Modernism现代主义

AMERICANMODERNISM(1914-1945)1.ThebackgroundofModernPoetryInthe20thcentry,twocharacteristicstrainsinAmericanpoetryareintrospectionandsocialcriticism,inwhichthepoetsexploresthedeptsofhisownfeelingswiththeregardtowhatappearstohimtobetheinjusticesofthesocietythatformshisenviroment.Althoughthepoeticscenein1900-1910wasgloomywithversesofmoralisticandimitativetype,thereemgerdin1912-1922agreatpoetryboom.AsJ.Isaacsestimstedthat1000poetspublishedover1000volumesofpoetryduringtheperiod.•Theconceptofmodernismemergedintheeighteenthcenturywhentheclassicistsmockedthosewhoopposedthemandcalledthemmodernists.DrSamuelJohnsonsaysintheDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguagethatthewordwascoinedbyJohnathanSwiftinalettertoAlexanderpope.(themodernismisrelativetotheclassicism)•ThewordwasgivenanewmeaningbytheFrenchpoetBordelaireandthepublicationofhiscollectionofpoemmarkedthebeginningofmodernisminliterature.Nowitisacomprehensivetermappliedtointernationaltendenciesandmovementsinallcreativeartsinthe20thcentury•AfterWorldWarOne,Americahasgreatprofitsandshehasgreatjumpintechnologies,especiallyinautomobilesandradio;oldmoralsystembreak.II.ModernismDuringthefirstdecadesofthe20thcentury,modernismbecameaninternationaltendencyagainstpositivismandrepresentationalartandliterature.ItbeganinGermanyinthe1890s,spreadworldwide,andendedintheearly1940s.Theessenceofmodernism:wasabreakwiththepast,andalsofosteredabeliefinartandliteratureasaavenuetoself-fulfillment.Waysofexpression:symbolism,impressionism,post-impressionism,futurism,constructivism,imagism,vorticism,expressionism,dadaism,andsurrealism.1）Modernismisaculturalmovementthatgenerallyincludestheprogressiveartofarchitecture,design,literature,music,dance,paintingandothervisualartswhichemergedinthebeginningofthe20thcentury,particularlyintheyearsfollowingWorldWarI.Itwasamovementofartistsanddesignerswhorebelledagainstlate19thcenturyacademicandhistorictradition,andembracedtheneweconomic,socialandpoliticalaspectsoftheemergingmodernworld.2）Themovementsthatfollowed--includingImpressionism,Post-Impressionism,Cubism,Futurism,Expressionism,Constructivism,DeStijl荷兰抽象画派,andAbstractExpressionismaregenerallydefinedasModernism.3)Modernisminliteratureisnoteasilysummarized,butthekeyelementsareexperimentation,anti-realism,individualismandastressonthecerebral理智的ratherthanemotiveaspects.3)TheworkofModernistwritersischaracterizedbyshowingthedisenchantment,dislocation,andalienationofmenintheworld,andbytheemphasisonexperimentationandformalismandobjectivismwhichare,inmostcases,areactiontothecataclysmknownastheModernAge.4)AmongAmericanwriters,thebest-knownModernistsareT.S.Eliot,EzraPound,F.ScottFitzgerald,ErnestHemingway,WilliamFaulknerandsoon.ThedifferencesbetweenrealismandmodernismRealismModernismFunctionofLiteratureEducatePeopleandCriticizeSocialEvilsExpressionofSelfSubjectPublic,ExteriorWorldPrivate,InteriorWorldConceptionofTime&SpaceClockTime,GeographicspacePsychologicalTime&SpaceFormsandTechniquesHero,PlotAnti-hero,Anti-plotToneOptimisticPessimisticIII.Featuresofmodernism1.Modernismdramatizeddiscontinuityandimminentseverancefromthepast,itsvaluesandartisticsformsbyincorporatingtheminnewliteraryproduction.2.Modernismhadasenceoffragmentationinsocialcommunitiesandthefragmentationwithintheindividualhimself.3.Thedistinctivefeatureofliterarymodernismwasitsstrongandconsciousbreakwithtraditionalforms,perceptionsandtechniquesofexpression,anditsgreatconcernwithlanguageandallaspectsofmedium.Itwaspersistentlyexperimental.Ⅳ.TheSchoolsofAmericanModernism1）Modernpoetry:experimentsinform(Imagism)2）ProseWriting:modernrealism(theLostGeneration)3）NovelsofSocialAwareness4）TheHarlemRenaissance5）NewCriticism6）The20thCenturyAmericanDramaⅤ.RepresentativewritersT.S.EliotTheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrock(1917)TheWasteland(1922)•Features:concernsvariousaspectsofthefrustrationandenfeeblement（软弱）ofindividualcharacterasseeinginperspectivewiththedecayofstate’s,people’sreligiousfaith.F.Scott.FitzgeraldTheGreatGatsby(1926)•Features:Thechieffeatureofhisworksishisnaturestyleandthesharpobservation.•Usually,hewroteabouttheupper-middleclass.Heissensitivetothegraceandcharmoftherich.Ontheotherhand,hecriticizedtheirirresponsibility.Thepaceislight,swiftandimpulsive.Theplotsjumpfromoneeventtoanother.Hedoesn’tsupplytheinformationandexplanation,becauseheonlyfocusesondetails.WilliamFaulknerTheSoundandtheFury（1929）•Features:hesuccessfullyadvancedtwomoderntechniques:streamofconsciousnessandmultiplepointofview.ErnestHemingway,TheSunAlsoRises(1926);AFarewelltoArms(1929)