Nostalgia

One of the themes that we’ve discussed in relation to modernism, and which also comes up in connection with the American South, is nostalgia. Certainly, in the early 20th century, a mythology of the agrarian South as a peaceful, harmonious place destroyed by the Civil War (as in, for instance, Gone With The Wind) offers a counterpoint to the alienation and confusion of modernity. It’s hard to see As I Lay Dying, however, as very nostalgic for the way of life that the Bundrens have experienced. While they embody the Northern stereotypes of “backward” Southerners, they also “belong” to the modern world in many ways, in their selfishness and materialism, for instance. The paradox here is that Darl the most “cosmopolitan” (in his own limited way) is the one who doesn’t belong to their future. As Cash says at the end of the novel, “This world is not his world” (1955). What is Faulkner saying about “this world” and where it’s going?

Modernist Poetry

Among the key elements of Modernist literature in general are formal experimentation and the notion of an “avant-garde,” that is, a small group of artists and thinkers at the forefront of creative work whose ideas are ahead of popular tastes. Certainly writers such as Pound, Eliot, Stein, etc., were much less concerned with establishing a large audience than with challenging some of the conventions surrounding literature. For many people, their work remains challenging and difficult. What are some of your response to their work, and what conclusions can you draw from these responses?