Literary Movement: Modernism “I had a world, and it slipped away from me. The War blew up more than the bodies of men... It blew ideas away—” ---Sherwood Anderson, in a letter to his son, November 1929

Historical Context 1914 World War I begins 1914 World War I begins 1920 Harlem Renaissance begins 1920 Harlem Renaissance begins th Amendment grants women the right th Amendment grants women the right to vote to vote 1929 U.S. stock market crashes, leading to the Great Depression 1929 U.S. stock market crashes, leading to the Great Depression 1939 World War II begins 1939 World War II begins

Worldview Questioning of the American Dream Questioning of the American Dream Loss of innocence and disillusionment with tradition Loss of innocence and disillusionment with tradition –Disillusionment is a loss of naïve faith and trust. –Mrs. Andersen’s metaphor: “Life through a broken window” Influential intellectual movements: Influential intellectual movements: –Marxism challenged traditional views of capitalism –Psychoanalysis (Freud) challenged traditional views of individual freedom and free will

Common Elements of the Literature Rejection of traditional themes and subjects Rejection of traditional themes and subjects Sense of disillusionment Sense of disillusionment Rejection of a perfect hero and birth of the “Hemingway hero” who is imperfect but shows “grace under pressure” Rejection of a perfect hero and birth of the “Hemingway hero” who is imperfect but shows “grace under pressure” Experimentation Experimentation –Novels: stream-of-consciousness –Poetry: open form, imagism, symbolism

Famous Authors Fiction: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Zora Neale Hurston Fiction: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Zora Neale Hurston Poetry: Carl Sandburg, Edgar Lee Masters, Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes Poetry: Carl Sandburg, Edgar Lee Masters, Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes

Ernest Hemingway From Oak Park, Illinois From Oak Park, Illinois Journalist for The Kansas City Star Journalist for The Kansas City Star Wanted to serve in the military in WWI but was denied due to a boxing injury Wanted to serve in the military in WWI but was denied due to a boxing injury Served as an ambulance driver in Italy; wounded on the warfront Served as an ambulance driver in Italy; wounded on the warfront Literature reflects the effects of war, disillusionment Literature reflects the effects of war, disillusionment One of the “Lost Generation” (Gertrude Stein) One of the “Lost Generation” (Gertrude Stein) Literary Legacy Literary Legacy –Style—direct, detached, heavy use of dialogue –“Hemingway hero”—disillusioned but shows grace under pressure Novels Novels –The Sun Also Rises –A Farewell to Arms –For Whom the Bell Tolls –The Old Man and the Sea Struggled with depression; suicide in 1961 Struggled with depression; suicide in 1961

Hemingway’s Famous Style 1. Uncomplicated, direct language 2. Uses “iceberg principle” 3. “Master of dialogue”