After World warf atomic number 18 I, the Statesn people and the authors among them were left disillusioned by the effects that war had on their rig of magnitude. the States needed a literature that would explain what had happened and what was happening to their nightspot. the Statesn writers turn to what is now kn suffer as contemporaneousness. The influence of 19th ampere-second realism and naturalism and their truthful re boonation of Ameri move look and people were evident in post World contend I contemporaneity. This paper will gauge to prove this by presenting the basic desires and of these literary genres, literary examples of each, and then touch connections mingled with the deuce literary dejections. Realism and Modernism not still established American society after World state of war I accurately and unbiasedly, but also tried to realise the solutions brought upon by the suffering created by the war (Elliott 705).
The graphic execution of the recently 19th ampere-second saw authors accurately depict life and its problems. Realists attempted to give a house-to-house characterisation of ripe life (Elliott 502) by presenting the entire television. They did not try to give one view of life but alternatively attempted to show the different classes, manners, and stratification of life in America. Realists created this picture of America by combining a life-threatening variety of details derived from observation and docu mentation... to approach the norm of experience... (3). along with this proficiency, realists comp ard the objective or absolute existence in America to that of the universal truths, or observed facts of life (Harvey 12). In different words, realists objectively looked at American society and pointed out the aspects that it had in common with the general truths of existence.
This realistic movement evolved as a result of many changes and transitions in American culture. In the late 1800s, the United States was experiencing swift growth and change as a result of a changing economy, society, and culture because of an influx in the number of immigrants into America. Realists such as Henry James and William doyen Howells, two of the closely prolific writers of the ordinal-century, utilize typical realistic methods to create an accurate depiction of changing American life. William doyen Howells, while opposing idealization, made his ludicrous criticisms of society (Bradley 114) by comparing American culture with those of other countries. In his comic writings, Howells criticized American morality and ethics but still managed to accurately portray life as it happened. He attacked and attempted to solving the moral difficulties of society by this rapid change. (Elliott 505). He believed that novels should should present life as it is, not as it might be (American Literature Comptons). In the process of doing this, Howells demonstrated how life mold the characters of his novels and their own motives and inspirations. By concentrating on these characters strengths as opposed to a strong plot, he thematically wrote of how life was better than mephistophelean and, in return, wanted his literature to inspire more good. On the other hand, Henry James judged the world from a sight ...offered by society and history... (704). He also separated himself from America to create an unbiased view of it as a informant and analyst quite a than recorder (Spiller 169) of the American social structure. He wrote from a perspective that allowed him to contrast American society with that of europium by contrasting the peoples ideas. By contrasting social determine and personal though astir(predicate) America in America, he presented to the people the differing motivational factors that stimulated the different social classes (Bradley 1143). Overall, these writers managed to genuinely formally portray America as it was while adding their own criticisms about it in an attempt to stimulate change.
The naturalist movement slowly developed with close of the same ideals as those of the realists in that it attempted to find lifes truths. In contrast, Naturalists, extreme realists, saw the obnubilate side of life and how environment deprived separates of responsibility (Elliott 514). literary naturalism invited writers to examine human bes objectively, as a scientist studies disposition (Am. Lit. Comptons). In portraying ugliness and cruelty, the authors refrained from preaching about them; rather they left readers to draw their own conclusions about the life they presented. Generally, these authors took a pessimistic view to portray a life that touch on on the negative part of mans existence. When dealing with society directly, naturalists generally minute the destruction of people without any sen clipnt. To do this, they wrote more clear about societys problems in a more open manner usually using nature as a symbol for society. Naturalistic literature, same(p) realistic, served as a accelerator pedal for change but, in contrast, was a pocketable more like propaganda. Even though only twenty years may have separated them, the transformation from realism/naturalism to modernism was a long one in terms of how oft society had changed. The aforementioned rapid change in American society and Americas relation with the rest of the world left America in disarray. After the first World struggle, American society was divided and left without definition. This called for a new age of literary expression to control and document the isolationist fears, corruption, and disillusionment (Bradley 1339-1340) caused by the war. Authors looked to explain their generation and to respond to the social and moral confusions (1340).
The World War broke down Americas fundamental institutions by dehumanizing the people that provided their strong foundations (1339). War diminished the individual identity and the society as a whole. The human personality was dwarfed as oftentimes by the ...dehumanizing magnitude of modern events... as by natural laws that controlled man to their own destiny.
Authors after World War I created a new literature of enduring merit...that shatter conventional taboos in their expression of physical and mental actuality. (Bradley 1339) This was the pedigree of modernism. Modernism, although strongly influenced by realism and often referred to as an lengthening of naturalistic values, was the answer to Americas newfound problems. Modernism promoted and combined the scientific aspects of naturalism along with a psychological examination of the individual and the culture. By being so experimental (1340) and intense (1337), modernism was able to unite America after a stopover of crisis. Modernism centered on explorations into the spiritual nature of men and the value of his society and institutions. (1337) Like realism, modernists focused on changes on society (Elliott 699) and used symbolism, although in this case spiritual, to draw their simile (Bradley 1340). Modernist writers, like most Americans, were amazed at the destructive supply of war on the common man.
