Modernist Literatures

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

“Make it new”: These three words, delivered by Ezra Pound, became the rallying cry of what is known as Modernism. “Modernism” is a term that encompass a wide range of visual and literary movements, socio-political concepts, and cultural productions that emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century and developed into the twentieth, concluding approximately with the end of the Second World War. Modernism, or rather modernisms, grew out of the rapid changes that occurred during the nineteenth century. These were transnational historical events that transformed how people perceived and experienced the world and themselves. This course provides an overview of this period by analyzing novels, short fiction, and critical writings. We’ll consider how historical phenomena such as crowd mentality, urbanization, World War I, migration from colonies to Europe and from Europe to colonies, racial segregation, class conflict, and gender and sexual repressions, liberations, and transgressions, played a part in artists’ and writer’s attempts to “make it new.” That is, we will examine how such social, political, and economic forces informed and shaped these endeavors to create innovative forms of artistic expression in literary and visual realms. To get a sense of the global reach of modernism, we will consider works by authors, artists, and critics of diverse nationalities: British, French, Anglo-Irish, Jewish-American, African American, Indian, Caribbean, and Irish. Course requirements are attendance, participation, two quizzes, three papers (5 pages), and occasional postings on course blackboard.