Chapter11

TheWritersofthe“LostGeneration”FromAnOutlineofAmericanLiteraturebyPeterB.HighThe“LostGeneration”(postWWI)

F.ScottFitzgerald(1896-1940)ThisSideofParadise(1920)1.Fitzgerald’sfirstnovel(p.143)2.thisgeneration“grewuptofindallgodsdead,allwarsfought,allfaithsinmanshaken.”3.twoconcerns:fearofpovertyandworshipofsuccessF.ScottFitzgerald

(1896-1940)FlappersandPhilosophers(1920)andTalesoftheJazzAge(1922)1.collectionsofhisbestshortstories(p.144)2.“flapper”–modernyoungladiesofthatperiodwhosmoked,drankwhisky,andliveddangerouslyfreelives3.“TheDiamondasBigastheRitz”F.ScottFitzgerald(1896-1940)TheGreatGatsby(1925)1.thegreatest20thcenturynovel2.beliefintheabsolutepowerandnaturalgoodnessofmoney3.Gatsby,atragicfigure,symbolizestheAmericanbeliefthatmoneycanbuyloveandhappiness4.Believeshecanchangethematerialworldintotheidealworldofhisfantasy5.heroicinhiscontinuousbeliefofhopeanddreamF.ScottFitzgerald(1896-1940)“BabylonRevisited”(1931)–describingtheLostGenerationafteritsmoralandeconomiccollapse(p.146)TenderistheNight(1934)–Fitzgerald’sexperiencewithhiswife’smentalillnessErnestHemingway(1898-1961)TheSunAlsoRises(1926)1.aportraitofyoungadultsinthepost-wareralivinginParis(p.146)2.expatriates,peoplewithoutahomeland3.theirdespairissimilartothedespairEliot’sportrayedinhis“WasteLand”4.JakeBarnes,damagedbythewar,physicallyandspirituallyimpotent

NewYork:Grosset&Dunlap,1930.

Originalblackclothwithredpaperlabelsletteredinblackonspineanduppercover.Whitepictorialdust-jacketprintedinred,green,andpurpleby"S“ErnestHemingway(1898-1961)TheSunAlsoRises

NewYork,TheModernLibrary,1930.

Originalbluecloth,spine&uppercoverstampedingold.Inredandwhitepictorialdust-jacket,letteredinblackErnestHemingway(1898-1961)ErnestHemingway(1898-1961)5.othercharactersdealwiththeirsymbolicimpotence(p.147)6.Howtoliveintheemptinessoftheworld?HowtofightagainsttheNadaoftheworld?(nada=nothingnessinSpanish,thelossofhopeortheinabilitytobeeactiveintherealworld)7.simplestyleandcarefulstructure,“togetthemostoutoftheleast”8.thelanguageisrarelyemotionalbutitcontrolsemotions,tosuggestakindofstoicism(meanspatienceandcouragewhensuffering),themainthemeinhisstoriesTheSunAlsoRises.

NewYork:CharlesScribner'sSons,1926.

Firstedition,originalclothindust-jacket.

Hemingway'snovelwaspublishedonOctober22,1926.Reviewersnotedthe"masterlycunning"ofhistechniqueandweledhisapparentconversionfromtheaestheticismof(James)Joyceand(Getrude)Stein.Amongthebook'scriticswashisParisfriendJohnDosPassos,whoplainedintheCommunistmagazineNewMassesthat,"insteadofbeingtheepicofthesunalsorisingonalostgeneration,"Hemingway'snovelwas"acock-and-bullstoryaboutawholelotoftouristsgettingdrunk."Thebook'ssuccesswithNewYorkcriticsandreadersgaveHemingwaynewopportunitiesforplacinghisshortstoriesinAmericanmagazines.TheRunningoftheBullsinPomplona "...soundoftherocketexplodingthatannouncedthereleaseofthebullsfromthecorralsattheedgeoftown.Theywouldracethroughthestreetsandouttothebullring.Allthebalconieswerecrowdedwithpeople.Suddenlyacrowdcamedownthestreet...Theywereallrunning...andthenthebullsgalloping,tossingtheheadsupanddown."

FromTheSunAlsoRises.ErnestHemingway(1898-1961)“InOurTime”(1924),“BitTwo-HeatedRiver”(1925),“MenwithoutWomen(1927)–p.1471.mixedpsychologicalrealismwithsymbolism2.theouterworld(nature)isametaphorforthespiritualworldofthecharacter3.thehero’sactionsiscarefullydescribed;eachactionhasasymbolicmeaningInOurTime;Stories.

