAmerican Poetry. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2005.. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2005. Lathbury, Roger. Lathbury, Roger. American Modernism (1910-1945): American American Modernism (1910-1945): American

Literature in its Historical, Cultural, and Social Contexts. Literature in its Historical, Cultural, and Social Contexts.

Backgrounds to American Literature Series. New York: Facts On Backgrounds to American Literature Series. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2006.File, Inc., 2006. Siepmann, Katherine Baker, ed. Siepmann, Katherine Baker, ed. BenBenét’s Reader’s Encyclopedia. ét’s Reader’s Encyclopedia.

New York: Harper-Collins New York: Harper-Collins PublishersPublishers, Inc., 1948., Inc., 1948.