20th Century Analysis: WWI, WWII, & Modernist Lit., Appunti di Inglese

Scarica 20th Century Analysis: WWI, WWII, & Modernist Lit. e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! MODULE III HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ● THE FIRST WORLDWAR Edward VII's brief reign (1901-10) was characterized by a light attitude to life in contrast to the previous era. social and political changes were about to take place to help create a more just society. However, 35 George V's reign progressed (1910-36) there was also a period of great industrial unrest as many of Britain's most important industries began to suffer a period of decline. These problems soon faded into the background as Germany's empire began to expand and Britain was faced with the threat of war. Britain needed allies France and Russia on 4th August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany after Germany invaded France via neutral Belgium. Soon half the nations of the world were involved. It was a war in which, for the first time, more sophisticated weapons were introduced, such as tanks and planes in November 1918, Germany finally surrendered. Germany finally surrendered. It had been called the 'Great War because there had never Before been so many soldiers involved in one conflict but it left «almost 9 million dead and about 25 million injured, most of them between the ages of 18-28. A whole generation been wiped out. Mary of those who did return suffered psychological trauma, known as shell shock, for many years after their return The result was a gradual change in attitude towards war whereby the previous feelings of glory patriotism began to lose impact. In 1919 the peace treaty was signed at Versailles and the League of Nations was set up, aimed at solving international problems and maintaining peace. The American President, Wilson, played a major role in writing the peace treaty but the American government along with Russia, voted against joining the League, preferring to remain isolated from European problems. ● THE GREAT DEGRESSION The post-war period was one of financial and industrial problems. Dissatisfaction grew, culminating in the first General Strike in British history in 1926. Britain was hit hard by the American Wall street Crash of 1929 resulting in a fall in prices and high unemployment. In 1918 for the first time in any European country, British women over 30 were given the right to vote. It had been a hard battle and was mainlv thanks to women like Emmeline Pankhurst who formed the Women's Social and Political. Union (WSPU) They organized protests, marches and even hunger. strikes. Public opinion could not ignore their tightness. and was forced to recognise the work women had done during the war. As industry flourished in the 1920s agriculture suffered, also helped by new means of transport. Henry Ford had found a way to build cars quickly and cheaply. Wealth was badly distributed. There began a period of speculation in stocks and shares in a hope to 'get rich quick' resulting in 'Black Thursday,' on the 24th October 1929, commonly known as the Wall Street Crash. Unemployment rose from 2 million in 1929 to almost 14 million in 1933. ● THE SECONDWORLDWAR The rise of dictatorships in Europe - Mussolini in Italy, General Franco in Spain and the Spanish Civil War in 1936, began to set alarm bells ringing throughout the rest of Europe, especially when Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party won power in Germany in 1933 and later invaded Czechoslovakia in 1938. When Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939, Britain declared war. The Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) inspired the country with his famous speeches becoming one of the most important in British history but when France fell to Germany in 1940 Britain was left to defend herself alone. Women began to participate more in public affairs and continued to strive for full equality with men. Fashion reflected this desire for more freedom and was also influenced by American films and songs. Japan's bombing of the American air and naval base at Pearl Harbour in 1941 resulted in America entering the war. Germany made the mistake of invading Russia. After 1944 Germany surrendered. 35 million lives had been lost and two atomic bombs dropped at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In February 1945 Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met in Yalta, on the Russian Black Sea, a new age was about to begin: the nuclear age. ● THE COLDWAR By the end of the Second World War the world had become a very different place. Britain was no longer a world power following the Soviet Union and the United States. The division of Germany into west and east led to the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1949 and Eastern Europe's response to this was the Warsaw Pact (1955-91). To rebuild Europe after the war, social, economic and political cooperation was vital. Later led to the formation of the European Economic Community (1957), which Britain did not join until 1973. America stepped in to help rebuild Europe by giving financial help with the Marshall Plan (1948-51). The differences between east and west began to emerge, stronger than before, especially as two opposing political and economic philosophies now took center stage - capitalism with the US and communism with Russia. After the war America had the atom bomb and Russia, under Stalin, felt the need to surround itself with satellite states to defend. The Berlin Wall built in 1961, became the symbol of this division and distrust. The US felt the need to protect any country which came under communist threat, participating in the Korean War (1950-53) and later in the Vietnam War (1964-75). The Cold War also resulted in an arms race between the two great powers. Another race between east and west was the space race When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1969. ● QUEEN ELIZABETH II When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952 there was a growth in optimism as many felt that a new Elizabethan era was about to be born, similar to the time when Elizabeth I was on the throne and England was a powerful and prosperous country. This was a false illusion. ● THE RECENT POLITICAL PICTURE The Cold War was over but a new war was about to begin. When the Twin Towers were attacked in New York on 11th September 2001, a new enemy emerged: the fundamental terrorism of Al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Osama Bin Laden. Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair (elected 1997) supported American president George W. Bush in his invasions, first of Afghanistan in 2001 and then of Iraq in 2003, with the aim of destroying al-Qaeda's organization. The war on terrorism still continues. Joyce's work distinguishes itself from Homer's tale by its dominant female figure and some critics have interpreted Molly's role as Joyce's attempt to highlight the role of women in society. In fact, while Penelope in the Odyssey has a totally submissive role, Joyce's Molly expresses thoughts, needs and desires that are typical of the 'new, more liberated female figure. At that time, they came into contact with feminist ideologies. As a novel Mrs Dalloway reflects its period and its writer. Virginia Woolf was affected by the First World War. This is expressed in the character of septimus Warren Smith in the story with his mental breakdown caused by the trauma of shell-shock after the war. The Woolfs did not believe in the so-called establishment or in the supremacy of European culture and colonialism. Peter Walsh embodies this attitude. Richard and Clarissa Dalloway represent the establishment, Richard being a Member of Parliament and Clarissa being wealthy. The simple plot is a framework to make a complex analysis of her characters. The reader is given the time frame of one day during which all the events take place and the reader is constantly made aware of the passing of time, through the use of flashbacks this real time frame is extended. The city of London also provides a frame for the setting of the novel. All the actions of this one day take place here, where the various characters go about their business, sometimes meeting or sometimes observing the same scene but from a different perspective in the city. In this way Woolf presents a variety of viewpoints. Perceptions, thoughts, memories and feelings of the main characters are expressed in her own original use of the stream of consciousness. Comparisons have made between Joyce's Ulysses and Mrs Dalloway as both works concentrate on the events of one day. Woolf's style, different from Joyce’s, became she expresses coherent and logical and her grammar, and punctuation are always conventional Woolf uses indirect interior monologue for each character rather than complete stream of consciousness as there is generally not a continuous 'stream' of thoughts but a focusing on important ones. There is also an omniscient narrator who acts as a link between the characters to guide the reader. No judgment, is given and the reader is left to make up his/her own mind about, characters and events. ● WILLIAM GOLDING: life and works Goding's novel is based on a previous text, The Coral Island (1888) by J. Ballantyne, a classic children's adventure novel about the adventures of three young English boys on a desert island. Here they like Robinson make tools and weapons, they build a boat, they fight and beat savages, even save a young princess from cannibals. In Golding's work the children fail to uphold the tradition of Robinson: rather than triumphing over cannibals, most of them become savages themselves, giving way to their primitive superstitions. The boys assume the role of the savages in Crusoe's story and so "evil" is not embodied in a foreign, "inferior" culture, but it comes from within these young products of Anglo-Saxon society. The message is that of the inability of civilization to prevent the eruption of primitive and violent behavior. Crusoe's "hell'island turns into his own "paradise" of which he is the master; the island in Lord of the Flies passes from a state of paradise to that of a hell because of the children themselves! The book turns upside down both Crusoe's engagement and Rousseau's philosophical and pedagogical concept of "The Noble Savage". All the characters in the novel are children, the oldest being 12. Ralph, together with Jack, is the oldest boy on the island. Determined, rational and sensible, he soon establishes himself as leader and is accepted by the others as such. Jack is completely different from Ralph. While Ralph is understanding and sensible and tries to solve problems democratically, Jack uses his strength and influence to get more power for himself. He instigates violence and does not really care about the well-being of the group, only about himself. He is the symbol of man's innate evil and becomes Ralph’s enemy. Piggy also plays an important role in the story. He represents the loser. He is overweight and suffers from asthma but he is very intelligent and friendly. His opinions, however, are often ignored because the other boys criticize and make fun of him because of his appearance. Simon is very helpful with the other boys; he takes care of the younger boys of the group and tries to comfort Ralph in difficult moments. He is generous and sacrifices himself for the group. The central theme is that of the breaking down of social structures from peace to violence, friends and enemies, ending in savage death. The island takes on the symbolic value of a small society, it is both a heaven and hell, beautiful but full of dangers. The beast is also an important symbol. Although it never actually exists, it is very real in the children’s minds and represents the evil lurking in man which gradually comes to the surface when circumstances are propitious. Another symbol is the pig, which gives the novel its title. Oce of the children kill the pig they see how its head is transformed covered with flies’. This converts the pig’s head into a powerful symbol for evil. The conch that Piggy finds on the beach is a symbol of power and order. The novel highlights the evil lurking in human nature. Golding aims to underline the idea that every one of us is inherently bad and capable of committing the most terrible crimes. It is a society and its rules that prevent us from becoming evil. When we are isolated and find ourselves in a situation where there is no law and order, just like the boys on the island, we are all capable of reverting to a savage state to survive and our primitive, darker