Modernism and The Harlem Renaissance

Unit 5: : 

Unit 5: The Harlem Renaissance and Modernism 1910-1940

Historical Context : 

Historical Context Catastrophic historical events-including a devastating war and a deep economic depression (ahem)- as well as rapid societal change greatly affected the writing of this period.

A World at War: WWI (aka The Great War) : 

A World at War: WWI (aka The Great War) involved 32 countries and claimed the lives of over 20 million people new weapons b/c of technology, i.e., machine guns, poison gases, airplane bombers, and subs WWI signaled an end to idealism and ushered in an era marked by hedonism*, political corruption, and ruthless business practices.

The Jazz Age/Roaring 20s : 

The Jazz Age/Roaring 20s “the greatest, gaudiest spree in history” (FSF) Young people rebelling against past + tradition Experimentation with fashion Actively seeking out fun and freedom

Prohibition : 

Prohibition Alcohol was made illegal Prohibition in effect from 1920-1933 Bootleggers= sold alcohol anyway Speakeasies= where alcohol was served despite prohibition

A new era for women… : 

A new era for women… The right to vote (19th am.) Flapper= “an emancipated young woman who embraced new fashions and urban attitudes of the day” More women working Technology made women’s lives easier, i.e., sliced bread (really) and ready-made clothes women’s lit. themes: clash betw. old and new values, celebrating youth, independence, and freedom from social constraints

The Great Depression : 

The Great Depression SM Crash of ’29 Banks failed, businesses floundered, workers lost their jobs By ’33, the unemployment rate was 25% Dust Bowl: d/t drought in early ’30s: added to the nation’s pain. 150,000 sq miles. Farmers ruined and went West to find work. Tough times. Not many jobs and too many people.

The New Deal (FDR) : 

The New Deal (FDR) During his campaign, FDR pledged to give the country a “new deal.” He fulfilled his promise with his New Deal programs: relief for the hungry and homeless, recovery for agriculture and business, and various economic reforms to prevent such a severe depression from occurring again. (?) Our text tells us: “yet in truth, it was the massive spending and production spurred by WWII that finally brought the economic crisis to an end.”

Cultural Influences : 

Cultural Influences 20s= 1st decade to be shaped by mass media d/t advertising, things once luxuries now necessities Assembly line/mass production Writers criticized Americans’ conformity and materialism New literary technique: stream of consciousness (b/c Freud’s theories that said unconscious forces drive humans and their behavior? deeper understanding)

Stream of Consciousness : 

Stream of Consciousness Technique developed by modernist writers to present the flow of a character’s unconnected thoughts, responses, and sensations (like the way we actual think: illogical, disjointed)

Modernism: (lit. mvmt.1914-1945) : 

Modernism: (lit. mvmt.1914-1945) Modernist works are characterized by a high degree of experimentation. Modernist characters are most often alienated people searching unsuccessfully for meaning and love in their lives. Themes are pulled from real life.

The Harlem Renaissance : 

The Harlem Renaissance An African American cultural movement of the 1920s and early 1930s that was centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Variously known as the New Negro movement, the New Negro Renaissance, and the Negro Renaissance, the movement emerged toward the end of World War I in 1918, blossomed in the mid- to late 1920s, and then faded in the mid-1930s. The Harlem Renaissance marked the first time that mainstream publishers and critics took African American literature seriously and that African American literature and arts attracted significant attention from the nation at large. Although it was primarily a literary movement, it was closely related to developments in African American music, theater, art, and politics. (- MSN Encarta)

Harlem Renaissance, cont’d… : 

Harlem Renaissance, cont’d… The Great Migration: millions of black farmers and sharecroppers moved to the urban North in search of opportunity and freedom from oppression and racial hostility. Thousands of these immigrants settled in Harlem, an NYC neighborhood that quickly became the cultural center of African-American life. Their cultural traditions + new urban awareness inspired the people and their creativity. Worldly and race-conscious black people nurtured each other’s artistic, musical, and literary talents.

A premature end to the Harlem Renaissance : 

A premature end to the Harlem Renaissance Unfortunately, the H.R. was brought to an early end by the economic collapse of the Great Depression. Many of the writers who had gathered in Harlem were forced to scatter and take jobs to support themselves. Nevertheless, their work planted seeds that continue to generate important writing from the African-American perspective.

Unit 5 Objectives and Goals : 

Unit 5 Objectives and Goals Understand H.R. and Modernism as literary movements Identify and analyze individual styles Identify and anazlyze literary elements, inc. tone, theme, diction, voice, mood, irony, imagery, and character traits and motives Make inferences and draw conclusions Distinguish literal from figurative meaning Identify and analyze author’s purpose and position

Unit 5 Vocabulary : 

Unit 5 Vocabulary Harlem Renaissance Modernism Imagery Tone Irony Form in Poetry Meaning in Poetry

Unit 5 Literary Focuses : 

Unit 5 Literary Focuses Richard Cory (poem p. 894) Death of the Hired Hand (Robert Frost p. 904) The Jilting of Granny Weatherall (K.A. Porter p. 989) A Worn Path (Eudora Welty p. 1004) A Rose for Emily (Wm. Faulkner p. 1020) The Life You Save May Be Your Own (Flannery O’Connor!! ? p. 1034)

Slide 18: 

This is my FAVORITE literary era (HR + Modernism) so expect me to expect you to get into it and learn to appreciate it for all its rich history and wonderful, colorful characters!! Happy Learning!! ?