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American Modernism

American Modernism. Mrs. Graziano American Literature. World War I. In 1917, the United States entered WWI, a conflict that resulted in widespread casualties. While America was victorious in the war, perspectives on life began to change; America had lost its innocence.

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American Modernism

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  1. American Modernism Mrs. Graziano American Literature

  2. World War I • In 1917, the United States entered WWI, a conflict that resulted in widespread casualties. • While America was victorious in the war, perspectives on life began to change; America had lost its innocence. • Idealism turned to cynicism.

  3. The Great Depression • The Great Depression contributed to America’s disillusionment. • The future was uncertain for Americans, a concept later revealed through literature.

  4. The Modernist Movement • Movement in painting, literature, and the other arts • Expressed disillusionment with customs and traditions • Called for bold experimentation and a wholesale rejection of traditional themes and styles

  5. The American Dream • Admiration of America as the “New Eden”: a land of beauty, bounty, and unlimited promise • Optimism – justified by overabundance and opportunity Americans came to expect • The importance and ultimate triumph of the individual – the independent, self-reliant person

  6. Marxism and Psychoanalysis • Both movements led to the breakdown of traditional beliefs and values • Psychoanalysis (introduced primarily by Sigmund Freud) led to the literary technique of stream-of-consciousness narration • Stream-of-consciousness: a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character’s mind

  7. The Jazz Age • Prohibition ushered in an age characterized by the bootlegger, the speakeasy, the cocktail, the short-skirted flapper, the new rhythms of jazz, and the dangerous but lucrative lifestyle of the gangster. • F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby) coined it “The Jazz Age.” • Women’s rights were another focus of the time period.

  8. The New American Hero • Established primarily by Hemingway, the new American hero: • Was a man of action • A warrior • A tough competitor • Has a code of honor, courage, and endurance • Possesses character flaws, a realistic representation of humanity

  9. Elements of Modernism in American Literature • Emphasis on bold experiments in style and form, reflecting the fragmentation of society • Rejection of traditional themes and subjects • Sense of disillusionment and loss of faith in American dream • Rejection of the ideal of a hero as infallible in favor of a hero who is flawed and disillusioned but shows “grace under pressure” • Interest in the inner workings of the human mind, sometimes expressed through new narrative techniques such as stream of consciousness

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