CHARACTERISTICS_OF_MODERNIST_LITERATURE (1900-1950)

#CHARACTERISTICS_OF_MODERNIST_LITERATURE (1900-1950)

The Modern Age began as a time of new ideas, hope, creativity and curiosity. Then it became fearful, violent, but also with anger and mourning. Pride and fun suddenly became seen-yet was quickly replaced by struggle and again, fear. Fear became seen throughout the rest of those 50 years. The Modern Age began with high hopes, but ended with seemingly crushed dreams. The following is a list of the nine most important events of the 1900 to 1950, and how they impacted literature.
1) Industrialism: This concept became one that our world had already been introduced too, but by the early 1900's, to a new level. More and more factories popped up in cities and more and more people began working for them. This changed literature because the way of life people were used too changed too.
2) Post-Impressionism/Cubism: While this was an art movement in Europe, it also highly affected literature and the world. People began seeing the world in a new way. These art pieces and all cultural pieces including literature and music- highly showed how the world was thinking differently and changing. "The White Peacock" by D.H. Lawrence is said to be an example of post-impressionistic literature.
3) World War One: By 1914, the first World War had broke out. The world was in mourning of its losses, and in anger against its enemies. Literature highly changed during this time, and trench poets began emerging. One of the most regarded and remembered "trench poem" is Flander's Fields, by John McCrae.
4) Women's Rights: During the first World War, woman began showing their strength and helping in place of the fighting men. This lead to the Women's Rights movement. All over the world, women began fighting for their right to vote. The date women received the vote, is different in many countries-but in Canada, 1919 was the year all women received the vote-except for Quebec, who received the vote in 1940. Female authors like Nellie McClung not only championed for the effort, but also had their ideas reflect in their writings. 
5) New Political Parties: During the early 1900's, the forms of government kept in place for years were being changed. In Russia, the Russian Revolution occurred and the Bolshevik party came into power. In Italy and Germany, both countries suddenly had dictators (Mussolini and Hitler, respectively) and China became communist. This change shocked the democratic world and would become much more important in later years. Writers like Hugh McLennan and George Orwell showed their viewings on these issues, in their writing.
6) The Great Depression: On October 29th, 1929-the Wall Street Market crashed. For the decade to come, everyone would be scrapping up money to survive and hope to live on. Many people lost jobs and many dreamed of going to new places for new things. John Steinbeck wrote about doing so in "The Grapes of Wrath".
7) Spanish Civil War: While many countries were dealing with political changes, many countries were also facing civil war. Spain, was one of the them. And this war was not captured in literature better than in Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls".
8) World War Two: Because of Hitler's unethical and immoral ways, the world went to war for a second time, in 1939. Just like in the first World War, authors were influenced. But they were not just intrigued by the war, but the antisemitism and Holocaust, as well. Writers like A.M. Klein (who wrote about Antisemitism in his poem, "Autobiographical"), again were influenced.
9) Nuclear Age: Just before the Second World War fully come to a close in the summer of 1945, the Americans bombed Nagasaki and Hiroshima with nuclear atom bombs. The devastation was horrifying. It also brought upon a new fear of this happening everywhere. Many books to follow centered around a nuclear holocaust, including George Orwell's, "1984".