In politics, Great Britain lost
its superpower status, and much of the wealth it enjoyed in the 19th century,
as it changed from an empire into the Commonwealth of Nations. Countries
like Canada and Australia gained independence, and America and Russia became
the dominant world powers. It was a time of rapid economic growth and
technological progress, and yet these advances provided no assurance of peace
or prosperity.
The twentieth century was also a
time of social change and unrest, as people across the western world demanded
equal rights for women, the poor, and minorities. Ireland gained freedom from
Britain in 1921. People studied and debated the ideas put forth by Karl Marx,
Charles Darwin, Freud, and Einstein.
Modernist writers like James
Joyce, and D.H. Lawrence wrote about the lives of the poor, particularly miners
and farmers. Modern poetry flourished, with shorter poems and free verse.
Modern literature saw several important changes:
1. Literature focused less on plot, and more about
characters' "inner space" - their psychological introspection,
as they wrestle with personal and social questions.
2. This form of writing led to "stream of
consciousness" writing - showing every little thought inside a
character's head, combining reality with memories, fantasies, and dreams.
3. Impressionist literature, which focused on little
individual moments, without all the interpretation or moralizing of earlier
Victorian writing.
4. Imagist poetry, advocated by Ezra Pound, was meant
to put simple, fresh images in your head, to make you see as the writer does,
without adding any other thoughts.
5. Symbolism - using symbols as metaphors for certain
feelings and ideas.
6. New literary groups formed, such as the British
Idealists and The Bloomsbury Group.
7. The Jazz Age of the 1920's saw the rise of the Harlem
Renaissance, an outpouring of black literature and art, led by Langston
Hughes and others.
8. The Great Depression and World War II changed the face of
the earth, leading to The Beat Generation of the 1940's and 50's.
9. Modern theatre developed, a tradition that continues in
places like NYC and Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Bloomsbury Group
This was a group of friends who met together in London. They
were writers, philosophers, artists and intellectuals. It included writers
Virginia Woolf and E. M. Forster, artists Roger Fry and Vanessa Bell
(Virginia's sister), and the economist John Maynard Keynes. They believed in
the philosopher G. E. Moore, who said, ". . . one's prime objects in life were love, the creation and
enjoyment of aesthetic experience and the pursuit of knowledge." In other
words, the meaning of life is love, art, and science.
These people rejected Victorian era attitudes about public reputation
(often dictated by superficialities like fashion) and social responsibilities,
in favour of better personal relationships. Forster said, "If I had to
choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should
have the guts to betray my country."
They also advocated pleasure, allowing for more open marriages and
promiscuity, which Virginia said, helped the group to remain close and happy
for over twenty years.
Politically, the group was liberal and pacifist. Most objected to
entering WWI. You might think of them as the very first hippies, preaching
peace and free love.
