The Modernist Period--(1910-1945)
Introduction:
By the time America entered the twentieth century, we had become the wealthiest country in the world. We had established our dominance as a world player at the cost of some of our ignorant innocence. By the time the first half of the century was over, America had been involved in two major world wars and had suffered its greatest depression yet. These events influenced a new literary era to spring forth from the country: the Modernist Era.
The Modernist era was an era of boldness. It saw Harlem Renaissance in its glory and the Roaring Twenties (also known as the Jazz Age), which was a decade of living in excess, and acted as a prequel to the infamous Great Depression. In literature, the era was characterized as this break away from traditional styles of poetry and even writing in general. Ezra Pound, the founder of the Imagist movement, a movement that was a sect of Modernist literature, coined the maxim for the era: "Make it New!" This expression encouraged authors to experiment with different styles of writing and was evident largely in the poetry of the era.
Modernist authors shared a common purpose, which was to capture the essence of modern life in form and content. This purpose is why most modernist literature was written in a pessimistic light, reflecting the thoughts of most Americans, especially during the Great Depression. The literature was often chaotic and futile, breaking away from the Romantic and Victorian era literature. It revealed the instability of the American people's mindset as they attempted to come to terms with the fact that one day they were enjoying the high life, and then the next day they were out in the streets waiting in line for the soup kitchen, solely because of the stock market crash. This event also explains the loss of faith and hope in the American people during this time period and how there was a collapse of morality and values. Furthermore, this loss of values led to a confused sense of identity and place in the world, as is iterated in T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
The literature of the era was often times fragmented to cause confusion and break the previously esteemed flow of words in literature. Two major themes of the era were indeed confusion and disillusionment. These themes and this literary movement as a whole reflected the new mindset of the American people after the turn of the century. It was because of this mindset that the major authors of the time period such as Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Porter, Eliot, and Pound became known as the Lost Generation.
The Modernist era was an era of boldness. It saw Harlem Renaissance in its glory and the Roaring Twenties (also known as the Jazz Age), which was a decade of living in excess, and acted as a prequel to the infamous Great Depression. In literature, the era was characterized as this break away from traditional styles of poetry and even writing in general. Ezra Pound, the founder of the Imagist movement, a movement that was a sect of Modernist literature, coined the maxim for the era: "Make it New!" This expression encouraged authors to experiment with different styles of writing and was evident largely in the poetry of the era.
Modernist authors shared a common purpose, which was to capture the essence of modern life in form and content. This purpose is why most modernist literature was written in a pessimistic light, reflecting the thoughts of most Americans, especially during the Great Depression. The literature was often chaotic and futile, breaking away from the Romantic and Victorian era literature. It revealed the instability of the American people's mindset as they attempted to come to terms with the fact that one day they were enjoying the high life, and then the next day they were out in the streets waiting in line for the soup kitchen, solely because of the stock market crash. This event also explains the loss of faith and hope in the American people during this time period and how there was a collapse of morality and values. Furthermore, this loss of values led to a confused sense of identity and place in the world, as is iterated in T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
The literature of the era was often times fragmented to cause confusion and break the previously esteemed flow of words in literature. Two major themes of the era were indeed confusion and disillusionment. These themes and this literary movement as a whole reflected the new mindset of the American people after the turn of the century. It was because of this mindset that the major authors of the time period such as Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Porter, Eliot, and Pound became known as the Lost Generation.
Ernest Hemingway:
Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21 of 1899. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois into the hands of his father, who was a physician. Ernest took after his father in that he pursued his interests in history and literature alongside his father. He also enjoyed fishing and hunting with his father as a young boy. His mother, however, was a domineering type who wanted a daughter instead of a son, but regardless, she dressed him as if he was a girl. In 1916, he graduated from high school and began to pursue his interests in literature as a career by becoming a reporter for the Kansas City Star. It was while he worked for the Star that he adopted his style of writing, adhering to the guidelines of the Star: using short sentences with vigorous english in a positive manner.
Six months later however, he joined the war effort in Italy by working as an ambulance driver during World War I. In July of 1918, he became seriously wounded by a mortar shell. He had shrapnel lodged in both of his legs and had to have several surgeries to remove the shrapnel. Upon his return to the U.S. , he was awarded the Silver Medal for his actions and continued his writing career by working for the Toronto Star. He also met Hadley Richardson and married her in 1921. He then moved to Paris to work as a reporter there for the Toronto Star. It was while he stayed there that Gertrude Stein introduced him to the circle that she referred to as the Lost Generation. In it, were Fitzgerald, Pound, and others who encourages Hemingway's ability to write.
