20th Century LiteratureModernism20th century literatureoa period of great artistic changeodominated by nthe impact of two world warsnthe artistic concerns of modernism (which affected both themes and methods of writing). oI. Historical Background oII. ModernismI. Historical Background oThe First World War was usually regarded as the watershed(转折点) in English history, for it had hastened radical changes in every field of English society. oBut the changes started long before the war. 1. The First World Warocapitalism came into its monopoly stage in Britainothe sharpened contradictions between socialized production and the private ownership ncaused frequent oeconomic depressions omass unemploymentngreatly slowed down the speed of the British economic development. oBut in the same period, Germany, Italy and the United States grew very rapidly in their industrial production. oTowards the end of the 19th century, Germany and the United States had already caught up with or even surpassed Britain in the main fields of industry. oHaving lost her industrial supremacy, Britain faced a severe challenge from Germany and other newly-arisen imperialist countries for the redivision of the world, which led to the outbreak of the First World War (1914-1918).oThe postwar economic dislocation and spiritual disillusion produced a profound impact upon the British people. 2. The Second World WaroThe Second World War marked the last stage of the disintegration of the British Empire. oBritain suffered heavy losses in the war. othousands of people killedothe economy ruined. 3. Post-waroMost of her colonies had been tempered and awakened by the war. oThus, right after the war, a powerful movement for independence was rising. India, “the brightest jewel in the British Crown”, took the lead and won her independence in 1947. oThe other colonies followed suit in a quick succession. oUp to 1970, Britain had lost almost all her former colonies. oThe once sun-never-set Empire finally collapsed. oThe end of the British Empire enormously lessened its power and influence over the world. oThe postwar adjustment to Britains changed position was hard and painful. oIt took almost twenty years for most English people to really understand and accept the fact that England no longer stood at the center of world affairs. . Cultural Backgroundo1. New Theories and Ideaso2. Modernism 1. New Theories and IdeasoIn the second half of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, both natural and social sciences had advanced in an enormous way. pessimism or determinismoThe rapid development of natural sciences not only led to great gains in material wealth, but also gave rise to all kinds of pessimism or determinism, which became a standard feature of late Victorian thought. oNaturalism is one of its reflections in literature. o1) Darwins theory of evolution o2) Einsteins theory of relativity o3) Sigmund Freuds analytical psychologyo4) Karl Marx o5) Arthur Schopenhauer o6) Friedrich Nietzsche o7) Sartres existentialism1)Darwins theory of evolutionoby advocating a free experimentation on new forms and new techniques in literary creation, it casts away almost all the traditional elements in literature like story, plot, character, chronological narration, and etc., which are essential to realism. oAs a result, the works created by the modernist writers can often be labeled as anti-novel, anti-poetry or anti-drama.