Lost Generation and the Literary Modernism
Literary modernism is a comprehensive movement that commenced in the early 1900s, with the three decades spanning from 1900 to 1930 being celebrated as the golden age of modernist literature. During this period, creative thinkers produced a wide range of revolutionary work that continues to inspire writers worldwide.
To understand the literature created during this specific era, it’s essential to consider the series of events that unfolded from 1900 to 1930, particularly in the aftermath of World War I. These great decades of modernism coincided with significant historical events, including the First World War, the Roaring Twenties, the Economic Boom, and the Great Depression. In one sense, Modernism was triggered through a series of cultural shocks. The first of these was the Great War, which ravaged Europe from 1914 to 1918, leaving profound devastation and disillusionment in its wake. The impact of World War I deepened modernist thinking.
The generation which suffered yet survived the spiritual and existential crisis left by four years of destructive warfare is known as the Lost Generation. Comprising young individuals who emerged from WWI, they were deeply disheartened by the state of the world. The term “Lost Generation” was first coined by Gertrude Stein, who exclaimed to Ernest Hemingway, “You are all a génération perdu. That’s what you are. That’s what you all are. All of you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation.” Hemingway popularized this term in his literary works to epitomize the post-war generation. In this context, “lost” implies disoriented, wandering, and directionless, signifying the confusion and aimlessness that characterized the war’s survivors in the early post-war years.
Literary modernism, therefore, emerged in response to changes in cultural, political, and artistic sensibilities that transpired in the years leading up to, during, and after WWI. Renowned modernist writers, such as Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas, Ezra Pound, Franz Kafka, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Bertolt Brecht, William Faulkner, and Zora Neale Hurston, became synonymous with the Lost Generation. Some of them were expatriates who resided in Paris at the time. These early modernist writers deliberately adopted a modern perspective, influenced by the overwhelming impact of the most devastating war the world had ever witnessed. They mirrored the new sensibilities of their era in their literary works by experimenting with language, narrative structure, and writing style.
In broader terms, the literature of this period reflected abrupt and unexpected breaks with traditional ways of observing and interacting with the world. Artists and the intellectuals at the turn of the twentieth century believed that the previous generation’s way of doing things was a cultural termination. The machinery of modern society was perceived as impersonal, consumerist, and incompatible to the artistic impulse. Thus, individualism and experimentation became virtues.
In conclusion, modernist literature was a response to the socio-cultural transformations that swept across the Western world in the early 1900s. Literature provided a platform for modernist writers to explore themes of alienation, transformation, capitalism, and the relativity of truth during that era. It’s equally important to note that this period was marked by the groundbreaking ideas of key philosophers. Charles Darwin introduced the ‘Theory of Evolution’ and ‘Natural Selection,’ Sigmund Freud pioneered ‘Psychoanalysis,’ Karl Marx developed ‘Marxism,’ and Friedrich Nietzsche revolutionized the world with his proclamation ‘God is dead’ in the context of modern society, highlighting the theory of ‘Nihilism.’ Unsurprisingly, modernist writers drew inspiration from these enlightening insights, shaping their works to capture the spirit of their time.
