Modernism Essay

1523 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essays on arthur miller

A New Age and a New Philosophy
As the gears of American society turned ever forward, a new ideology in literature-known as Modernism-shifted authors of the time to create different works that reflected the new ideas that it encompassed. America, in the course of 70 years, had turned from a bunch of rebellious farmers into one of the largest and most powerful nations in the world. As the “American Century” of the 1900s went on by, new technological achievements in radio, television and health care helped to change the ideals and even mindsets of writers everywhere. Despite all of this success, many people viewed all of this rapid change in a negative way spurring a new type of thinking that would develop into Modernism. One such person that was influenced by the advent of modern society was Arthur Miller, a struggling playwright who would go on to write some of the best dramas since Shakespeare himself and become a legend while doing it. Through the literary criticism of Christopher Bigsby, Harold Clurman and anonymous, it becomes clear how the ideals an points of Modernism are reflected in the masterpieces that are the plays of Arthur Miller.
Modernism in literature was a new form of expressing one’s opinions that would go on to change the world and the many authors on it, forever. Modernists focused on new ideals on the world and the society that people live in and how it had many problems that people seemed to overlook. Modernists, in other words, looked for the areas of society and of human nature itself that weren’t always pushed out in front and showcased them all for the world to see. This almost cynical view of the world came from a variety of factors, the most prominent to many modernists being World War I. World War I...

... middle of paper ...

...ler’s own personal ideals ad beliefs on modernism despite it being his first staged play.
In conclusion, the famed twentieth century playwright Arthur Miller is a complete modernist. Throughout his many works, he uses modernist ideas of the worst of human nature to create very strong characters that establish and work in the roles he makes for them well. All of these points can be further exemplified by the literary criticism of Christopher Bigsby, Harold Clurman and anonymous who all help to show further the path of modernism that Miller undertook in the creation of his many landmark plays. Overall, Arthur Miller’s influence as a modernist playwright not only had an effect on the entire theatre industry but also much of the modernist literature of the entire twentieth century as well leaving a profound image of what modernism truly is on American culture.

Show More
Related

  • King Lear and Death of a Salesman

    2158 Words  | 5 Pages

    Social pressures change as time passes, therefore it is interesting to see how these three texts whom differ by almost four hundred years perceive society and the effect this has on the protagonists; Shakespeare’s King Lear which was first performed in 1606 during the Jacobean era, presents a patriarchal society. Whilst, Arthur Miller uses the characters in ‘Death of a salesman’ to show the failure of the ‘American dream’ during the “golden era” of America in the late 40’s. The ‘American Dream’ was a set of ideals which suggested that anyone in the US could be successful through hard work, and had the potential to live a happy life. The sense of the deterioration in the equality of opportunities links to the fall in power and hierarchy in King Lear. Arudanthi Roy, however, uses her contemporary Indian novel to illustrate, using a proleptic and coalesce structure, the lives of the protagonists living in a post – colonial society. In each of these three texts there are characters who fit the stereotypes that society has instilled in them, but then there are those characters who noticeably differ from the norm; According to 19th century novelist Alfred de Musset “how glorious it is – and how painful – to be an exception.” Hence this statement can be seen as applicable to these characters, because in all three texts these characters do end up losing a lot.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    1354 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cardullo, Bert . "Death of a Salesman and Death of a Salesman: The Swollen Legacy of Arthur Miller." Columbia University in the City of New York. The Columbia Journal of American Studies, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Women’s Role in Society: Throughout the Years

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    Modernism is the term of deviating from the norm. In the early 1900s, modernism influenced women’s role in society by providing more opportunities, jobs, and role models for girls today, in society.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Absurd Theatre

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the modernism there was no focus on the plot events, instead the writers focused on characters' consciousness. Ambiguity and complexity were valued at that time. Modernists often work towards open endings and used the narrative gaps. In the early modernism the technique of Stream of Consciousness was widely used to know more about the human sense. Modernism was influenced by naturalism and realism. Its social content is characteristically avant-grade (Drabble 682). Moreover, the 20th century is one of the most important periods in English drama. New ideas, terms and styles have been introduced as a result of the atmosphere. Writers on that time expressed their anger and scorn as a result of the wars and the revolutions. There were many social changes at that time and the playwrights started to tackle that in their plays (Innes

    Read More

  • The New Idea of Modernism

    861 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the time after World War One a new way of thinking became prominent. This new idea is what we call Modernism. After the war it was realized that many people had suffered absolute horrors, ones that they never could have imagined, or ever forget. The violence and pain witnessed by so many left them psychologically shell-shocked, and filled with disillusionment. These psychological effects would soon alter the world for years to come, and lead many to a loss in faith and questioning of everything they once believed true.

    Read More

  • Modernism: The Affluential and the Destructive

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    Modernism can be defined through the literary works of early independent 20th century writers. Modernism is exp...

