the moderns (1913-1939)

The Moderns (1913-The Moderns (1913-1939)1939)

Modernism: Modernism: This movement in literature,This movement in literature,

painting, music, and the other arts called for painting, music, and the other arts called for bold experimentationbold experimentation

and a complete rejection of traditional themes and a complete rejection of traditional themes and styles.and styles.

Overview of Time PeriodOverview of Time Period

WWI (1914-1918) was an event that WWI (1914-1918) was an event that changed the American voice of fiction.changed the American voice of fiction.

Country appeared to have lost its Country appeared to have lost its innocenceinnocence

Idealism had turned to cynicism Idealism had turned to cynicism Americans began to question the Americans began to question the

authority of tradition authority of tradition Writers and artists began to Writers and artists began to

experiment experiment

The American Dream: Pursuit The American Dream: Pursuit of a Promiseof a Promise

America reexamined their idealsAmerica reexamined their ideals World War I and the economic crash of World War I and the economic crash of

the Great Depression changed livesthe Great Depression changed lives Among the ideals that people began to Among the ideals that people began to

question were three assumptions that question were three assumptions that together form the together form the “American Dream”“American Dream”– America as a New EdenAmerica as a New Eden– A belief in ProgressA belief in Progress– Triumph of the IndividualTriumph of the Individual


America as a New EdenAmerica as a New Eden America was now thought of as a land of America was now thought of as a land of

beauty, bounty and unlimited promisebeauty, bounty and unlimited promise Both the promise and the Both the promise and the disappointment of this idea disappointment of this idea are reflected in one of the are reflected in one of the greatest American novels, greatest American novels, The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby (1925) by (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald. F. Scott Fitzgerald.


A Belief in ProgressA Belief in Progress The second element of the American The second element of the American

Dream is optimismDream is optimism This was justified by the ever-expanding This was justified by the ever-expanding

opportunity many people had come to opportunity many people had come to expectexpect

Americans had come to believe in Americans had come to believe in progress– that life will keep getting better progress– that life will keep getting better and that wealth, justice, and joy are just and that wealth, justice, and joy are just around the corneraround the corner


Triumph of the IndividualTriumph of the Individual The final element in the American dream The final element in the American dream

is the importance and ultimate triumph of is the importance and ultimate triumph of the individual– the independent, self-the individual– the independent, self-reliant person. reliant person.

This ideal was championed This ideal was championed

by Ralph Waldo Emerson, by Ralph Waldo Emerson,

who also defined the American who also defined the American

DreamDream

A Crack in the World: A Crack in the World: Breakdown of Beliefs and Breakdown of Beliefs and

TraditionsTraditions In the postwar period, long-held beliefs and In the postwar period, long-held beliefs and

traditions began to be testedtraditions began to be tested Postwar writers became skeptical of the New Postwar writers became skeptical of the New

England Puritan tradition and the gentility England Puritan tradition and the gentility that had been central to the literary ideal that had been central to the literary ideal (most great Modernist writers came from the (most great Modernist writers came from the South, Midwest, or the West)South, Midwest, or the West)

Two new intellectual theories (movements) Two new intellectual theories (movements) combined to influence previous beliefs and combined to influence previous beliefs and values: values: MarxismMarxism and and PsychoanalysisPsychoanalysis

Marxism and the Challenge to Marxism and the Challenge to Free EnterpriseFree Enterprise

There was a Marxist Revolution in Russia There was a Marxist Revolution in Russia and murdered the czar (ruler)and murdered the czar (ruler)

The socialistic beliefs of Karl Marx (1818-The socialistic beliefs of Karl Marx (1818-1883) that had powered the Russian 1883) that had powered the Russian Revolution in 1917 conflicted with the Revolution in 1917 conflicted with the American system of capitalism and free American system of capitalism and free enterprise.enterprise.

Some Americans, however, Some Americans, however, believed that certain elements believed that certain elements of Marxism would provide of Marxism would provide much-needed rights to workersmuch-needed rights to workers

Freud and the Unconscious Freud and the Unconscious MindMind

In Vienna, there was another In Vienna, there was another ground-shaking movementground-shaking movement

Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud (1856-1939), the (1856-1939), the founder of psychoanalysis, had founder of psychoanalysis, had opened the workings of the opened the workings of the unconscious mind to examinationunconscious mind to examination

He called for a new understanding of He called for a new understanding of human sexuality and the role it plays in our human sexuality and the role it plays in our unconscious thoughtsunconscious thoughts

a resulting concern in America: the amount a resulting concern in America: the amount of freedom an individual had if our actions of freedom an individual had if our actions were influences by an were influences by an uncontrollable uncontrollable subconscioussubconscious

Freud and the Unconscious Freud and the Unconscious Mind (cont.)Mind (cont.)

