2020thth Century Century

Revolutions in Art and LiteratureRevolutions in Art and Literature

General Mood of the PeriodGeneral Mood of the Period

WW I and WW II caused widespread WW I and WW II caused widespread destruction and disillusionment in Europedestruction and disillusionment in Europe

Attitudes of artists changed – a surge of Attitudes of artists changed – a surge of creativity comes with a rejection of the art, creativity comes with a rejection of the art, music, and literature of the previous music, and literature of the previous centurycentury

World War IWorld War I

During WWI warfare During WWI warfare changes drasticallychanges drastically Gas warfareGas warfare Massive casualties Massive casualties Machine gunsMachine guns Trench WarfareTrench Warfare

World War IIWorld War II

Europe struggles to recover Europe struggles to recover after WW Iafter WW IMany begin to question Many begin to question Europe’s right to colonize Europe’s right to colonize distant landsdistant landsPoverty forces many to Poverty forces many to political extremespolitical extremesFascist dictators take power – Fascist dictators take power – most notably in Germanymost notably in GermanyWW II is an even more WW II is an even more destructive war that rages destructive war that rages throughout Europe, northern throughout Europe, northern Africa, China and JapanAfrica, China and Japan

Notable ArtistsNotable Artists

Pablo PicassoPablo Picasso Created a new style of Created a new style of

painting called painting called “cubism.” “cubism.”

Objects are viewed Objects are viewed from different from different perspectives perspectives simultaneouslysimultaneously

How does this change How does this change the artist’s message?the artist’s message?

“It isn’t up to the painter to define the symbols. Otherwise it would be better

if he wrote them out in so many words!

The public who look at the picture must interpret the symbols as they

understand them.”[

Notable ArtistsNotable Artists

Igor StravinskyIgor Stravinsky Ballet Ballet The Rite of The Rite of

Spring Spring used harsh used harsh sounds, discord, and sounds, discord, and primitive rhythmsprimitive rhythms

Different from anything Different from anything ever heard before. ever heard before. Listen to the two Listen to the two examples. How would examples. How would you react?you react?

Notable ArtistsNotable Artists

Ezra PoundEzra Pound Founded a literary movement called Founded a literary movement called

“Imagism,” which rejected the wordiness and “Imagism,” which rejected the wordiness and poetic diction of late 19poetic diction of late 19 thth cent. poetry cent. poetry

ImagismImagism IN A STATION OF THE METRO IN A STATION OF THE METRO

The apparition of these faces in the crowd ; The apparition of these faces in the crowd ;

Petals on a wet, black bough.Petals on a wet, black bough.

ModernismModernism

Emphasis on “impressionistic” writing that Emphasis on “impressionistic” writing that strays from traditional forms of narration.strays from traditional forms of narration.

Moves away from objective narration with Moves away from objective narration with clear moral positions.clear moral positions.

Laments a fragmented view of human Laments a fragmented view of human subjectivity, but still holds that art can provide subjectivity, but still holds that art can provide a sense of unity, coherence, and meaning.a sense of unity, coherence, and meaning.

No one perception of reality is correct, but we can No one perception of reality is correct, but we can look to art for some degree of comfortlook to art for some degree of comfort

PostmodernismPostmodernism

No comfort to be found in art.No comfort to be found in art.

Takes the ideas of modernism even Takes the ideas of modernism even further.further.

Important TermsImportant Terms

Impressionism – Recreation of an Impressionism – Recreation of an experience without interpreting or experience without interpreting or moralizingmoralizingSymbolism – The use of objects or people Symbolism – The use of objects or people to represent larger conceptsto represent larger conceptsNew Classicism – Fashioning of new New Classicism – Fashioning of new literature from the most vital elements of literature from the most vital elements of the past. the past.

Katherine MansfieldKatherine Mansfield

Impressionistic writer Impressionistic writer – less concerned with – less concerned with elements of plot, elements of plot, complication, conflict, complication, conflict, and climax than with and climax than with creating an creating an impression of impression of character, mood, and character, mood, and situation.situation.

Traditional PlotTraditional Plot

MansfieldMansfield

Does away with many of the formal conventions Does away with many of the formal conventions of the short story (such as the introduction) to of the short story (such as the introduction) to produce a more subtle art formproduce a more subtle art formMade use of “significant detail” or symbolic Made use of “significant detail” or symbolic objects and gestures, and carefully rendered objects and gestures, and carefully rendered dialoguedialogueFrequently shifts from present to pastFrequently shifts from present to pastSuggests that the coincidences and the Suggests that the coincidences and the unchangeable personalities of characters make unchangeable personalities of characters make up reality up reality

Virginia WoolfVirginia Woolf

Like many modernist Like many modernist writers, Woolf is more writers, Woolf is more interested in the way life interested in the way life becomes fiction than in becomes fiction than in depicting life in fiction.depicting life in fiction.Woolf shows how we Woolf shows how we each sift through each sift through impressions of reality in impressions of reality in an attempt to make sense an attempt to make sense of the world.of the world.Ultimately, we each have Ultimately, we each have our own unique our own unique impressions of the world.impressions of the world.

A Room of One’s OwnA Room of One’s Own

Woolf invents the character of “Shakespeare’s Woolf invents the character of “Shakespeare’s sister.”sister.”

A woman with the same level of genius as A woman with the same level of genius as Shakespeare would lack the physical and Shakespeare would lack the physical and emotional space in which to create.emotional space in which to create.

Repressing creative urges in order to become a Repressing creative urges in order to become a wife and mother would ultimately lead wife and mother would ultimately lead Shakespeare’s sister to a state of misery.Shakespeare’s sister to a state of misery.