Writers such as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald spearheaded the forward-looking renaissance by employing realistic and naturalistic techniques. Hemingways The Sun too Rises details the principle of an derangement from society that had been forced upon by the circumstances of the time (Spiller 271). In this case, it describes a young male child alienated from society because of his involvement in World War I, the ...loss of faith and hope..., and ...collapse of former values... that occurs (Hart 284). His earlier works can nightimes be described as containing characteristic influences of naturalism (Bradley 1339). This can be reflected in his presentation of the strict relations betwixt environment and fate... (1339). Later in his c arer, Hemingway once again took the alienation from society route. This time, in the spirit of realist Henry James, he separates himself from American society to better judge it. With his novel The Rolling Hills of Africa, Hemingway compares American culture to that of another. At times, Hemingway ...began to seem like a little more than a modern realist... (Spiller Lit His 1300).
William Faulkner, producer of some of the most important books of the twentieth-century, also draws the connection between environment and fate strongly. He combines naturalism and primitivism, a literary technique involving clear imagery, to create a sometimes confusing and complicated detailed reading that involves ...people of all sorts wealthy and poor, evil and good, slave and free come into sharp focus in his writing. (Faulkner Comptons) This idea, much like that of realist James, provides the reader with the whole picture of society.
The novels and short stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald are famous for portraying the lost generation of the post-World War I era. Faulkners moral values were social rather than personal (Fitzgerald Comptons). He believes that his writing should address the problems that society has and the problems that he has with society. Faulkners prose is ornate and complex. His sentences are long and complicated, and many nouns and adjectives are used. Hemingways style is quite the opposite. His sentences are short and pointed, and adjectives are used sparingly. The effect is one of groovy power and compression. By compressing his literary ideas in his writing, he makes his literature easily understood and direct to his readers.
Many connections can be made between the literature of the late 19th century realism and naturalism and that of post-World War I modernism.
First and most importantly of all, modernists, like realists and naturalists, attacked societys problems by using symbolism to make their own judgments of the basic foundations of American life. Modernists, such as Ernest Hemingway, looked at American society and compared to that of other cultures of the world. This technique had been extensively apply by such realists as Henry James. Modernism used the naturalist method of scientifically exploring the individual and the society. Stylistically, modernists, with the exception of Hemingway, wrote in a very formal, defined form. Modernists and realists both attacked the moral dilemmas in society. The only difference was that these dilemmas were different.
While that realists attempted to give a comprehensive picture of modern life... (502), modernists wished express the whole experience of modern life. (Elliott 598). These authors of the realistic and modernistic period had the same goals so naturally they wrote using the same ideas, methods, and principles. Realists focused on different literary aspects to detail how American culture was affected by these changes. They detailed characters shaped by society and tried to convey the good and evil aspects of life. Mirroring this technique, modernists portrayed people alienated and rejected from society because of the effects of the first World War. Both focused on detailing problems facing their characters, externally and internally, while not focus on plot development. Thematically, both groups of authors conveyed the good and bad aspects of a changing American society. Both rallied for change and both asked for the spousal relationship of society, but both still lingered more on the presence of corruption in America.
The only thing that separated the two movements was the societies around them. While both societies were experiencing major change quickly, they were so different. The two literatures had to be distinguished not because of their content and character, which was for the most part the same, but instead because of the differing conditions that existed around the literature. Even though both wanted to accurately depict life, they were written in two very distinct times in American history. In one, American culture was expanding and adapting. In the other, life was being oppressed by the dehumanizing agents of warfare on a voluminous scale. As we know, culture influences literature. Even though these two literary movements may have only been separated by about twenty years, in these twenty years, focus shifted from the interior of American society to how American society was affected by a conflict created as a result of opposing cultures. This idea of differing cultures producing differing literatures provides the tooshie for the differences in the movements.
Modernism after World War I was influenced by the realistic/naturalistic movement of the late ordinal century. The literary goals, techniques, and principles of the modernists and realists/naturalists were the same. Both wanted to paint an unbiased, accurate picture of society by confronting the problems of the individual and of the society. To do this, most of the time they resorted to the same techniques. They created literature that combined scientific reasoning, unidealistic views, and physical and psychological examination that painted a portrait of society that could be used to help American society adjust, define, and heal. Realists of the late Nineteenth century and modernists of the 1920s wrote alike but were divided on the basis that their respective societies were so different.
American Literature. Comptons synergistic Encyclopedia
(Computer Program) 1995.
Bradley, Sculley. The American Tradition in Literature. New
York metropolis: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1967.
Elliott, Emory. Columbia Literary annals of the United
States. New York City: Columbia University Press: 1988,
502-504, 599.
Faulkner, William. Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia
(Computer Program) 1995.
Fitzgerald, Scott F. Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia
(Computer Program) 1995.
Hart, James D. The Oxford Companion to American Literature.
New York City: Oxford University Press, 1995: 284-285.
Pizer, Donald. Realism and Naturalism. Carbondale: Southern
Illinois University Press, 1966: 3, 10-11.
Spiller, Robert E. The rhythm of American Literature. New York
City: The MacMillan Company, 1966.
Spiller, Robert E. et al. Literary History of the United
States. New York City: The MacMillan Publishing Company, 1974.
If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.comIf you want to get a full essay, wisit our page: write my paper
No comments:
Post a Comment