NewYork:Boni&Liveright,1925.Originalcloth,indust-jacket.ThisfirstNewYorkmercialeditionofHemingway'swritingsshareditstitlewiththeoriginalParisedition,butintercutHemingway'soriginalspareparagraphswithmoreconventionalfull-lengthstoriesfromthe"Nick"sequence.HemingwaywasverydisappointedbyitsinitialsalesandblamedLiverightforashortprint-run,poorpublicity,andinadequatedistribution."Big-TwoHeartedRiver"

ErnestWalshandEthelMoorhead,eds.,ThisQuarter1:1.Paris,May1925.Originalwrappers.

WithHemingway'sstory"BigTwo-HeartedRiver"(pp.110-28)andhis"HomagetoEzra"(pp.221-225).InOurTime;Stories.

Paris:CrosbyContinentalEditions,1932.OriginalwhitewrappersErnestHemingway(1898-1961)AFarewelltoArms(1929)–anti-warlovestory(p.148)1.use“nature”symbolically2.mountainsymbolizeslifeandhope;theplanistheimageofwaranddeathReceivingNobelPrizein1954AFarewelltoArms(1929)"AFarewelltoArms,"

Scribner'sMagazine,85,May-October,1929.Serialization,wrappersboundin.AtKeyWest,infall1928,HemingwayfinisheddraftinghisGreatWarnovel,AFarewelltoArms.Intheyearofthe1929crash,readerswerereadytoviewtheWarmorerealistically,andScribner'sbid$16,000forserializationrights.Noteveryonewasready.InBoston,thesecond(June)magazineinstallmentwasbannedasobscene.AFarewelltoArms.

NewYork:CharlesScribner'sSons,1929.Firstedition,firstprinting.Originalcloth,indust-jacket.Primedbypublicreactiontothemagazinetext,thebook(publishedSeptember27thatsameyear)becameHemingway'sfirstbestseller,withover60,000copiessoldbytheendoftheyear.JohnDosPassosattributedthesales("likehotcakes")toitsbination"ofhavingalovestoryandbeingaboutthewar,"buthealsorecognizeditas"amagnificentnovel."

AFarewelltoArms

NewYork:GrossetandDunlap,1929.

Movietie-ineditionwithscenesfromtheParamountProductionwithHelenHayesandGaryCooper.

"Hundredsofthousandsofreadershaveagreedthathereisoneoftheworld'sfinestmodernlovestories...underitscynicalsurfacerunsafinecourageandarealnobility"TheOldManandTheSeaAfineloveexistedbetweentheoldmanandtheboy.Theoldmanhadnothadagoodcatchin84daysandtheboywasnolongerallowedtofishwithhim.Theboyworriedabouttheoldmanandmethisskiffeveryeveningtohelphimcarryhisgearbacktotheoldman'sshack.WatercolorpaintingbyKaySmithTheOldManandTheSea

"Theyhadgoneonedayandonenightwiththeirelbowsonachalkline...forearmsstraightandhandsgrippedtight.Eachwastryingtoforcetheother'shand

ontothetable."...hewasnotanoldmanthenbutSantiagoElChampeon...heunleashedhiseffortsandforcedthehandofthenegrodownanddownuntilitrestedonthewood."

FromOldManandTheSea

TheOldManandtheSea

TheOldManandtheSeaThemakosharkcamefirst.Builtforspeedanddestruction,itcameonrelentlessly.Othersfollowedinsquardronsandplatoons.Itwasawarofheroismandfutilityfortheoldman.Beforehecameintotheharborhehadlostthelittlehehad--hisharpoon,thegaff,hisknife,yardsofrope...TheOldManandTheSeaOldManandSkeletonofTheMarlin

"Heknewhewasbeatennowfinallyandwithout

remedy...andwhatbeatyou,hethought."

"Nothinghesaidaloud.Iwentouttoofar."

FromOldManandTheSea

JohnDosPassos(1896-1970)

OneMan’sInitiation--1917(1920)1.thefirstAmericannovellaboutWWI2.emotionalandfullofhatredforwarThreeSoldiers(1921)–p.1501.lesspersonalandhasabroaderhistoricalview2.warlikeahugemachinethatdestroysindividuals3.sawthemodernworldasuglyanddirty4.believedinthepowerofartthatcouldsavetheworld5.showthepurposelessnessofhistoryJohnDosPassos(1896-1970)ManhattanTransfer(1925)1.amodernistnovel2.describesthedailylivesofalargenumberofNewYorkers3.piecesofpopularsongsmixedwithnewspaperheadlinesandphrasesfromadvertisements4.usesthe“montagetechniques”offilmdirectorslikeGriffithandEisensteintoshowtherelationshipbetweenindividualsandlargehistoricaleventsJohnDosPassos(1896-1970)“U.S.A.”Trilogy,The42ndParallel,1919,TheBigMoney(p.151-52)1.usemovietechniques2.showindividualsarepartofthehistoryoftheageinwhichtheylivein3.tellthehistoryoftheentirenationintheearly20thcentury4.nottocreateasinglemeaning;rathershowthelossofmeaningwhichisthemodernconditionWilliamFaulkner