In 1923, Hemingway produced his first collection of short stories called Three Stories and Ten Poems. A year later he published In Our Time. As the years went by, he remarried multiple times and spent time maturing as an author. By 1929, he had produced two of his most famous works, The Sun Also Rises and Farewell to Arms. These stories, as well as forty-nine others, bolstered his fame. Through Gertrude Stein, he was able to meet Pablo Picasso. Hemingway also regarded several Russian authors as having influenced him: Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov.
Hemingway later played a minor role in Spanish Civil War and a much greater role in World War II, in which he actually took part in the D-Day invasion of France. At one part during the invasion, he threw several hand grenades into an enemy bunker and killed several enemies. His actions during D-Day later resulted in him receiving the Bronze Star. His book For Whom the Bell Tolls revealed several of his military experiences. After the war, he settled near Havana, Cuba, where he produced arguably his most famous book The Old Man and the Sea. He won a Pulitzer Prize for this book and later received a Noble Prize in 1954 for his literature.
The last several years of his life were riddled by a declining health due to multiple war wounds, two plane crashes, and even the multiple divorces and affairs he had. He was diagnosed with insomnia and being bipolar. His addiction to alcohol further worsened his mental state. He later suffered memory loss that severely limited his writing capabilities. He finally committed suicide on July 2 of 1961.
Six months later however, he joined the war effort in Italy by working as an ambulance driver during World War I. In July of 1918, he became seriously wounded by a mortar shell. He had shrapnel lodged in both of his legs and had to have several surgeries to remove the shrapnel. Upon his return to the U.S. , he was awarded the Silver Medal for his actions and continued his writing career by working for the Toronto Star. He also met Hadley Richardson and married her in 1921. He then moved to Paris to work as a reporter there for the Toronto Star. It was while he stayed there that Gertrude Stein introduced him to the circle that she referred to as the Lost Generation. In it, were Fitzgerald, Pound, and others who encourages Hemingway's ability to write.
In 1923, Hemingway produced his first collection of short stories called Three Stories and Ten Poems. A year later he published In Our Time. As the years went by, he remarried multiple times and spent time maturing as an author. By 1929, he had produced two of his most famous works, The Sun Also Rises and Farewell to Arms. These stories, as well as forty-nine others, bolstered his fame. Through Gertrude Stein, he was able to meet Pablo Picasso. Hemingway also regarded several Russian authors as having influenced him: Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov.
Hemingway later played a minor role in Spanish Civil War and a much greater role in World War II, in which he actually took part in the D-Day invasion of France. At one part during the invasion, he threw several hand grenades into an enemy bunker and killed several enemies. His actions during D-Day later resulted in him receiving the Bronze Star. His book For Whom the Bell Tolls revealed several of his military experiences. After the war, he settled near Havana, Cuba, where he produced arguably his most famous book The Old Man and the Sea. He won a Pulitzer Prize for this book and later received a Noble Prize in 1954 for his literature.
The last several years of his life were riddled by a declining health due to multiple war wounds, two plane crashes, and even the multiple divorces and affairs he had. He was diagnosed with insomnia and being bipolar. His addiction to alcohol further worsened his mental state. He later suffered memory loss that severely limited his writing capabilities. He finally committed suicide on July 2 of 1961.
Literary Themes:
The major themes of the Modernist Era are confusion, isolation, and disillusionment. The theme of confusion reflects the mindset of the American people as they are trying to figure out where they belong. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" does a fantastic job by not only being confusing to read because of it's fragmentation, but also by showing a man (Prufrock) who is trying to figure out what class of society he belongs in. The theme of isolation shows the American people's take on world affairs. They tried to remain neutral through both World Wars, but ended up being dragged into them. It also reflects the xenophobia of the American people during this era. "In Another Country" shows this theme of isolation as the soldier is indeed isolated from his friends and the society around him while serving in Italy during World War I.
The theme of disillusionment is arguably the main theme of the Modernist era. There was a disillusionment in the American people at the time the stock market crashed as they were then forced to face reality. "In Another Country" shows the disillusionment of the ideas about war being glorious and heroic. The Great Gatsby ultimately shows the theme of disillusionment in that Gatsby focused all of his efforts into recreating the past and living under the illusion that he could do that and be with Daisy. That illusion is shattered with his death. Disillusionment reflected the loss of values and faith that suddenly occurred in the American people at the turn of the century.
