The Modern Age

World War I and BeyondWorld War I and Beyond

American LiteratureAmerican Literature

Ms. WeberMs. Weber

World War I: The Destruction of the Victorian Era

The Victorian Age was:The Victorian Age was:

~A period of upper middle class values~A period of upper middle class values

~A period of sexual repression~A period of sexual repression

~A period of great American confidence~A period of great American confidence

The Victorian Accomplishments:

• The Panama Canal was builtThe Panama Canal was built• Ford created the assembly line which:Ford created the assembly line which:

~had greater output~had greater output

~affected other companies~affected other companies

~established minimum wage~established minimum wage

~established the 8 hour work day~established the 8 hour work day• Labor problems were diminishingLabor problems were diminishing

This time of great innocence, great This time of great innocence, great optimism and great expectations was optimism and great expectations was

shattered by:shattered by:

The Great War (WWI)The Great War (WWI)

……EVERYTHING CHANGES…EVERYTHING CHANGES…

Trench WarfareTrench Warfare

Victims of Mustard Gas

The Effects of World War I• Devastation and waste of the European Devastation and waste of the European

environment environment • New weapons introduced including tanks, subs New weapons introduced including tanks, subs

and poison gasand poison gas• 8 million people died8 million people died• Attitudes of Post War-Attitudes of Post War-People changedPeople changed::~disillusionment, alienation ~disillusionment, alienation ~called the “Lost Generation”~called the “Lost Generation”~Lack of hope and idealism ~Lack of hope and idealism

Modernism• A dark, rich period of literature following WWIA dark, rich period of literature following WWI• Modernists wanted to break with the pastModernists wanted to break with the past• New ways of seeing caused new ways of sayingNew ways of seeing caused new ways of saying• New literary devices were used. These were:New literary devices were used. These were:~unusual punctuation ~unusual punctuation ~unusual use of capitalization~unusual use of capitalization~endless sentences~endless sentences~obscure phrasing~obscure phrasing~alternative point of view~alternative point of view~stream of consciousness ~stream of consciousness

The Modernists

• They sought to capture the essence of They sought to capture the essence of modern life modern life

• They reflected the fragmentation and chaos They reflected the fragmentation and chaos of the post war worldof the post war world

• Their poetry went to free verseTheir poetry went to free verse• Their subjects often touched on race, social Their subjects often touched on race, social

class, sexuality, political revolution, class, sexuality, political revolution, economics and the lives of outcastseconomics and the lives of outcasts

Ernest Hemingway

Robert Frost

E.E. Cummings

T.S. Eliot

Notable Poets/Authors of Modernism

All of which you will be lucky enough to read in this class!