The Moderns: 1914 - 1939

Social and Political Events

1914 Panama Canal opens World War I (the Great War) begins in Europe

World War I A Serbian student  shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand  heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary  declared war on Serbia Russia  an ally of Serbia mobilized forces Germany  declared war on Russia, France, and Belgium

1917 U.S. entered WWI April 6  President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war on Imperial Germany May 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 France Oct 23  American troops fired the first shots in trench warfare

1919 The Treaty of Versailles ended the war June 28  Signed by German delegates and allies

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

Writers included Langston Hughes Claude McKay Countee Cullen Zora Neale Hurston http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdmp5lnj2WQ&feature=share&list=PL6C055536D7207210 Musicians included Billie Holiday Duke Ellington Louis Armstrong http://youtu.be/IgoVDTwPaA0

1920 The 18th Amendment  Jan. 16, 1919  Became law on Jan. 16, 1920 Prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, import, or export of alcoholic beverages. Jan. 16, 1919  Nebraska  36th state to ratify the amendment Must have ¾ states ratify for an amendment to go into effect In 1919  only 48 states Became law on Jan. 16, 1920

1920 The 19th Amendment Woman’s right to vote Passed by Congress  June 4, 1919 Ratified  Aug. 18, 1920

1927 Charles Lindbergh  first transatlantic solo flight

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

1933 1933  Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes president New Deal program begins The hope is that it will counter the Great Depression. Adolph Hitler  Nazi leader  gains power in Germany

1935 The Social Security Act is enacted.

1939 WWII begins  Germany invades Poland First 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 Promise Three central assumptions  America as a New Eden  Land of beauty, bounty, and unlimited promise People sought great wealth and pleasure. This idea can be seen in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 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 Entertainment Radio  most popular form of entertainment About 2/3 of American households had at least one radio. Movies  used to get minds off difficulties of the Depression The cost was relatively inexpensive.

A Crack in the World: Breakdown of Beliefs and Traditions End 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 subject Center of American literary life  shift away from New England Modernist writers were from the South, the Midwest, or the West.

Marxism and the Challenge to Free Enterprise Karl Marx  socialist beliefs backbone of the Russian Revolution in 1917 Conflicted with capitalism and free enterprise Capitalism  private ownership of goods; creation of goods and services for profit Marx wanted a classless society  all property was owned communally everyone received equal benefits and rewards Some Americans believed that certain elements of Marxism would work.

Freud and the Unconscious Mind Sigmund Freud  founder of psychoanalysis Opened the working of the unconscious mind Believed actions are controlled by subconscious mind No control over subconscious = no free will Free will  voluntary choice Led 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 Age In 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-easy the cocktail the flapper new rhythms of jazz the gangster Named the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

At Home and Abroad Expatriates  American writers and artists who abandoned the U.S. for life in France following WWI (add this to your handout) Ex-  former Patriot  one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests Cheaper and better to live in Paris More exotic Filled with grace and luxury No need to go to a cellar for a drink

Grace Under Pressure: The New American Hero Ernest Hemingway  most influential post-World War I writer Most famous for his literary style Reduced the “flamboyance” of literary language to bare bones  no fluff Flamboyance is often used to refer to something or someone that is elaborate or colorful in display or behavior. Introduced a new American hero A man of action, a warrior, a tough competitor Has a code of honor, courage, endurance Thoroughly disillusioned (Hemingway’s outlook was one of disillusionment, or disenchantment.)

Modern Voices in Poetry: A Dazzling Period of Experimentation British influence on American poetry was gone American poets began to experiment Explored artistic life of Europe Began to explore new ways to see and represent reality Symbolist and imagist styles began to be used.

Voices of American Character Other American poets chose to reject modernist trends Preferred plain American speech Regional diversity of American life and character Robert Frost  one of the greatest poets of this group

The Harlem Renaissance: Voices of the African American Experience Black poets  focus on contributions of African American culture to America Poetry  based on rhythms of spirituals and jazz Lyrics  based on songs known as the blues Diction  based on street talk of the ghettos Geographical center  Harlem (large neighborhood in New York City) Spiritual center  consciousness of African Americans

The American Dream Revised Modernist era  one of the richest periods in American literature Writers experimented boldly Forms Subject matter Writers still looked for answers to basic human questions: Who are we? Where are we going? What values should guide us?