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Modern Literature

Modernism ranged from 1900-1950, examined the contrasts of the time as the nation experienced explosive growth, prohibition, and the Great War. WWI occurred between 1914-1918, with the U.S. entering the war in 1917. The death toll caused further disillusionment with Americans.

Modernism critiques the American Dream. Remember--

America  = New Eden
Boundless resources and opportunities
No cap on Progress
The independent, self-reliant person will always succeed

During this era, we see a new appreciation for African-American voices (like Langston Hughes), a rally cry against racism, and the seeds of the Civil Rights Movement planted.

Modernism began in Europe and then spread to America. There are four main influences, which I'll talk about more next week in class:

1. Charles Darwin (evolution), On the Species of Man (published in 1859), emphasized Natural Selection and brings in the concept of chance.

2. Sigmund Freud- Modern psychoanalyst, Austrian, emphasized the "unconscious mind." Reality was more about what was under the surface, rather than what was seen.

3. Karl Marx- social class, communism, alienation. Forces outside of ourselves influence/control our behavior.

4. Albert Einstein- Theory of Relativity- Truth/Meaning depends on your perspective

One of the most common styles of writing in the Modern era is stream of consciousness, which is writing like the mind thinks. Faulkner is known for this. So is the book Ulysses, which I have never been able to get through. :)

Other important writers to know in this era include Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and T.S. Eliot.

The Chief concern of Modernist Literature: ALIENATION.

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