The Lost Generation The Lost Generation The years

The Lost Generation

“The Lost Generation” • The years immediately after WWI brought a highly vocal rebellion against established social, sexual, and aesthetic conventions and a vigorous attempt to establish new values • In general this generation was disillusioned by the huge number of deaths brought about by the war and rejected many of the previous generations’ ideas about appropriate behavior, morality, and gender roles What would you call this generation?

Key Figures A group of American writers who moved across the ocean to write and work • Bohemian lifestyle, connection to reality, religion • “Both within and without” • Gertrude Stein • Coined the term • Ernest Hemingway • Popularized it • Referred to the group of men and women who came of age during WWI and felt disillusioned in the unfamiliar post-war world • Fitzgerald

Let’s go to Paris! • Ex-patriots • Self-exiles who chose to leave a homeland they felt artistically, intellectually, politically, racially, or sexually limiting • Greenwich Village • Chicago • San Francisco

-Isms • Romanticism, Dark Romanticism, Transcendentalism (Louisiana Purchase, figuring out the role of government, industrialization vs. nature) • Realism (Reaction to the Civil War, push to make literature relatable) • Modernism!

Historical Context of Modernism • World War I brought the horror of modern warfare, creating a feeling of disillusionment that was reflected in literature. • Writers began exploring the antihero and questioning traditional values. • In 1919, Prohibition made the sale of liquor illegal, leading to bootlegging, speakeasies, and widespread lawbreaking, and competitive gangs. • After a brief recession in 1920 -21, the economy boomed. New buildings appeared everywhere, creating new downtown sections in many cities. • Radio, Jazz, and movies arrived…entertainment!

What is Modernism? • Evolved from Realism & Naturalism Movements and still influencing modern literature today. • Marked by a strong and intentional break with tradition This break includes a strong reaction against established religious, political, and social views. Questioning authority. • There is no absolute truth. All things are relative and there is no way to know everything. • Belief that the world is created in the act of perceiving it; that is, the world is what we say it is. • Pessimism: Pessimism finding meaning in the world in the wake of chaos. Idealism turns to cynicism. • Loss of innocence is a key theme throughout many works during this time. • Disillusionment sets in, particularly when discussing the American Dream.

Modernism Continued • Celebration of inner strength and the individual. • Disjointed timeframes; no longer sequential plots. • Narration through fragmented or multiple perspectives & viewpoints. • Characters are generally from lower or middle class. • The use of “stream-of-consciousness” emerges. • Poetry followed Walt Whitman by abandoning traditional forms in favor of free verse. • The unreliable narrator takes off. The anti-hero emerges. • Experimentation of form and genre. • Some authors abandon the use of decorative language, using blunt, straightforward diction and simple dialogue & sentences (Hemingway) but not all of them did.

American Modernist Authors • F. Scott Fitzgerald • Ernest Hemingway • John Steinbeck • Toni Morrison • Robert Frost • William Faulkner

Hemingway • Served in WWI • Moved to Paris • Known for his style of writing: a break in traditional narrative • Sparse, deliberate choices to break from flowery language of the past • Left out essential information of the story in the belief that omission can sometimes strengthen the plot of the novel

What differences and similarities do you see between Hemingway and Fitzgerald? Your task: Rewrite the two passages in the style of the other author (Keep in mind style, format!)

Hemingway’s Style: Iceberg Theory • The Iceberg Theory (Theory of Omission) is the characteristic writing style of Ernest Hemingway. • Hemingway chooses to give very little context or interpretation in his stories. His style is minimalistic and focuses on surface elements without specifically explaining underlying themes. • Hemingway believed the deeper meaning of a story should not be evident on the surface, but should shine through implicitly. • You start with the tip of the iceberg, but there is much more complexity and meaning beneath the surface. • Critics argue that this Iceberg writing style functioned to

What would Hemingway say? Why did the chicken cross the road? To die. In the rain.

Homework: Fitzgerald & Hemingway Valentines In the spirit of Valentines Day, you must create two Valentines, one written in the style of Fitzgerald and one written in the style of Hemingway Demonstrate your understanding of style and format, as well as Modernism. Be creative & have fun! Due Friday, 20 points • 10 pts for demonstrating an understanding of each author’s style and format • 10 pts for creativity and presentation

Six Word Stories For sale: baby shoes, never worn. What does this story reveal to the reader? How does Hemingway manage to tell us an entire story in just a few words?

Homework: Create your own six word story! In the spirit of Hemingway, you are going to create your very own six word story. Be creative & have fun! Due tomorrow, 15 points • 10 pts for your six word story • 5 pts for creativity and presentation