1. 1915-1950

2.  WW1 (1914-1918) had profound effect on world. ◦ 65 million military involved ◦ 8-10 million died; 115,000 Americans ◦ 6-7 million civilians died  Changed American voice ◦ At one time, American voice was brash and youthful, but mostly unoriginal ◦ After WW1, voice became less optimistic, aware of limitations. Led to more distinctive voice, though.

3.  Country seemed to lose innocence  Idealism turned to cynicism  Writers began question authority and tradition of country  War brought social changes ◦ Morally ◦ Short skirts, bobbed, hair, slang expressions ◦ Connection to past deteriorating

4.  Depression brought suffering to millions  American writers disillusioned; feeling spiritually empty; began to reject traditional themes and styles  American Dream ◦ 1. Admiration of America as New Eden; land of beauty, bounty, unlimited promise ◦ 2. Optimism; faith in progress. “It’s just around the corner” idea ◦ 3. Importance and ulimate triumph of individual (think Emerson).

5.  Writers from South, Midwest, West arise  Stream of consciousness technique-- moment-by-moment flow (v. chronological order)  Intellectual trends ◦ Marxism: Capitalism is bad; get rid of classes and make everyone equal. ◦ Psychoanalysis: Man is influenced by desire of the unconscious thought; questions level of “free will” man has

6.  Prohibition: No more booze.  Led to the bootlegger, the speakeasy, the cocktail, gangsters  And Jazz Music  Ernest Hemingway ◦ Very influential writer; wrote in “plain style” ◦ Created new American hero—courageous, cool, but disillusioned  The Roaring Twenties saw women in new roles ◦ Edna St. Vincent Millay was poet and “wild woman” ◦ 1920 women won right to vote

7.  Emily Dickinson and Whitman are dead; poetry fizzling.  T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound helped revive it. Shortly after, crashing wave of poetry emerged.  The Harlem Renaissance ◦ Awesome explosion of art from New York (and surrounding areas) ◦ Rise of African American poetry and literature ◦ Focused on the unique perspective of African American experience ◦ Introduced ‘ghetto speech’ and jazz rhythms and blues into verse

8.  Even though Modernists rejected Emerson’s optimism, some ideas remained.  America has potential  Self-Reliance is important  Modernists still trying to answer questions such as Who are we? Where are we going? What values should guide us there?