The Modern Age ( )

Historical Background US rose to become a world power politically and economically However, Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, WWI and WWII significantly affected the mood of the American people

America was becoming dominant, but losing youthful innocence and brash confidence Early 1900s saw a period of artistic experimentation

Historical Setting Before WWI (1912) began, there was a great sense of optimism in US –Numerous technological advances –Sense of a promising future Still some social problems in US, but some reform policies were in place Outbreak of WWI forced President Woodrow Wilson to divert his attention from US to Europe

World War I Axis vs. Allies Originally, Pres. Wilson wanted US to remain neutral (impossible) –Lusitania sunk by Germans (128 Americans dead) Machine gun and trench warfare causes war to drag on for several years Submarine warfare ultimately led to US involvement

Many writers saw bloody battles including Hemingway, E.E. Cummings, John Dos Passos, which influenced what was written

Prosperity and Depression Period immediately following W W I was marked by much unrest in US –Prohibition Throughout 1920s, economy rebounded and cities grew –Large, booming cities –Movie palaces throughout US –Radio arrived (so did Jazz) –Fads: raccoon coats, flagpole sitting, the Charleston

Stock Market Crashed and Depression set in President Hoover fails FDR elected President Circumstances began to improve by late 30s and early 40s, but never as good as the Roaring Twenties

World War II Axis vs. Allies (part 2) Twenty years after WWI ended, Germany invaded Poland to begin WWII US again wanted to remain neutral (impossible) –Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 –Allies defeat Nazi Germany and drop atomic bombs on Japan

Birth of Modernism After W W I, most people lost sense of optimism; felt uncertain about future and disillusioned People were searching for new ideas

Modernism While there was an increase in diverse literature, modernists shared a common purpose –Capture modern life (fragmented) Omitted traditional forms of stories (exposition, resolutions, etc..) Themes were implied, not stated (forced readers to draw their own conclusions)

Imagism Poetic movement ( ) Poetry used clear expression, concrete images, and language of everyday speech Early leader of this movement was Ezra Pound

Expatriates Because many people were disillusioned with life after W W I, many American writers became expatriates Left US to live elsewhere (Paris) Gertrude Stein called them the “lost generation” –Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Pound, Eliot

New Approaches Stream of Consciousness Technique –Re-creating the natural thought flow of a character (not necessarily linear) –Ideas presented are done in a way that is natural for the character (natural associations)

International Renown Nobel Prize for Literature established in as international award in 1901 by Swedish inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel Sinclair Lewis was 1 st American to win it (1930) Other winners: Eugene O’Neill; Pearl S. Buck (The Good Earth); Faulkner; Hemingway; Steinbeck

Harlem Renaissance rise of African American writers Harlem, New York