One literary result of this interest in the One literary result of this interest in the psyche was the narrative technique psyche was the narrative technique called called stream of consciousnessstream of consciousness

This writing style abandoned This writing style abandoned chronology and attempted to imitate chronology and attempted to imitate the moment-by-moment flow of a the moment-by-moment flow of a character’s perceptions and memoriescharacter’s perceptions and memories

American writers William Faulkner and American writers William Faulkner and Katherine Anne Porter use this Katherine Anne Porter use this techniquetechnique

At Home and Abroad: The Jazz At Home and Abroad: The Jazz AgeAge

In 1919, the U.S. Constitution was In 1919, the U.S. Constitution was amended to prohibit the manufacture and amended to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcohol, which was considered a sale of alcohol, which was considered a social evilsocial evil

Far from inspiring traditional values, Far from inspiring traditional values, however, Prohibition ushered in an age however, Prohibition ushered in an age characterized by the bootlegger, the characterized by the bootlegger, the speak-easy, the short-skirted flapper, the speak-easy, the short-skirted flapper, the new rhythms of jazz, and the gangsternew rhythms of jazz, and the gangster

Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald gave this era its Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald gave this era its name: name: the Jazz Agethe Jazz Age

The Jazz Age (cont.)The Jazz Age (cont.)

During this time, women played a prominent roleDuring this time, women played a prominent role In 1920, women won the right to vote, and they In 1920, women won the right to vote, and they

began to create a presence in artistic, began to create a presence in artistic, intellectual, and social circlesintellectual, and social circles

As energetic as this era was in America, many As energetic as this era was in America, many American artists and writers abandoned their own American artists and writers abandoned their own shores for life in Franceshores for life in France

The wave of Americans living abroad was another The wave of Americans living abroad was another signal that something had gone wrong with the signal that something had gone wrong with the American DreamAmerican Dream

Grace Under Pressure: The Grace Under Pressure: The New American HeroNew American Hero

The most influential of all the post-The most influential of all the post-World War I writers was Ernest World War I writers was Ernest HemingwayHemingway

Hemingway is probably most famous Hemingway is probably most famous for his literary style, which influenced for his literary style, which influenced generations of writersgenerations of writers

Hemingway reduced the fanciness Hemingway reduced the fanciness

of literary language to the bare of literary language to the bare

bones of the truth it must expressbones of the truth it must express

Hemingway’s HeroHemingway’s Hero Hemingway introduced a new kind of hero Hemingway introduced a new kind of hero

to American fiction– a man of action, a to American fiction– a man of action, a warrior, and a tough competitorwarrior, and a tough competitor

He has a code of honor, courage, and He has a code of honor, courage, and endurance. endurance. “Grace under pressure“Grace under pressure””

But above all else, the Hemingway hero is But above all else, the Hemingway hero is thoroughly disillusioned with the emptiness thoroughly disillusioned with the emptiness he finds at the mysterious center of creationhe finds at the mysterious center of creation

A further part of this code is the importance A further part of this code is the importance of recognizing and snatching up the rare, of recognizing and snatching up the rare, good moments that life has to offergood moments that life has to offer

Modern Voices in Poetry: A Modern Voices in Poetry: A Dazzling Period of Dazzling Period of ExperimentationExperimentation

By the 1920’s, the last traces of British influence By the 1920’s, the last traces of British influence on American poetry were washed away, and on American poetry were washed away, and American poets entered into their most dazzling American poets entered into their most dazzling period of experimentationperiod of experimentation

Artists and poets sought new ways of seeing and Artists and poets sought new ways of seeing and thinkingthinking

Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot used the suggestive Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot used the suggestive techniques of techniques of symbolismsymbolism to fashion a new, to fashion a new, modernist poetrymodernist poetry

Pound also was at the head of a related poetic Pound also was at the head of a related poetic movement called movement called imagismimagism

The imagist and symbolist styles would be The imagist and symbolist styles would be popular until the 20popular until the 20thth century century

Voices of American Voices of American CharacterCharacter

Meanwhile, other American poets Meanwhile, other American poets rejected modernist trendsrejected modernist trends

These poets stayed at home and said These poets stayed at home and said what they had to say in plain what they had to say in plain American speechAmerican speech

Their individual accents reveal the Their individual accents reveal the regional diversity of American life and regional diversity of American life and charactercharacter

Robert Frost was the best Robert Frost was the best

The Harlem Renaissance: The Harlem Renaissance: Voices of the African American Voices of the African American

ExperienceExperience In the early 1920’s, a group of black poets In the early 1920’s, a group of black poets

focused directly on the unique contributions focused directly on the unique contributions of African American culture to Americaof African American culture to America

Their poetry based its Their poetry based its rhythmsrhythms on spirituals on spirituals and jazz, its and jazz, its lyricslyrics on songs known as the on songs known as the blues, and its blues, and its dictiondiction on the street talk of the on the street talk of the ghettosghettos

African American lyric poets, especially African American lyric poets, especially Langston Hughes, brought literary distinction Langston Hughes, brought literary distinction to the broad movement of artists known as to the broad movement of artists known as the the Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance

Helped appreciation of the role of black talent Helped appreciation of the role of black talent in American culturein American culture

The American Dream The American Dream RevisitedRevisited

The writers of the modernist era– some of The writers of the modernist era– some of the best that America has produced– the best that America has produced– experimented boldly with forms and experimented boldly with forms and subject mattersubject matter

But they were still trying to find the But they were still trying to find the answers to basic human questions:answers to basic human questions:– Who are we?Who are we?– Where are we going?Where are we going?– What values should guide us on the search for What values should guide us on the search for

our human identity?our human identity?

the moderns (1913-1939)

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