США кінця ХІХ - початку ХХ століття. Літературні течії. Романтизм (презентація)

США кінця ХІХ – початку ХХ століття. Розвиток літератури

In the last thirty years of the XIX-th century. the US economy was rapidly grown. In 1860 the US produced 17% of world industrial output, taking second place after the UK (32%),  then in 1880 the proportion of English and American industry world production caught up - at 28%.  In 1890 the US provided 31% of world industrial production, ahead of the "workshop of the world" England, and in 1913 - 36%. Економічний прорів

The US Economy (the end of the XIX-th centutry – the beginning of the XX-th century)The rapid breakthrough of the American economy was caused by several factors.the demographic component. fast process of urbanization"human factor". Immigrants - capable businessmen, talented scientists and inventors.an effective foreign policythe successful development of the agricultural sector (soil fertility, rapid growth of the rural population, high agricultural technology)

The demographic component. The population of the new territories was not enough to develop them. So there was an acute shortage of labor. Immigrants from Europe compensated this shortage. Only for the last third of the XIX-th century the number of people in the USA doubled. Up to the beginning of World War I the population increased by one third more. Population of the USA in 1800 - 5.3 million people in 1914 - 96.5 million people. On the other hand, the shortage of labor stimulated a widespread and rapid introduction of machines and mechanisms into production .

Fast process of urbanization. Along with the rapid growth of the US population there was fairly fast process of urbanization, which has boosted the domestic market and the development of industrial production. In 1900 there were 38 cities with a population of over 100 000 people in 1850 – 6 cities. New York (3.4 million), Chicago (1.7 million), Philadelphia (1.3 million).

It is also important "human factor". Immigrants came mostly from the developed countries of Europe. Among them were many capable businessmen, talented scientists and inventors.1897 – a cash register Only in 1860-90-s more than 440,000 patents on various inventions were issued. Then there were technical innovations such as 1868 – a typewriter1876 - a telephone of Alexander Bell 1877 - an electric incandescent lamp of T. Edison 1886 - washing machine1888 - movie camera and projector of T . Edison 1889 – a film

The real revolution in American industry was made by the creation of a new transport industry - automotive industry, which at the beginning of the XX-th century was the most promising sector of the US economy. In1892 H. Ford made the first car to the United States. In 1903 he founded his company "Ford Motor"

An effective foreign policy. All imported goods were taxed heavily. High duties led to higher prices at the market. Whereas domestic products were taxed gentle taxes. Such effective foreign policy contributed greatly to the US economy .

Transport network. In the 1890s nearly 80% of the railway tracks were equipped with steel rails, which increased the speed of trains from 25 to 65 miles per hour. On the eve of the First World War the length of railways in the United States has accounted for almost half of the entire railway network in the world.

Soil fertility, rapid growth of the rural population, high agricultural technology were the factors which contributed to the successful development of the agricultural sector in the US economy. The rapid railway construction also helped to form regional agricultural specialization and processing industry and deliver products to domestic and foreign markets quickly.

Literature is an artistic reflection of man and society. The US Literature(late XIX–th - early XX-th century)

The end of the XIX-th century is called by literary researchers as an American late romanticism. During this period one can note a sharp division in the literature of the country which was caused by the civil war between North and South. On one side stands literature of abolitionism that protests against slavery. On the other hand, the literature of the South idealizes the traditions of the slave-owning system and rises to protect historically doomed and reactionary way of life.

Romantic motifs can be traced within the creative method of F. Bret Hart, M. Twain, J. London and other writers of the USA in the late XIX-th - early XX-th centuries. Francis Bret Harte. Jack London. Mark Twain(Samuel Langhorne Clemens)It should be noted that American romanticism is significantly different from European Romanticism. The promotion of national identity and independence, the search for a "national idea" passes through all the art of American Romanticism.

Equally important for the American Romanticism was the theme of the Indians. [ænɪ'mɔsɪtɪ] враждебность, вражда. A very complicated psychological complex is related with the theme of the Indians in the American literature - admiration and fear, animosity and feelings of guilt. In their books Irving, Cooper, Longfellow create the image of the "noble savage", naturalness of the Indian life, its freedom, closeness to nature. And in all this they see a romantic alternative to capitalist civilization. In the works of these authors, we see the evidence that the conflict between two races was not fatally inevitable, and it is cruelty and greediness of white settlers which should be blamed. It’s their writings that make Indian life and culture an important part of US national literature.

Romantic motifs are also present In American literature of the XX-th century. They are usually connected with the attempts to find lost high ideals and genuine spirituality, unity of man and nature. These motifs are clearly visible in the works of the greatest American writers of the century - E. Hemingway and W. Faulkner, T. Wilder and J. Steinbeck, F. S. Fitzgerald and J. Salinger who protested against the transformation of the individual into a cog in the state machine.

The Genius is Theodore Dreiser's semi-autobiographical novel about the turn-of-the-century art scene. It explores the multiple conflicts between art and business, art and marriage, and between traditional and modern views of sexual morality. The novel "Genius" by Theodore Dreiser became a milestone in American literary life. This work shows the true conflict between creativity and external circumstances that prevent to realize it. Dreiser believed that the romance of easy money and greed for profit had become prevailing in American society. In his view, Hollywood not only conquered cinematography, but also literature, characters in American literature stopped working, poverty has become a myth, and difficulties resolved through various intrigues.

muckraker - "разгребатель грязи"The muckrakers played a highly visible role during the Progressive Era period, 1890s-1910s. Realistic literature was on the rise. It was presented by such authors as Mark Twain, E. Sinclair, J. London and others. Many of them supported the movement of “muckrakers”. This group of writers became founders of the American sociological novel, In their writings they combined the journalistic investigation with artistic thinking. Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (1878 –1968) was an American writer who wrote nearly 100 books and other works in several genres. John Griffith "Jack" London (1876 –1916) was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist. He was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone.

Literary realism is part of the realist art movement beginning with mid nineteenth-century and extending to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Literary realism, in contrast to idealism, attempts to represent familiar things as they are. Realist authors chose to depict everyday and banal activities and experiences, instead of using a romanticized or similarly stylized presentation. American realists include Samuel Clemens (1835–1910), better known by his pen name of Mark Twain. Twain's style, based on realistic, colloquial American speech, gave American writers a new appreciation of their national voice. For Twain and other American writers of the late 19th century, realism was not merely a literary technique: It was a way of speaking truth and exploding worn-out conventions.

1. What factors caused the rapid breakthrough of the American economy ?2. In what way did the shortage of labor stimulate the rapid growth of the American economy? 3. In what way did the fast process of urbanization influence the development of economy?4. What did the effective foreign policy of the USA (regarding its economy) consist of ? 5. What was the role of the transport network in the growth of the American economy?Questions for discussion

Questions for discussion1. What makes American romanticism significantly different from European Romanticism2. How did Irving, Cooper, Longfellow develop the theme of the Indians in their writings?3. What are romantic motifs which were present In American literature of the XX-th century connected with?4. What was the distinguished feature of the writers who supported the movement of “muckrakers”? 5. To what literary movement can we refer the writings of Mark Twain? And why?