In Depth Notes on Literary Movements and Themes from the 20th Century

Overview of Literary Movements

  • Contemporary Literature (1950-present)
    • Characterized by constant change and uncertainty.
    • Often breaks traditional writing rules.
    • Blends fiction and non-fiction.
    • Shows interest in science fiction and alternative worlds/futures.
    • Celebrates cultural diversity.

Post-Modernism

  • Defined by fresh perspectives and experimentation.
  • Notable Writers:
    • Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner
    • Alice Walker - The Color Purple
    • David Foster Wallace - Infinite Jest
    • Philip Roth - Operation Shylock
  • Characteristics:
    • Writers blend genres and use unconventional narrative forms.
    • Focus on self-awareness in writing.

New Journalism and Narrative Non-Fiction

  • Emerged post-1960; characterized by:
    • Reporters becoming part of the story, offering a subjective perspective.
    • Use of literary techniques (characterization, plot development, irony).
  • Notable Practitioners:
    • Truman Capote
    • Norman Mailer
    • Joan Didion
    • Tom Wolfe

Beat Generation

  • 1950s counterculture movement among poets and musicians.
  • Focus on breaking down societal norms; plays a pivotal role in setting up 1960s hippie movement.
  • Notable Works:
    • On the Road by Jack Kerouac
    • Howl by Allen Ginsberg
    • Naked Lunch by William Burroughs

Confessional School of Poetry

  • Shift towards frank, personal subjects: struggles with sex, drugs, and emotional/physical abuse.
  • Key Figures:
    • Sylvia Plath
    • Robert Lowell
    • Anne Sexton
    • John Berryman

Historical Context and Atomic Anxiety

  • Influenced by events such as World War II and the Cold War:
    • Fear of nuclear warfare leads to cultural anxiety reflected in literature.
  • Significant events:
    • Dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6 & 9, 1945).
    • Atomic bomb shelters became a norm in American households during the late 1950s.

Notable Literary Works Reflecting Cultural Concerns

  • Works often highlight societal fears and anxieties:
    • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
    • The Giver by Lois Lowry
    • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
    • Divergent by Veronica Roth

Catch-22 and Narrative Complexity

  • Joseph Heller's Catch-22:
    • Symbolizes the absurdity of war and a critique of bureaucratic social structures.
    • Catch-22 itself is a paradoxical rule that muestra human irrationality in the face of war: "Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy."
  • Similar commentary in other works:
    • Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat's Cradle.

The Role of Experimentation in Modern Literature

  • Donald Barthelme's “Sentence”:
    • A nine-page short story structured as a single lengthy sentence.
  • Walter Abish’s Alphabetical Africa:
    • Novel structured with words starting with successive letters of the alphabet.
  • These experimental narratives underline the evolving landscape of literature in contemporary writing.