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Modernism
The modernist period in the United States emerged as a result of the rejection of Enlightenment ideas. The core period of the modernist age was between the first and second world wars. After the First World War came to an end, people began to gain more confidence and optimism about the future. To accompany this new mind frame, the modernist movement came into being, and this was reflected in all areas of life (Soto 35). Culture including art, music, way of life, and architecture all changed dramatically as a result of the influence of the modernist movement.
After the end of the First World War, America asserted itself as a world power to reckon with, and its people began to depart from European culture. This was noticeable in the new ways of life that came with industrialization and the growth in technology. There was economic upswing that came before the great depression in the 1930s. People changed their way of life. Many bought cars to enable them to move freely around as the vehicles become more affordable. Electronic devices such as television sets and refrigerators changed the lives of people and simplified housework. Women began to play more critical roles in the workplace, and there was the beginning of feminist movements to fight for the equality of women (Soto 53).
When it came to music, jazz represented a significant change influenced by Spanish and French influences and spread throughout the country from New Orleans to other cities like New York. Modernist paintings were characterized by bright colors and futuristic, non-objective expressions (Soto 67). The paintings showed the different classes that emerged in American society with industrialization and economic growth. Photography began to be recognized as a form of art, just like paintings. Overall, modernism brought revolutionary changes to the United States in the twentieth century.
Works Cited
Soto, Michael. The Modernist Nation: Generation, Renaissance, and Twentieth-Century American Literature. University of Alabama Press, 2004.