side will emerge. All the boys return to this “basic instinct” except those who are capable of perceiving evil - Simon, Ralph and Piggy. ● JACK KEROUAC: life and works Jack Kerouac was born in 1922 into a French-Canadian family. As a boy he spoke a local dialect of French before learning English. He started to create stories from a young age. Despite his family's financial difficulties, he was able to go to Columbia University on a scholarship, but ended up sailing with the Merchant Marine. Back in New York he started to live a Bohemian life, making friends with a street cowboy named Neal Cassady: the influence of Cassady on Kerouac was enormous; his total lack of inhibitions, his enthusiasms, a sort of permanent wild excitement, his love of adventure made Kerouac idolise him and consider him a real hero. With Cassady Kerouac started his first hitch-hiking crossing of America, which was to inspire his best known novel On the Road, where he chronicled all that had happened during his journey with Cassady. He wrote various novels and carried them around in a rucksack while making his trips across the country. Kerouac is referred to as the most important voice of the Beat Generation: the term “beat" was coined by him and it meant "tired", "dissatisfied", "defeated", and it also suggested the idea of living to the "quick" rhythm of jazz music. "Beat" writing and the radical, unconventional life associated with it became the symbols of a generation that refused conventional social values and wanted to express its dissatisfaction. Beat artists and writers (for ex. Allen Ginsberg) used to take hallucinogenic drugs and alcohol to expand their world. They often attracted attention because they were different in dress and behavior: the Beatniks used to wear their hair long, grow beards, and wear worn-out jeans; old T-shirts and sandals. They created a so-called "underground culture" which included jazz, highly appreciated because of its spontaneous flow and its freedom of expression. They had their reference place in the City Light Bookstore in San Francisco founded by the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti in 1953. Here the Beat poets and novelists used to read their work in public. In On the Road, Kerouac began experimenting with new forms of writing which were partly inspired by the spontaneous, colloquial prose he found in Cassady's letters. Kerouac invented a so-called "hip language", which was rich in slang and colloquial words, for expressing his new experience of reality. The work is a diary-like account of Kerouac's wanderings across North America with / Neal Cassady, the prose of the novel is totally spontaneous in the sense that he always expressed what came into his mind. The novel lacks a central plot, its structure is episodic: however, three structural elements give it cohesion: the narrator Sal Paradise, who stands for Kerouac himself; the group of friends who embody the desire to get going and keep moving; the theme of travel, symbol of the escape from the city and from one's own past. Travel is again the real possibility for people to grow interiorly: every new adventure, every new meeting represents an occasion of growth, both in a negative and in a positive sense. The attitude of all the characters is that of true travelers, who behave critically towards the new worlds, trying to take advantage of every single situation. On the Road is eventually a lively example of a picaresque novel: the picaresque novel is about young people's adventures on the road. It derives its name from the Spanish "picaro", an outsider and vagabond who manages to survive thanks to his courage, intelligence and cunning. The first picaresque novel is the anonymous 16th century Spanish Lazarillo de Tormes. The protagonist's adventures are comic and take place on the road, where he meets people from all ranks of life. In his language Kerouac expressed spontaneity, friendship and love of nature, establishing a new aesthetic, which later developed into the hippie movement and partly took on political connotations. On the Road as the title suggests, is a novel which does not focus on one specific place but follows the protagonist from city to city, from mountains to coast. The novel explores the sensations and experiences of traveling itself in America, as a journey of discovery and freedom. Travel is dealt with in both a literal and metaphorical way: literally, the plot consists of trips across America; metaphorically the trip is seen as a “quiet” spiritual. Travel, for the protagonists of the novel, is an opportunity to break away from a particular way of life and a world in which they feel suffocated. At first the results of these linguistic experiments were not much appreciated by publishers and On the Road appeared in print only seven years later, soon becoming a popular success. The sudden celebrity that the work gave to Kerouac after years of obscurity was a shock for him. He found it difficult to live up to his new public image and started drinking heavily, isolating himself from people. Like one of his heroes, he died alone at 47 in San Francisco, an outsider despite his success as a writer. The story is narrated by Sal Paradise, a young novelist-to-be who lives with his aunt in Paterson, New Jersey. A college friend has invited Sal to live with him in San Francisco, and Sal also wants to visit Denver, the home of another friend of his, the crazy Dean Moriarty, who came to New York to learn to be a writer. Sal admires Dean for his cowboy style, his ease with women and his exuberance. He makes four trips across America, going to Denver, New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago and even Mexico, having wild adventures. Finally Sal goes back to New York, apparently choosing new friends and maybe a different lifestyle, even if the end of the novel remains ambiguous and the writer does not tell us what will become of him. The hero is Dean Moriarty who embodies Neal Cassady: he lives for "kicks", as he describes those moments of intense experience and pleasure, free from all social and economic restraints. He symbolizes the desperate attempt of the post-war generation to live every moment with extreme intensity so as to overcome the sense of void and fear. It is only on the road that Dean and Sal live wild and free.