Theme: modernism in american literature contents: introduction chapter the early twentieth century literature (1901-1939). Modernism

CONCLUSION

America entered the twentieth century optimistically as a wealthy, strong world power. Although this time period started off with prosperity, it soon became one characterized by two world wars and a severe economic depression. These events ushered in a new age in American literature, Modernism, as writers began to attempt to express modern life with their writings.

The Modernist era was an era of boldness and fast-paced living. The culture saw the Harlem Renaissance and the Roaring Twenties (also known as the Jazz Age). This was a time of flourishing art and extravagant living that acted as a prequel to the Great Depression. In literature, the era was characterized by a break away from traditional styles of poetry and other types of writing. Ezra Pound began the Imagist movement. This poetry abandoned all traditional form and sought to portray a single image in time. It was during this time that authors began to experiment with different styles of writing and earned American international acclaim.
Although their works were very different, Modern authors shared a common purpose, which was to capture the essence of modern life. This purpose is why most modernist literature was written in a pessimistic way. Most modern works reflected the thoughts and confusion of most Americans, especially during the Great Depression and the two World Wars. The chaotic literature revealed the instability of the American people's mindset as they attempted to understand what was going on around them. There was also a loss of faith and hope in the American people during this time period and a collapse of morality and values. Furthermore, this loss of values led to a confused sense of identity and place in the world, as is iterated in T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
The literature of the era was often times fragmented to cause confusion and intentionally break the flow of words in literature. Two major themes of the era were confusion and disillusionment. These themes and this literary movement as a whole reflected the new mindset of the American people after the turn of the century. It was because of this mindset and the loss of hope in the American dream, that the major authors of the time period such as Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Eliot, and Pound became known as the Lost Generation.