The theme of disillusionment is arguably the main theme of the Modernist era. There was a disillusionment in the American people at the time the stock market crashed as they were then forced to face reality. "In Another Country" shows the disillusionment of the ideas about war being glorious and heroic. The Great Gatsby ultimately shows the theme of disillusionment in that Gatsby focused all of his efforts into recreating the past and living under the illusion that he could do that and be with Daisy. That illusion is shattered with his death. Disillusionment reflected the loss of values and faith that suddenly occurred in the American people at the turn of the century.
Key Authors:
- T.S. Eliot: Author of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," Prufrock and Other Observations, The Waste Land, "Ash Wednesday," and Four Quartets
- Ezra Pound: Author of "A Few Don'ts," "In a Station of the Metro," The Cantos, and The Spirit of Romance
- William Carlos Williams: Author of "The Red Wheelbarrow," "This is Just to Say," "The Great Figure," Spring and All, Paterson, and Pictures from Breughel and Other Poems
- Hilda Doolittle: Author of "Pear Tree," Collected Poems, Hippolytus Temporizes, Palimpsest, and Hedylus
- F. Scott Fitzgerald: Author of "Winter Dreams," The Great Gatsby, This Side of Paradise, Tender in the Night, and The Last Tycoon
- John Steinbeck: Author of "The Turtle," The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and Tortilla Flat
- Wystan Hugh Auden: Author of "The Unknown Citizen," Poems, The Double Man, For The Time Being, The Age of Anxiety, and The Rake's Progress
- E.E. Cummings: Author of "old age sticks," "anyone lived in a pretty town," The Complete Poems, and Tulips and Chimneys
- Wallace Stevens: Author of "Of Modern Poetry," Harmonium, Ideas of Order, Parts of a World, Transport to Summer, The Auroras of Autumn, and Collected Poems
- Archibald MacLeish: Author of "Ars Poetica," The Spanish Earth, Scratch, Poetry and Experience, and The Fall of the City
- Marianne Moore: Author of "Poetry," Poems, and Collected Poems
- Ernest Hemingway: Author of "In Another Country," In Our Time, The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bells Toll, and The Old Man and the Sea
- William Faulkner: Author of "A Rose for Emily," Soldier's Pay, The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, The Unvanquished, The Hamlet, and Intruder in the Dust
- Katherine Anne Porter: Author of "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," Flowering Judas, Noon Wine, Pale Horse, Pale Rider, The Leaning Tower and Other Stories, The Ship of Fools, and Collected Stories
- Eudora Welty: Author of "A Worn Path," "Death of a Traveling Salesman," and The Optimist's Daughter
- James Thurber: Author of " The Night the Ghost Got In," The Owl in the Attic and Other Perplexities, The Seal in the Bedroom and Other Predicaments, Fables for Our Time, and My World and Welcome To It
- Carl Sandburg: Author of "Chicago," "Grass," Chicago Poems, Cornhuskers, Smoke and Steel, Slabs of Sunburnt West, The American Songbag, and Complete Poems
- Robert Frost: Author of A Boy's Will, North of Boston, "Birches," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," "Mending Wall," "Out,Out-," "Acquainted with the Night," and "The Gift Outright"
- Langston Hughes: Author of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," The Weary Blues, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," "I,Too," "Dream Variations," and "Refugee in America"
- Lucille Clifton: Author of "Study the Masters," and Good Times
- Colleen McElroy: Author of "For My Children," The Mules Done Long Since Gone, and Queen of the Ebony Isles
- Claude McKay: Author of "The Tropics in New York," Songs of Jamaica, "The Harlem Dancer," "Invocation," and A Long Way From Home
- Arna Bontemps: Author of "A Black Man Talks of Reaping," Black Thunder, and Hold Fast To Dreams
- Countee Cullen: Author of "From the Dark Tower," "I Have a Rendevous with Life," Color, Copper Sun, The Ballad of the Brown Girl, The Black Christ, One Way to Heaven, The Lost Zoo, and My Lives and How I Lost Them
- Zora Neale Hurston: Author of Dust Tracks on a Road, Mules and Men, Jonah's Gourd Vine, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Moses, Man of the Mountain