In the end, she would kill herself in despair.In the end, she would kill herself in despair.

Joseph ConradJoseph Conrad

Fiction often takes place in far Fiction often takes place in far away and exotic locationsaway and exotic locationsExamines issues of race and Examines issues of race and colonialismcolonialismControversy: Is Conrad Controversy: Is Conrad Racist?Racist?

European narrators of European narrators of Heart of Heart of Darkness and Darkness and “The Lagoon” “The Lagoon” view natives as primitive and view natives as primitive and even monstrouseven monstrous

Questionable as to whether Questionable as to whether Conrad’s fiction indicates the Conrad’s fiction indicates the existence of white racial existence of white racial superioritysuperiority

Conrad also shows the Conrad also shows the disastrous effects of disastrous effects of colonialism and slave trade on colonialism and slave trade on both natives and Europeansboth natives and Europeans

What do I Look for in This Story?What do I Look for in This Story?

Imagery and symbolismImagery and symbolism

MoodMood

MotifMotif

Shift in point of viewShift in point of view

StructureStructure

ThemeTheme

Character developmentCharacter development

D.H. Lawrence D.H. Lawrence

Conflict in “The Rocking Horse Conflict in “The Rocking Horse Winner” has clear Winner” has clear autobiographical overtones.autobiographical overtones.Lawrence’s mother sought to Lawrence’s mother sought to elevate her son by instilling in elevate her son by instilling in him artistic and intellectual him artistic and intellectual aspirations.aspirations.Thought that his mother tried Thought that his mother tried to create in her son everything to create in her son everything that her husband was not.that her husband was not.The polarities in Lawrence’s The polarities in Lawrence’s upbringing created the sense upbringing created the sense of conflict in his stories.of conflict in his stories.

Background on “The Rocking Background on “The Rocking Horse Winner”Horse Winner”

Lawrence condemned Lawrence condemned materialism and materialism and commercialism as commercialism as destructive forces destructive forces which freeze the heart which freeze the heart and eliminate the and eliminate the spontaneity from life.spontaneity from life.

www.sleepytales.com/play.php?vid=111www.sleepytales.com/play.php?vid=111

Structure of the StoryStructure of the Story

Lawrence uses elements of Lawrence uses elements of the fairy tale, social satire, and the fairy tale, social satire, and psychological study to criticize psychological study to criticize the values of the upper-middle the values of the upper-middle class.class.He presents a demented He presents a demented version of “Rumpelstilskin.” version of “Rumpelstilskin.” Unlike the girl in this story, no Unlike the girl in this story, no gnome shows up to save Paul gnome shows up to save Paul from his duty of generating from his duty of generating wealth. However, it is still the wealth. However, it is still the calling out of a name that calling out of a name that ultimately resolves the conflict.ultimately resolves the conflict.

Freudian TheoryFreudian Theory

Conscious Mind – What you Conscious Mind – What you are aware of at any particular are aware of at any particular moment, your perceptions, moment, your perceptions, memories, thoughts, and memories, thoughts, and feelings.feelings.Preconscious – The memories Preconscious – The memories you are not at the moment you are not at the moment thinking about but can easily thinking about but can easily bring to mind. bring to mind. Unconscious – All things that Unconscious – All things that are not easily available to our are not easily available to our awareness (drives, instincts, awareness (drives, instincts, repressed memories).repressed memories).

Oedipal ComplexOedipal Complex

The first “love-object” for all of us is our mother. The first “love-object” for all of us is our mother. We want her affection; she is at the center of our We want her affection; she is at the center of our attention.attention.A young boy eventually develops a sense of A young boy eventually develops a sense of rivalry with his father.rivalry with his father.The boy eventually redirects desire for affection The boy eventually redirects desire for affection to other girls and then women. to other girls and then women. If this process is disrupted, it can send one into If this process is disrupted, it can send one into an “Oedipal Crisis.” This is what seems to be an “Oedipal Crisis.” This is what seems to be happening with Paul.happening with Paul.

James JoyceJames Joyce

"I believe that in composing "I believe that in composing my chapter of moral history my chapter of moral history in exactly the way I have in exactly the way I have composed it I have taken the composed it I have taken the first step towards the first step towards the spiritual liberation of my spiritual liberation of my country.“country.“

““Better pass boldly into that Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with and wither dismally with age.”age.”

““Araby”Araby”

One of three stories in One of three stories in Dubliners Dubliners that features a first that features a first person narration and a child as the protagonist.person narration and a child as the protagonist.Children in all three stories are victims of a more corrupt Children in all three stories are victims of a more corrupt adult world.adult world.The narrator of “Araby” has idealized notions of romantic The narrator of “Araby” has idealized notions of romantic love when he goes on a “quest” for his “lady in waiting.” love when he goes on a “quest” for his “lady in waiting.” When he sees the Araby for what it is, he can no longer When he sees the Araby for what it is, he can no longer believe in such fantasies.believe in such fantasies.Like all stories in Like all stories in Dubliners, Dubliners, “Araby” contains an “Araby” contains an epiphany – a moment when a character comes to a epiphany – a moment when a character comes to a painful understanding about existence. painful understanding about existence.

Important Symbols in “Araby”Important Symbols in “Araby”

The booth acts as a reverse confessional The booth acts as a reverse confessional in that the narrator leaves it more aware of in that the narrator leaves it more aware of sin and therefore more corrupt.sin and therefore more corrupt.

Coin acts as a pitiful reminder of the Coin acts as a pitiful reminder of the narrator’s foolishness. It is the object he narrator’s foolishness. It is the object he stares at when he has an epiphany about stares at when he has an epiphany about his own corrupt and ridiculous nature. his own corrupt and ridiculous nature.