    Read More

  • Modernism

    3194 Words  | 7 Pages

    Modernism is defined in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary as "a self-conscious break with the past and a search for new forms of expression." While this explanation does relate what modernism means, the intricacies of the term go much deeper. Modernism began around 1890 and waned around 1922. Virginia Wolf once wrote, "In or about December, 1910, human character changed." (Hurt and Wilkie 1443). D.H. Lawrence wrote a similar statement about 1915: "It was 1915 the old world ended." (Hurt and Wilkie 1444). The importance of the exact dates of the Modernist period are not so relevant as the fact that new ideas were implemented in the era. Ideas that had never before been approached in the world of literature suddenly began emerging in the works of many great authors. Two of the pioneer Modernist writers were Joseph Conrad and T.S. Eliot. The tendencies to question the incontestable beliefs embedded in all thinking and to focus on the inner self dominated. Old viewpoints were tossed aside to make way for the discovery of modern man's personal spirituality. Two works that are considered important forbears in the Modern period are T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

    Read More

  • The Trauma of Female Character ---in “Death of Salesman”

    1823 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1949, the pinnacle of contemporary American playwright, Arthur Miller, published his works “Death of a Salesman”. After the advent of this play, not only caused a sensation in the theaters in the United States, but also became the Western model of modern tragedy as one of the most important drama after America's World War II. Miller was twice won the “New York Drama Critics Award” and also awarded the “Pulitzer Prize.”[

    Read More

  • Summary Of Death Of A Salesman And Glengarry Glen Ross

    1352 Words  | 3 Pages

    His style of writing supports the idea that modern writing should always strive to establish the meaning, soundness and unity which has been lost in modern ways of life. Klages defines modernity as a period (era) where societal norms and values determine the social order. Resultantly, anything that goes against these norms is deemed immoral, and within the social realm, the truth is the absolute element. Nevertheless, in page 4 of Tragedy and the Common Man, Miller holds a varied stand when he claims that “if society alone is responsible for cramping our lives, then the protagonist needs must be so pure and faultless”. Even though the concept of relativism is not properly developed within this story, Miller captures all the essential elements. He judges capitalism basing on what his culture holds right or what he personally considers right. He uses a clear and transparent language, and he shares his personal feeling towards capitalism to the audience in an accurate and clear way. Therefore, we can ascertain that Miller’s Death of a Salesman is in line with the elements of

    Read More

  • Humanity In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Though humanity can never express itself fully, it is never deterred in its quest to do so. Literature brings such light and expression for humanity to communicate across time, space, generations and ever-evolving society. However, no modicum of talent suffices to satisfy people throughout the ages for literature and its ability to communicate directly and indirectly. Arthur Miller stands as a classic American author with his ability to explore the darker and deeper parts of humanity and individuals facing the adversity of a larger society. In Miller’s Death of a Salesman, he demonstrates the struggle of a family with an illusion of the American Dream against new ideas of success and striving for personal happiness rather than wealth or prestige.

    Read More

  • American Modernization

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    Modernists portray a dull, gloomy and pessimistic picture of culture in America during this time period. This despair is often caused by an apparent boredom and the people’s feeling of uncertainty, of changes to come. Modernism uncovered has an anti-traditionalist theme instilled in it, because of the inevitability that changes will occur. “Modern” itself possesses the qualities, such as being simple and spontaneous along with an indefinite time frame to allow people’s acceptance of unknown. In many ways, this movement is difficult to define, but it can be generally applied to the work o...

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    Born into a wealthy family in 1915 in New York City, Arthur Miller would become one of America’s finest playwrights. Like many of the families during the Great Depression, Miller’s family suffered financial and social collapse during the 1930s. In order to pay for his education at the University of Michigan, he took on menial jobs that offered him the opportunity to be surrounded by those who had also suffered the same downfall from the Depression. These experiences would shape how and what Miller would write about in the future, including his Pulitzer Prize winning play, Death of a Salesman and the main character of the play, Willy Loman. Narcissism, mental illness, and the downfall of the American dream, define Willy Loman’s character in

    Read More

  • Modernism - Rebellion and Sexuality

    2048 Words  | 5 Pages

    Michael Levenson said in The Cambridge Companion to Modernism that Modernism fiction was “involved in the radical modern departure, across all of the arts, from representational verisimilitudei”. It was stylistically and thematically focused on rebellion against the way art was presented in the past and what its main focus was.

    Read More

  • The Influences of Playwright Eugene O’Neill

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many playwrights drew from outside influences to compose their works. They would look the era they were living in, their personal lives, childhood experiences, and even ancient texts to acquire inspiration for their works and famous playwright, Eugene O’Neill, is no exception. Writing through two world wars, a great depression, and boom of the motion-picture industry, O’Neill certainly had much inspiration to choose from. Although not becoming nationally recognized until after his father’s death in 1920, O’Neill still managed to produce fifty completed works. Using influences from the 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, Eugene O’Neill demonstrated how he used the era he was living in to help compose his works.

    Read More

  • American Theatre Essay

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    (Watson) The country and its people were conflicted with politics that seemed too disinterested in the public’s wellbeing and too interested in triumphing over Communism, as wars were coming to a close in far-off lands for reasons far-off from their own concerns. Pieces written and produced were created to shine a light on the social problems within America, as well as the growing concern about money and personal financial wellbeing. American theatre was already established during this time, thanks to the “two potent young dramatists: Arthur Miller, who turned the ordinary man into a figure of tragic stature in Death of a Salesman (1949) and drew a parallel between U.S. Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy’s anti-Communist ‘crusade’ of the 1950s and the Salem witch trials of 1692 in The Crucible (1953), and Tennessee Williams, who created a world festering with passion and sensuality in plays such as A Streetcar Named using theatre as a device to reflect society, something once again seen by the popularity of Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber who used their art to highlight the emphasis society had placed on the rich and classism.

    Read More

More about Modernism Essay

Open Document