1. Reacting to Major Changes in the Country
Modernism
Reacting to Major Changes in the Country

2. The Great War (1914-1918) World War 1 The country “lost its innocence”
More cynical and negative
Rebellious, question authority
Turn away from the past and tradition
Bold experimentation with new styles

3. American Dream America as a land of promise Optimism
Great promise but also great disappointment
Optimism
Opportunity and abundance; power of progress
Importance of the individual
Independence and self-reliance

4. Changing Trends
Skeptical of American Dream after the war and the Depression
Many writers moved abroad
Liberation and extravagance
Marxism
Socialist movement; opposite of capitalism
Psychoanalysis
Focus on subconscious drives, anxiety about the issue of free will

5. Impacts on Literature Stream of Consciousness Portraying a dying dream
Moment by moment flow of events/perceptions instead of following a logical organizational pattern
Sparked by psychoanalysis
Portraying a dying dream
The Great Gatsby
Minimalist language
Get rid of flashy words in favor of simplicity and realism

6. Harlem Renaissance (early 1920s)
African American artistic and cultural movement that was centered in Harlem
Some African American poets wrote in traditional poetic forms
Others created a new style based on rhythm, echoing the style of spirituals and jazz, using slang language
Gave African Americans a prominent role in American culture

7. Revised American Dream
Less optimistic
Self-reliance still emphasized
Modernist poets both echoed and challenged the American Dream

8. Lorraine Hansberry Grew up in Chicago’s south side
Father was successful in business and actively involved with the NAACP and civil rights protests
A Raisin in the Sun opened in 1959 and was an instant success
Died of cancer at age 34