LeGuitariste(Picasso)

Whatishappeningtous?

IndustrialRevolution’simpactonculture:

Increasedstandardofliving/wealth=consumerismandmaterialism

•  Dehumanizingimpactofindustriallabor

*Changesinwarfare:widespreadfear

CharacteristicsofModernism:

  Self‐consciousness  Alienation(characters

sufferinginamaterialist,hedonisticlifestyle)

  Lackofspiritualmeaning(humanityreachesnewlevelsofhorroranddepravity;increasedstandardoflivingremovesusfromdirectcontactwithnature)

  Experimentation(“MakeitNew”)

Modernistinnovations:

  Stream‐of‐consciousness(Faulkner)  Imagism(Pound,Williams) Dialogue‐centricstorytelling(Hemingway)  Senseofsocialjustice(Steinbeck;HarlemRenaissance)

Stream‐of‐Consciousness  “Itwasproppedagainstthecollar

boxandIlaylisteningtoit.Hearingit,thatis.Idon’tsupposeanybodyeverdeliberatelylistenstoawatchoraclock.Youdon’thaveto.Youcanbeoblivioustothesoundforalongwhile,theninasecondoftickingitcancreateinthemindunbrokenthelongdiminishingparadeoftimeyoudidn'thear.LikeFathersaiddownthelongandlonelylight‐raysyoumightseeJesuswalking,like.AndthegoodSaintFrancisthatsaidLittleSisterDeath,thatneverhadasister….”

  Reflectsthewaypeoplereallydescribetheworldtothemselves

WilliamFaulkner

ImagismSomuchdepends

upon

Aredwheelbarrow

Glazedwithrainwater

Besidethewhitechickens.

Stripawayallabstraction.Showthethingasitexists,withoutimposinganyideasuponit.

UsingDialoguetoTelltheStory:

ErnestHemingway,TheSnowsofKilimanjaro

“It’smucheasierifItalk.ButIdon’twanttobotheryou.”

“Youknowitdoesn’tbotherme,”shesaid.“It’sthatI’vegottensoverynervousnotbeingabletodoanything.Ithinkwemightmakeitaseasyaswecanuntiltheplanecomes.”

“Oruntiltheplanedoesn’tcome.”“PleasetellmewhatIcando.Theremustbe

somethingIcando.”“Youcantakethelegoffandthatmightstopit,

thoughIdoubtit.Oryoucanshootme.Itaughtyoutoshoot,didn’tI?”

“Pleasedon’ttalkthatway.…you’renotgoingtodie.”

“Don’tbesilly.I’mdyingnow.Askthosebastards.”

SocialJustice

“Ibeenthinkin’ahellofalot,thinkin’aboutourpeoplelivin’likepigs,an’thegoodrichlan’layin’fallow,ormaybeonefellawithamillionacres,whileahundredthousan’farmersisstarvin’…Whereverthey’safightsohungrypeoplecaneat,I’llbethere.Whereverthere’sacopbeatin’upaguy,I’llbethere….I’llbeinthewayguysyellwhenthey’remadan’–whenourfolkseatthestufftheyraiseandliveinthehousestheybuild–why,I’llbethere.”

‐‐TomJoad,TheGrapesofWrathbyJohnSteinbeck

HarlemRenaissanceWhathappenstoadreamdeferred?

Doesitdryup

likearaisininthesun?

Orfesterlikeasore

Andthenrun?

Doesitstinklikerottenmeat?

Orcrustandsugarover

likeasyrupysweet?

Maybeitjustsags

likeaheavyload.

Ordoesitexplode?

‐‐LangstonHughes

Istheresuchathingas“Post‐Modernism?”