Title: Modern American Novel Fifth Lecture Mrs. Nouf Al-Khattabi
1Modern American NovelFifth LectureMrs. Nouf
Al-Khattabi
2The Writers of the Lost Generation
- The "Lost Generation" is a term used to
characterize a general feeling of disillusionment
in American literture. The term is used for the
period from the end of World War I to the
beginning of the Great Depression, though in the
United States it is used for the generation of
young people who came of age during and shortly
after World War I, alternatively known as the
World War I Generation.
3The Writers of the Lost Generation
- During this time many American lost their ideals.
At the same time America lost many fine writers. - The Lost Generation writers felt that America was
not such a success story because the country was
devoid of a cosmopolitan culture. Their solution
to this issue was to pack up their bags and
travel to Europes cosmopolitan cultures, such as
Paris and London. Here they expected to find
literary freedom and a cosmopolitan way of life.
4The Writers of the Lost Generation
- Why was it significant to American Culture?
- This temporary emigration of American talent
into cosmopolitan cities such as Paris, is
significant to American culture in two parts. - One, because it aided in the desire for a
cosmopolitan A cosmopolitan culture (a culture
which includes and values a variety of
backgrounds and cultures) to be established and
to exist in America. - Two, because when American Culture became more
defined, European and other countries began to
recognize a distinctive Democratic American
culture.
5F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgeraldphotographed by Carl van Vechten in 1937 F. Scott Fitzgeraldphotographed by Carl van Vechten in 1937
Born Francis Scott Key FitzgeraldSeptember 24, 1896(1896-09-24)St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Died December 21, 1940 (aged 44)Hollywood, California, U.S.
Occupation novelist, short story writer, poet
Nationality American
Period 19201940
Genres Modernism
Literary movement
6Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
- Fitzgeralds life was like the plot of one of his
novels. He was born to a rich family and served
in the army as a lieutenant, but he was never
sent to fight in Europe. - Throughout the twenties, he wrote an enormous
amount of fiction which provided the money for
many of his parties and wild-trips to Europe. - His fiction was popular in the twenties because
it was modern and easy to read. - In 1929, the American economy collapsed starting
the Great Depression. This happened at a time
when Fitzgerald himself to have serious mental
and physical health problems.
7Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
- Although Fitzgerald, like Nick Carraway in his
novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), idolized the
riches and glamor of the age, he was
uncomfortable with the unrestrained materialism
and the lack of morality that went with it, a
kind of decadence. - The novel combines symbolism with psychological
realism. Gatsby, the hero symbolizes the American
belief that money can buy love and happiness. His
failure makes him a tragic hero. - The novel is also famous for its unusual use of
colors.
8Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway in 1939 Hemingway in 1939
Born July 21, 1899(1899-07-21)Oak Park, Illinois, United States
Died July 2, 1961 (aged 61)Ketchum, Idaho, United States
Nationality American
Notable award(s) Nobel Prize in Literature1954 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 1953
9Ernest Hemingway (1898-1961)
- Hemingway spoke for the Lost Generation as
Fitzgerald. He drove an ambulance in World War I
and then decided to live in Paris and become a
writer. - Hemingways simple style and careful structuring
of his fiction is famous. The aim of his style is
to get the most out of the least. His sentence
are usually short and simple. Sometimes, he
repeats a key phrase for emphasize his theme. His
language is rarely emotional. On the contrary, it
controls emotions and holds them in. - By the thirties, his concentrated style began to
lose its freshness. Part of the problem was that
many other writers were copying his style in
their own works.
10Ernest Hemingway (1898-1961)
- The Sun Also Rises (1926), is a portrait of young
adults of the post-war era. The characters are
young Americans living Paris. They fought for
their country, but they are completely useless in
peacetime. All they want to know is how to live
in the emptiness of the world. - In later writings, Hemingway develops this
emptiness to what becomes known as Nada
(nothingness in Spanish). Nada is sometimes
seen as the loss of hope or the inability to
become active in the real world. At other times,
it is the desire for sleep, or an easy death.
Hence, Hemingways hero must always fight against
the Nada of the world.
11Ernest Hemingway (1898-1961)
- Men Without Women (1927), a short collection of
short stories, mixes psychological realism with
symbolism. They are very easy to read. Therefore,
readers sometimes miss their deep meanings. - The Old Man and the Sea (1952), Its an allegory
of human life. This novel received the Pulitzer
Prize in 1952. In 1954, he was awarded the Nobel
Prize for Literature. - As he grew older, he felt his powers as an artist
were failing, so in 1961, he shot himself with
his favorite hunting gun.
12John Dos Passos (1896-1970)
- Like other members of the lost generation, Passos
saw the modern, post-war world as ugly and dirty.
According to him only art can save the world and
put an end to destruction. - His first successful modern novel is Manhattan
Transfer (1925), which describes the daily
activities of a large group of people living in
New York. In this novel, he has been influenced
by the techniques of the movies. For example, he
uses the montage technique. HOW?
13John Dos Passos (1896-1970)
- In the 1930s, Passos published the first volume
of his great U.S.A. trilogy. The trilogy shows
how individuals are part of the history of the
age in which they live. All three books The 42nd
Parallel, 1919, and The Big Money use the movie
techniques to tell the history of the entire
nation in the early twentieth century. - The quality of Passos literature began to decline
after his trilogy.
14William Faulkner William Faulkner
Faulkner in 1954, photograph by Carl Van Vechten Faulkner in 1954, photograph by Carl Van Vechten
Born William Cuthbert FalknerSeptember 25, 1897(1897-09-25)New Albany, Mississippi, USA
Died July 6, 1962 (aged 64)Byhalia, Mississippi, USA
Occupation Novelist, short story writer
Genres Southern Gothic
Literary movement Modernism, Stream of consciousness
Notable award(s) Nobel Prize in Literature, 1949
15William Faulkner (1897-1962)
- In his works Faulkner used a small number of
characters, who all represent the South region.
They often reaper in later novels. - Faulkner shared two things with the Lost
Generation (1) its strong dislike for the
post-war world and (2) its belief in the value of
art. - In almost all of Faulkners stories, time is
treated in a special way. He uses the continuous
present, style of writing. Past, present and
future events are mixed. Hence, it is usually
hard to read his works. - Faulkners description of human goodness is as
powerful as his description of human evil. Often
his good people are black. His characters show
their goodness in their relationship with nature
and their ability to love.
16William Faulkner (1897-1962)
- The Sound and the Fury (1929), is one of his
modernist masterpieces. There are many
experimental features in this novel. (1)On e
feature is the use of limited point of view. Each
of the characters sees reality according to
her\his way.(2) Another feature is his special
technique of narration where the reader is put
into the center of the story without any
preparation. Readers must put together facts
together since the author does not help them. - Light in August (1932), is considered as another
masterpiece. It shows how racism makes the white
community of the South go crazy.