1. The Modern and Postmodern Periods
Present

2. Historical Background
Points to be aware of:
Progress in science and technology was helping to make life easier and the world more comprehensible
Advances in communication and transportation brought the world closer together
WWI – ( ) about 8.5 million soldiers died from wounds or diseases
WWII – ( ) estimations vary between million casualties

3. The Edwardian Age ( )
Rigid class distinctions lingered past the Victorian age
Rapid technological and social changes quickly undermined the customs and assumptions of the Victorian Age
Changes included – electricity, the right for women to vote
By 1910 with the crowning of King George V – the nineteenth century life was fading into memory

4. WWI 1914 long-standing tensions between European nations erupted
It was ignited by the assassination of Austria-Hungary’s archduke Francis Ferdinand
Germany invaded Belgium and England and France joined together to stop the aggression
They began the war optimistically, but soon were overcome with the realities of this new war
Poison Gas
Massive Artillery
Trench Warfare

5. WWI cont. Russia broke out in its own civil war during WWI
The Czar was overthrown and the first Communist state was created – The Soviet Union
An armistice was signed on November 11, 1918
Monarchies were destroyed by then – imperial Germany, and the Austro-Hungarian empire
An uneasy peace followed the armistice as a result of the harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles.

6. Weapons of War

7. Between Wars
The young generation following WWI was known as the “lost generation” – they were disillusioned and struggled due to a lack of purpose
They masked their unease with the pursuit of pleasure
Fast Cars
Wild Jazz
Giddy Fads
Women finally won the right to vote in 1918 (Age 30)
1928 – they lowered the voting age to 21 – same as men

8. Political Developments in Europe
Adolf Hitler began to aggressively expand to Germany’s borders
Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939
It was this action that made clear the fact that Hitler would only be stopped through violent intervention

9. WWII Second global war more destructive than the first
Hitler attempted to eradicate the Jews – killing about 6 million
Germany invaded Russia
Fighting raged from Europe to North Africa, from the mountains of Burma and China to the Hawaiian Islands
Massive bombing raids turned London, Dresden, and Tokyo into infernos
France fell to Germany in 1940 and England had to bear the brunt of German attacks
1941 – two powerful allies joined England – The United States and The Soviet Union
August 1945 – Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought the war to a brutal and abrupt end.

10. The End of an Empire 1922 – Ireland won its independence from Britain
After WWII, the British Empire suffered further dramatic losses
Colonies around the world were striving for independence from British rule – ethnic, racial and border conflicts led to bloodshed in these former colonies
An iron curtain divided Eastern and Western Europe
The United States and the Soviet Union dominated the world

11. Modern England

12. British Society
By the 1960s – Britons had put most of their troubles behind them
However – despite leading fashion changes like rock-and-roll music, fads, and trends, major industries like textiles, steel, and shipbuilding suffered
British society was also changing
Britain’s multiracial population exploded. It includes Caribbean islanders, Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Africans
Discrimination often caused riots

13. Contemporary Britain
Margaret Thatcher was a Conservative and was the first female Prime Minister in England
Came to power in 1979 and had a hands-off approach to the economy
The country did not benefit from “Thatcherism” and she resigned in 1990
Britain had to adjust to a rapidly changing world
Prospect for peace have increased between Ireland and England, but there is still potential for violence
Wales and Scotland voted to set up their own parliamentary system – so a modern question becomes – what is the purpose of the monarchy?
Even in trial – Briton has always turned to its past for a sense of pride and comfort

14. Modernism and Postmodernism Literature
Modernism has a commitment to creating new forms and is perhaps the most important artistic movement of the 20th century
Modernists often present experiences in fragments, rather than as a coherent whole
Postmodern refers to present – characterized by the phrase “continuance and completion”

15. Modernism and Poetry
Modernism in poetry developed with the Imagist movement, founded about 1912
Imagists stressed the use of precise visual images and unadorned, concise language
William Butler Yeats is considered one of the greatest literary figures
His work spans several literary generations
T.S. Eliot – an American who moved to London was a Modernist poet
He uses a collage effect of “voices” which is very similar to the Cubist collages that Picasso painted after 1910

16. old age sticks  up Keep off signs)& youth yanks them down(old age cries No Tres)&(pas) youth laughs (sing old age scolds Forbid den Stop Must n't Don't &)youth goes right on gr owing old.
Old Age Sticks
ee cummings

17. Epic Poetry Lyric Poetry Drama Romanticism Social Commentary Realism
Naturalism
Modernism
Post Modernism
REVIEW
Literary Text Types