(1897-1962)

wroteaboutSouthSoldier’sPay(1926)–woundedsoldierreturnshometothe“wasteland”ofpost-warsocietyWilliamFaulkner.Soldier'sPay.NewYork:SignetBooks,TheNewAmericanLibrary,1951.ChapterIXinSoldier'sPaybeginswiththesentencesquotedonthebackcoverofthisedition:Sexanddeath:thefrontdoorandthebackdooroftheworld...Inyouththeyliftusoutoftheflesh,inoldagetheyreduceusagaintotheflesh;onetofattenus,theothertoflayus,fortheworm.Whenaresexualpulsionsmorereadilyansweredthaninwarorfamineorfloodorfire?ThesetopicsareindeedthemesinFaulkner'snovels.ButinSoldier'sPaytheyaremutedasLieutenantMahonfadesintodeathandJoeGilligan'sloveforMargaretPowersisgentlyrebuffed.Thenovelisoneofloss,regret,andvaryingshadesofgray.Itisnot"passionate,"althoughitis"powerful.“ThisparticularcopyoftheSignetfirsteditionwasoriginallypartofFaulkner'spersonallibraryatRowanOak.Hegaveittohisstepson,MalcolmFranklin,whosubsequentlygaveittoJamesW.Silver,whointurngaveittoFaulknerscholarandcollector,LouisDanielBrodsky,fromwhomourcollector,IrwinT.Holtzman,acquiredit.WilliamFaulkner.Soldier'sPay.NewYork:SignetClassic,1968

WilliamFaulkner.Soldier'sPay.NewYork:Boni&Liveright,1926.WilliamFaulkner

(1897-1962)TheSoundandtheFury(1929)1.modernistmasterpiece(p.154)2.tragicstoryoftheCompsonfamilyfromfourdifferentpointsofview:Benjy,Quentin,Jason,andDilsey3.limitedpointofview4.continuouspresentstyleofwriting,everythingispartofnow5.readersneedtosortoutthefactsofthestoryWilliamFaulkner

(1897-1962)Sartoris(1929)–p.1531.createshismythicalYoknapatawphaCounty2.theworldafterWWI3.theSartorisfamilycontraststheSnopesfamily,whichrepresentsthenewspiritoftheSouth,thespiritofmerceandself-interest.4.TheSnopesbeescentralcharactersalsoinTheHamlet(1940),TheTown(1957),andTheMansion(1959)WilliamFaulkner.Sartoris.NewYork:SignetClassic,1953WilliamFaulkner

(1897-1962)LightinAugust(1932)andAbsalom,Absalom!(1936)1.portraitsofhumanevil(p.154)2.dealswithpsychologicalillnesscausedbyracismandfamilytragedyTheBear(1942)–descriptionofhumangoodnessreceivesNobelPrizein1950&SpeechWilliamFaulkner.LightinAugust.NewYork:Penguin,1967WilliamFaulkner.LightinAugust.London:ChattoandWindus,1933.

ThefirstBritisheditionofthisnovelwaspublishedwithadustjacketthatemphasizeslonelinessandalienationfrommunity.TheblackfigureofasolitarymanisevocativeofthesamemoodasthatsuggestedbythesinglecabinhighlightedbyvariousraysoflightwhichSmithselectedforthejacketofthefirstAmericanedition.Twolaterpaperbackeditionsacplishthesame:amanstandingfacinganemptyroadandthesinglenoosestarklydrawnagainstabackgroundofbrightlight.Mostcriticswouldagreewiththesepublishers.ThenovelworkswiththemesFaulknerusedbefore:extremeisolationoftheindividualinthemodernworld,thedividedandalienatedself,theindividual(likeBayardSartoris,QuentinCompson,andJoeChristmas)whocannotrelatetohissocietyandthuscannotestablishahumanidentity.Withthisnovel,however,Faulknerdemonstratesthatisolationcandomorethanmerelycausesuffering;itcanleadtodehumanizationandevilwhich,inturn,areexacerbatedbyracialdivisionanddissolutionofsocialorder. Theextensiveperiod(1833to1910)andtheplexnarrationsthatFaulknerusedtotelltheSutpenstorycausedhimtocreatethreereaders'guidesthatareincludedattheendofthetext.Thefirstisa"Chronology"thatbeginswithThomasSutpen'sbirthin1807andhighlightsthemajoreventsinthestory,