ModernismThe window breaks

What inspires Modernism? World War I

Technology is good: helps win war Technology is bad: kills more people

“Ex Pat” movement: Expatriate: People who left America after

their disappointment from the war Many of them set up in Paris, France Presented apathetic front- really feeling

a lot of pain

What inspires Modernism? New York Armory Art Show (1913):

“Nude Descending a Staircase” Art has no need to be a picture- now

we want an artistic sense Kicks off modernist art movement▪ Cubism▪ Pointillism▪ Etc.

What inspires Modernism? Movies in competition

First “Speaking” movie by 1927 (Jazz Singer)

Books loosing ground as the only form of entertainment.

More industry Railroads Advertisements Economy booming (until it crashes)

What inspires Modernism? Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis

Id, Ego, Super-Ego▪ Id is unconscious- does what it wants▪ Ego is conscious thought▪ Super-Ego is morality- sense of right and wrong

Other major revolutionary ideas:▪ Dream Analysis: In our dreams we make clear other

ideas▪ Oedipus Complex: Every male wants to kill his

father to marry his mother▪ Later Jung develops- Electra Complex: Every woman has

penis envy

What inspires Modernism Albert Einstein:

Space and Time are relative-▪ You can actually have a time machine

Karl Marx Communism▪ The working class will rebel, so instead should

split profits Utopias

“Perfect World” Technology can create that perfect world

What this meant for the literature… Imagist poetry:

Try to capture a single image Reader responds: how they feel is right.

Short stories and novels: About a broken America People trying to find Truth. Unsure they can Largely about war even if war not mentioned

“Stream of consciousness”: Thoughts just flow out Whatever the reader interprets is correct

T.S. Eliot

Imagist poet Not the nicest guy:

Considered Anti-Semetic Wrote over people’s heads on purpose.

Famous Works: “The Wasteland”: Collection of allusions

meant to make people feel stupid or smart “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”:

Stream of consciousness about a man who does not live life to the fullest-

Ezra Pound

Imagist Poet Also viewed as not a nice guy:

Supported Hitler and Mussolini in WWII Also Anti-Semetic

Centered Ex-Pat movement in Paris His apartment was where everyone went He introduced influential people

Poems Believed one true image captured a moment Also translated Chinese poetry

H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)

Imagist poet Alternative lifestyle:

Sigmund Freud patient Self-identified bisexual

Her writings Pound read her work and found

publishers No one paid much attention again until

1970s

Ernest Hemingway

War experience: Served as a nurse Injured in bomb blast, very influential to

his life Lifestyle:

Drank heavily Loved to hunt big game May also be Anti-Semetic Ended up battling depression and

shooting himself

Ernest Hemingway

Writer: Started on newspapers Eventually did series of short stories based

on a character: “Nick” Moved on to novels about the post-war

experience Influence:

Famous for what was under the surface. Famous for short sentences that leave

much to figure out