The Moderns

The Moderns: 1914 - 1939Social and Political Events1914Panama Canal opensWorld War I (the Great War) begins in Europe

World War IA Serbian student shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir to the Austro-Hungarian throneEmperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declared war on SerbiaRussia an ally of Serbiamobilized forcesGermany mobilized forces declared war on Russia, France, and Belgium

1917U.S. entered WWIApril 6 President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war on Imperial GermanyMay 18 The Selective Services Act passed Federal government could draft young men for the armed forces.July 3 first wave of American soldiers landed in FranceOct 23 American troops fired the first shots in trench warfare1919The Treaty of Versailles ended the warJune 28 Signed by German delegates and allies

1920The Harlem RenaissanceAfrican Americans from the south and the West Indies migrated to Harlem, New York.Migrants sought better economic opportunitiesescape from social conditions that were oppressive superior educational opportunitiesRemember, slavery ended in 1865, so only about 55 years had passed.

Writers included Langston HughesClaude McKayCountee CullenZora Neale Hurstonhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdmp5lnj2WQ&feature=share&list=PL6C055536D7207210Musicians included Billie HolidayDuke EllingtonLouis Armstronghttp://youtu.be/IgoVDTwPaA0

1920The 18th Amendment Prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, import, or export of alcoholic beverages.Jan. 16, 1919 Nebraska 36th state to ratify the amendmentMust have states ratify for an amendment to go into effectIn 1919 only 48 statesBecame law on Jan. 16, 1920

1920The 19th Amendment Womans right to votePassed by Congress June 4, 1919 Ratified Aug. 18, 1920

1927Charles Lindbergh first transatlantic solo flight

1929In October 1929 U.S. stock market crashes Leads to the Great Depression

19331933 Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes presidentNew Deal program beginsThe hope is that it will counter the Great Depression.Adolph Hitler Nazi leader gains power in Germany

1935The Social Security Act is enacted.

1939WWII begins Germany invades PolandFirst commercial television broadcast in U.S. is aired

World War I huge impact on American literature The United States seemed to have lost its innocence.Americans began to feel cynical. Cynical to be distrustful of human nature and motives; human conduct is motivated by self-interest. (Merriam-Webster)The authority and traditions on which the country had been founded was being questioned.The modernist movement experimentation writers, artists, and musicians; rejection of traditional themes and ideas. The American Dream: Pursuit of a PromiseThree central assumptions America as a New Eden Land of beauty, bounty, and unlimited promisePeople sought great wealth and pleasure. This idea can be seen in F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel The Great Gatsby which showed the promise as well as the disappointment of the idea.A Belief in Progress Americans believed in progress life was just going to keep getting better They would enjoy prosperity, justice, and joy.A great sense of optimism was felt by most Americans.Triumph of the Individual Individuals are independent and self-reliant.

1930s EntertainmentRadio most popular form of entertainmentAbout 2/3 of American households had at least one radio.Movies used to get minds off difficulties of the DepressionThe cost was relatively inexpensive.

A Crack in the World: Breakdown of Beliefs and TraditionsEnd of the American Dream World War I (1914)crash of the stock market (1929)Postwar writers skeptical of the New England Puritan tradition.Skeptical having doubts in general or toward a particular subjectCenter of American literary life shift away from New EnglandModernist writers were from the South, the Midwest, or the West.Marxism and the Challenge to Free EnterpriseKarl Marx socialist beliefs backbone of the Russian Revolution in 1917Conflicted with capitalism and free enterpriseCapitalism private ownership of goods; creation of goods and services for profitMarx wanted a classless society all property was owned communally everyone received equal benefits and rewardsSome Americans believed that certain elements of Marxism would work.

Freud and the Unconscious MindSigmund Freud founder of psychoanalysisOpened the working of the unconscious mindBelieved actions are controlled by subconscious mindNo control over subconscious = no free willFree will voluntary choiceLed to stream of consciousness a literary technique in which chronology is abandoned in an effort to imitate the moment-by-moment thoughts of a character

At Home and Abroad: The Jazz AgeIn 1919, the manufacture or sale of alcohol was prohibited because it was seen as a central social evil.Prohibition led to the bootlegger the speak-easythe cocktailthe flappernew rhythms of jazzthe gangsterNamed the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

At Home and AbroadExpatriates American writers and artists who abandoned the U.S. for life in France following WWI (add this to your handout)Ex- formerPatriot one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interestsCheaper and better to live in ParisMore exoticFilled with grace and luxuryNo need to go to a cellar for a drink

Grace Under Pressure: The New American HeroErnest Hemingway most influential post-World War I writerMost famous for his literary styleReduced the flamboyance of literary language to bare bones no fluffFlamboyance is often used to refer to something or someone that is elaborate or colorful in display or behavior.Introduced a new American heroA man of action, a warrior, a tough competitorHas a code of honor, courage, enduranceThoroughly disillusioned (Hemingways outlook was one of disillusionment, or disenchantment.)Modern Voices in Poetry: A Dazzling Period of ExperimentationBritish influence on American poetry was goneAmerican poets began to experimentExplored artistic life of EuropeBegan to explore new ways to see and represent realitySymbolist and imagist styles began to be used.Voices of American CharacterOther American poets chose to reject modernist trendsPreferred plain American speechRegional diversity of American life and characterRobert Frost one of the greatest poets of this groupThe Harlem Renaissance: Voices of the African American ExperienceBlack poets focus on contributions of African American culture to AmericaPoetry based on rhythms of spirituals and jazzLyrics based on songs known as the bluesDiction based on street talk of the ghettosGeographical center Harlem (large neighborhood in New York City)Spiritual center consciousness of African Americans

The American Dream RevisedModernist era one of the richest periods in American literatureWriters experimented boldly Forms Subject matterWriters still looked for answers to basic human questions:Who are we?Where are we going?What values should guide us?