Contemporary-American-Literature-(1945---)

ContemporaryAmericanLiterature(1945---)A.historicalbackground(WWIIendedtheliteraryactivitiesandtherewasapauseinAmericanliteraryproductionduringthewar.)1.1940sand1950sa.thedroppingofthetwoatomicbombsleftpeopletothinkaboutwhatthescientificdevelopmentbroughttopeople:happinessordestruction.b.coldwarc.McCarthyEra:thegovernmentwasfirmlyagainstthecommunism,andtheofficialpersecutionofthecommunistmadepeopleverycautious.It’sanageofcaution,dullnessandfear.2.1960sandalsoaffected1970sa.themurderofKennedyandM.L.KingThesocietywasreallyachaoticoneandpeoplehadnosenseofsecurity.b.CivilRightsMovementIt’swascloselyconnectedwithBlackLiterature.c.VietnamWarTherecamearevivalofanti-warnovelandthewarcausedpeopletoloseconfidenceandmovementagainstthewartookplaceinmanycities.B.LiterarysceneThemoststrikingfeatureforthisperiodisdeversity.Thereisnounifiedmovement.Writersshowtheirparticularinterestsindifferentaspectsofthesocietyandindifferentracesorgroupssuchasthesouth,theBlack,Jewishandfeminist.BeatGeneration1.startedinmid-1950s.2.leaders:AllenGinsbergandJackKerouac.Anditwasthelatterwhonamedthegroup.Itmeantthattheywerebeatenbysociety.3.characteristics:Theywereagainst:a.politicalmood;b.middle-classwayoflifec.literature:formalismorconformalismTheystrovetoshowanewwayoflife---aspontaneouslife.AllenGinsberg(1926-1997)Hewasonthelistofthedeathof10famousfiguresaroundtheAmericaoftheyearof1997.a.lifeandworksHowl(1956):amanifestooftheBeatGeneration.Threeparts:1.Whitmanistline:adepictoftheB.G.2.attackmechanicalcivilization(McCarthyEra)3.depicthisfriendCarlSolomoninamadhouse.CharacteristicsofHowl:UnitofbreathExposedthedarksideofsocietyColorofautobiographyJackKerouac(1922-1969)a.lifeb.masterpiece:OntheRoad(1957)It’ssignificancefortheB.G.justlikeTheSunAlsoRisesfortheL.G.it’sthecompletedescriptionoftheB.G.c.spontaneousstyle:hejusttypedwhathewantedandfinishedthebookonlyin3weekswithoutanyrevision.Inthebookheshowedhisdesireofseekingaspiritualparadisebuthedidn’tfindit.Eachjourneyendedinfailure.ConfessionalPoetry1.definition:itisatermestablishedforRomanticpoetryofthepresentdayinwhichanobjectivedescriptionofspiritual,emotionalandotherdisturbancesisrenderedindetail.2.importantwriters:Berryman,S.Plath,Sexton(allofthemcommittedsuicideaftertheybecamefamous),R.Lowell.3.popularin1960s,declinedin1970s.4.aproductofsociety:it’saproductofthematerialcivilization---existentialism.Thewritersconcentratedonthespiritualtroubleinamorealienatedsocietywheretheysawnoindividualityandlosttheirself-identity.Theysawnocompromiseandnowayout.That’swhytheycommittedsuicide.Theywereingreatspiritualdesperation.RobertLowell1.lifeThemostimportantpoetoftheconfessionalpoetry.2.worksCarreer:beforemid-1950s;1960s;after1970sShowsthedeclineoftheC.P.LifeStudies:themostimportantmasterpieceofC.P.2parts(1)theprosesection(2)asequenceof14poems(whenwetalkaboutthebook,wearereferringtotheandpart)3.importanceHisimportanceliesinthatherelateshispersonaltroublewiththoseoftheeraofthesocietyintalkingcandidlyabouthimself.Heisexaminingthecultureofhisnation.BlackHumor1.reacheditspeakinthe1960sanddeclinedinq970s2.definition:blackhumorisatypeofmodernhumorcausedbyanger.Itmakesthereaderlaughatthedarknessinhumanlifeandlaughinfaceoftragicsituation.It’shumoroutofdespairandlaughteroutoftears.3.theoreticalbasis:a.influencedbySartre’sexistentialismincontent.Theexistenceoftheworldandhumanbeingisabsurd.Thereisnofixedmeaningbutmanstillcanchoosefreely.ButforBlackHumor,manhasnochoiceinsuchanabsurdworld.b.instructure,theywereinfluencedbyFreudandPergueson’stheorytodevelopthestoryinpsychologicaltime.4.artisticfeatures:a.tragicincontentbutcomicinstyleb.anti-hero:heromeansthemajorcharcteroragreatman.Intraditionalwriting,theauthorusedqtosetupamodelfigurefropeopletofollowwhiletheB.H.writerswereagainstthis.E.g.InSlaughterhouseFivebyVonnegut,theprotagonistisdrunkinapartywhenhegetsintothecarhecouldnotfindthewheel.That’sbecauseheisatthebackseat.c.anti-structure:theywereanti-traditionalstructure,ie.Thechronologicalordertheytendedtoemploythepsychologicalorderorjustaposethetwo.JosephHeller(1923-)a.lifeandworksCatch-22(1961):B.H.startstoreachitspeak.SomethingHappened(1974)GoodasGold(1979)b.Catch-221.plot2.importance(1)the1stimportantB.H.novelwhichpushedtheB.H.intoitspeak,oneofthemostrepresentativeworksoftheB.H.(2)oneofthemanyprotestnovelsafterWWII3.meaning:Manistrappedbytherulewhichdoesnotexist.Oneoftheplots,Orr……,sothereisnowinsituation.4.theme:“thewarisineternalabsurdity”.(1)anti-war,butthisisnotthemajortheme.(2)absurdityofmodernAmericaItcreatesanewimagein3aspects:Industry---EconomicbasisMilitary---powerPolitical---administrationCathcart(colonel):arepresentativeofthepoliticalforce.Heisveryambitious.Inordertobepromotedtoageneralheraisesthenumberofflyingmission.It’sasatireonpoliticians.Scheisskopt(lieutenant):standsformilitaryforce.Heisawar-crazypersonbecausewarallowshimtowearuniformdayandnight.Hetriesallhecantomakehismilitarygroupgetthechampion.Whenhegetsanideahewakeshiswifeupinthemidnighttowalkonthefloorandhealsofindsawaytokeepthemovementbydr