Characteristics of Modern American Fiction

disillusionment & a loss of faith in the American dream

rejection of sentimentality and artificiality in favor of reality
bold experimentation in style and form, reflecting the fragmentation of society
interest in the individual and the inner workings of the human mind
Breakdown of Beliefs
World War I and Great Depression severely damaged the idealism of many.
began to distrust societal institutions
began to question the cultural, Puritan-based
Writers responded to this period of change by breaking with literary tradition.
began to distrust societal institutions
began to question the cultural, Puritan-based
Writers responded to this period of change by breaking with literary tradition.
Modernist writers believed in facing reality:
Ernest Hemingway faced the shattering realities of war.
F. Scott Fitzgerald faced
the realities behind the crumbling American Dream.
William Faulkner faced the realities of an increasingly unfamiliar world.
Ernest Hemingway deals frankly with the shattering realities of war.
His characters find themselves in an unpredictable, chaotic world.
His characters respond to lifes ambiguities by turning to their own sense of honor and dignity.
F. Scott Fitzgerald captures glittering life of the Jazz Agethe booming decade between World
War I and the Great Depression.
showcase beautiful and wealthy characters . . . who are also unhappy.
Materialism and the pursuit of pleasure, according to Fitzgerald, were rampant.
F. Scott Fitzgerald captures glittering life of the Jazz Agethe booming decade between World
War I and the Great Depression.
showcase beautiful and wealthy characters . . . who are also unhappy.
Materialism and the pursuit of pleasure, according to Fitzgerald, were rampant.
The Great Gatsby
Wealth and pleasure have become the point of living for many.
Portrays the height of the Jazz Age.
Gatsby believes in the American Dream, but it no longer exists.
William Faulkner used a bold new style to describe an increasingly unfamiliar world.
experimented with multiple points of view, disjointed sentences, and complex sentences.
often employ a
stream-of-consciousness narrative technique
Stream of Consciousness Narrative Technique
Reflects interest in the study of the unconscious mind, made popular by Sigmund Freud.
Attempts to reflect the chaotic and sometimes confusing activities of the human psyche.