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Americanmodernism----黄佳音•Definition•BackgroundofAmericanmodernism•Characteristics•ModernisminAmericannovel•Featuresofmodernnovel•Between1914to1945,influencedbysocialupheaval,economicandpoliticaltransformationandEuropeanmodernism,Americaalsosawtheriseofitsownmodernism.Withagreaternumberofgreatwritersproducingavoluminousamountofdistinguishedliteraryworks,thisperiodisalsotermedthesecondrenaissanceinthehistoryofAmericanliterature.AmericanModernismcoveredawidevarietyoftopicsincludingracerelations,genderroles,andsexuality.Itbeganwiththerebellionofnaturalistsbefore1917,thrivedalongwiththeriseoftheLostGenerationinthe1920,attainedthezenithofprosperityinthe1930s,andendedwiththesecondworldwar.Definition•Americanmodernism,likemodernismingeneral,isatrendofthoughtthataffirmsthepowerofhumanbeingstocreate,improve,andreshapetheirenvironment,withtheaidofscientificknowledge,technologyandpracticalexperimentation,andisthusinitsessencebothprogressiveandoptimistic.•AmericanmodernismisanartisticandculturalmovementintheUnitedStatesstartingattheturnofthe20thcenturywithitscoreperiodbetweenWorldWarIandWorldWarIIandcontinuingintothe21stcentury.ThebackgroundofmodernisminAmerica•Havingundergonethesecondindustrialrevolutionandworldwarone,Americagraduallyprogressedtomodernityandwentonthestageoftheworldasagreatpower.TheSecondIndustrialRevolution•MuchoftheimpetusforthismodernizationcamefromAmerica’sso-calledsecondIndustrialRevolution,whichhadbegunaroundtheturnofthecentury.Duringthisera,electricityandmoreadvancedmachinerymadefactoriesnearlytwiceasefficientastheyhadbeenundersteampowerinthe1800s.HenryFordandtheAutomobile•PerhapsthegreatestincreaseinefficiencycamewhenHenryFordperfectedtheassembly-lineproductionmethod,whichenabledfactoriestochurnoutlargequantitiesofavarietyofnewtechnologicalwonders,suchasradios,telephones,refrigerators,washingmachines,andcars.Theincreasingavailabilityofsuchconsumergoodspushedmodernizationforward,andtheU.S.economybegantoshiftawayfromheavyindustrytowardtheproductionofthesecommodities.TheBirthoftheSuburbs•ItseffectontheU.S.economyaside,theautomobilealsochangedAmericanlifeimmeasurably.CarsmostdirectlyaffectedthewaythatAmericansmovedaround,butthischangealsoaffectedthewaythatAmericanslivedandspenttheirfreetime.Trucksprovidedfastermodesoftransportforcropsandperishablefoodsandthereforeimprovedthequalityandfreshnessofpurchasablefood.Perhapsmostimportant,theautomobileallowedpeopletoleavetheinnercityandliveelsewherewithoutchangingjobs.Duringthe1920s,morepeoplepurchasedhousesinnewresidentialcommunitieswithinaneasydriveofthemetropolitancenters.Afteradecade,thesesuburbshadgrownexponentially,makingthecarmoreofanecessitythanever.ModernU.S.Cities•Americancitieschangeddrasticallyduringthe1920sbecauseoffactorsaboveandbeyondthoserelatedtotheautomobile.First,thedecadesawmillionsofpeopleflocktothecitiesfromcountryfarmlands;inparticular,AfricanAmericansfledtheSouthfornortherncitiesinthepost–WorldWarIblackmigration.Immigrants,especiallyeasternEuropeans,alsofloodedthecities.Asaresultofthesechanges,thenumberofAmericancitydwellers—thosewholivedintownswithapopulationgreaterthan2,500people—cametooutnumberthosewholivedinruralareasforthefirsttimeinU.S.history.Women’sSuffrageandtheSexualRevolution•Theboomingtwentiesalsobroughtmorerightsandfreedomsforwomen.In1920,theNineteenthAmendmentgrantedAmericanwomentherighttovote.Justasimportant,morewomengainedfinancialindependenceasthenumberofwomenintheworkforceskyrocketed.Approximately15percentofwomenwereemployedby1930.Althoughtheyweregenerallyconfinedto“traditional”women’sjobssuchassecretarialworkandteaching,thenewfinancialfreedomthatthesejobsaffordedopenedthedoorstoincreasedsocialmobilityforwomen.•Aswomen’srightsincreased,sotoodidsocialfreedoms.AnewsymboloftheJazzAgeemerged:theimageoftheshort-haired,short-skirted,independent-minded,andsexuallyliberated“flapper”womanwholivedlifeinthefastlane.Soon,theflappercametorepresenteverythingmodernin1920sAmerica.Withthisnewimageofwomen,asexualrevolutionfollowedasattitudestowardsexchangedandbirthcontrolbecamewidelyacceptedandavailable.RadioandtheJazzAge•Oneinfluentialinnovationofthetimewastheradio,whichentertainedandbroughtAmericanstogetherlikenothingelsehadbefore.Electricitybecamemorereadilyavailablethroughoutthedecade,andby1930,mostAmericanhouseholdshadradioreceivers.TheadvertisingindustryblossomedascompaniesbegantodelivertheirsalespitchesviatheairwavestothousandsofAmericanfamilieswhogatheredtogethernightlytolistentopopularcomedyprograms,news,speeches,sportingevents,andmusic.•Inparticular,jazzmusicbecameincrediblypopular.OriginatinginblackcommunitiesinNewOrleansaroundtheturnofthecentury,jazzslowlymoveditswaynorthandbecameanationalphenomenonthankstotheradio.Alongwithnewmusiccame“scandalous”newdancessuchastheCharlestonandthejitterbug.•Thetwenties,alsoknownbysomeastheJazzAge“----(1920-1929),werethetimeforexperimentsanddiscoveringnewjazz-styles.Inthatperiodofgrowingindustrialization,blackpeopleandnew-Orleans-musiciansmovedfromthecountrysitesouthtoChicago.Theretheyhel