English Literature: Modernism and the 1930s

English Literature: Modernism and the 1930s – A Comprehensive Guide for Students

Welcome to your essential guide to English Literature: Modernism and the 1930s. This period marked a significant shift from the experimental zeal of high Modernism, grappling with profound political, economic, and social upheavals across Europe. As Modernism began to wane, new literary tendencies emerged, reflecting a world in flux and setting the stage for future literary developments. This overview will help you understand the key authors, works, and themes of this crucial decade.

The Cultural and Societal Landscape of the 1930s

The 1930s were characterized by significant changes that deeply influenced literature. Europe experienced alarming negative political, economic, and social shifts, leading to widespread uncertainty.

Key aspects of the decade include:

• The rise of a consumer society with mass production and consumption becoming more widespread.
• Great advancements in transport, particularly with cars (e.g., Ford's T Model) and airplanes.
• The emergence of a new film industry as a form of entertainment.
• Influential thinkers like Sigmund Freud (exploring open sexuality) and Karl Marx (ideas on big factories and mass production) shaped societal understanding.
• These shifts led to a more materialistic and mechanical world, prompting a new generation of writers to cope with people's problems, often adopting a journalistic, lucid, and colloquial style.

Literary Tendencies in 1930s Fiction

In the face of these rapid changes, literature developed two main tendencies:

• Satirical fiction: Criticizing societal flaws, often through humor and exaggeration.
• Documentary fiction: Aiming to realistically depict contemporary life and social issues.

Prominent Authors and Their Contributions

The 1930s saw several significant authors explore these new themes and styles. Here's a closer look at some of the most influential figures:

T.S. Eliot (1888-1965): Religious and Verse Drama

By 1927, T.S. Eliot had joined the Church of England and become a British citizen, which profoundly influenced his work. His poetry developed an increasingly religious tendency.

Notable works from or reflecting this period include:

• Collected Poems 1909-35 (1936), which contained poems like “The Return of the Magi” and “Ash Wednesday.”
• Four Quartets (1943), a profound exploration of time, spirituality, and human experience.
• From the 1930s, Eliot also attempted to revive verse drama, most notably with Murder in the Cathedral (1935).
• He received both the Nobel Prize for Literature and The Order of Merit in 1948.

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963): Satire and Dystopia

Huxley focused on depicting and criticizing the negative impacts of modern technical civilization on contemporary Western society. He explored the misuse of modern science and technologies through satirical novels.

His most famous work, Brave New World (1932), is a satirical dystopia set in the year 2540 (632 A.F.). This anti-utopian novel presents a society built on the principles of “Community, Identity, Stability” where individuals are genetically engineered and conditioned.

Key themes and elements of Brave New World include:

• Caste system and hypnopaedia (sleep-teaching).
• The pervasive use of soma for pleasure and suppression of discontent.
• A society without culture, history, family, solitude, independent thinking, pain, or despair – instead, there is “no leisure from pleasure.”
• Characters like Bernard Marx, Lenina, Polly Trotsky, and Mustapha Mond navigate this controlled world.
• The Savage (John), from a reservation, offers a critique of this “brave new world.”

Evelyn Waugh (1902-66): Conservative Satirist

Waugh was an English satirical novelist, known for his conservative traditionalist viewpoint and elegant, unaffected English style. His works often satirized the upper-middle class and societal decadence.

His notable satirical novels from the 1930s include:

• Vile Bodies (1930)
• Black Mischief (1932)
• A Handful of Dust (1934)
• Scoop (1938)

Christopher Isherwood (1904-86): The Berlin Diaries

Isherwood, a novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, is best known for his semi-autobiographical works reflecting his time in Berlin. After leaving Cambridge without a degree, he lived in Berlin from 1929 to 1933.

Much of this experience is reflected in his most famous work, Goodbye to Berlin (1939). This novel captures the decadent atmosphere of Weimar Republic Berlin just before the Nazi rise to power.

Memorable characters from Goodbye to Berlin include:

• The caring landlady, Frl. Schroeder.
• The decadent cabaret artist Sally Bowles.
• Natalia Landauer, a rich Jewish heiress.
• The gay couple Peter and Otto.

This work was later dramatized as I am a Camera (1951), and then famously adapted into the Broadway musical Cabaret (1968) and a film of the same title (1972).

George Orwell [Eric Arthur Blair] (1903-50): Social Commentary and Political Allegory

Orwell was a democratic socialist and a journalist known for his lucid and colloquial style. His early works provide documentary insights into poverty and conflict.

Key works from this period include:

• Down and Out in Paris and London (1933), a documentary account of poverty.
• The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), exploring the lives of the working class in northern England.
• Homage to Catalonia (1938), a memoir of his experiences fighting in the Spanish Civil War.

Orwell later became renowned for his powerful political allegories such as Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), where he fused political and artistic purpose to criticize totalitarianism.

Graham Greene (1904-91): Catholicism and Moral Ambiguity

Greene converted to Roman Catholicism in 1926, and his works often explore religious themes, ambivalent moral and political issues. He frequently set his stories in poor, hot, and dusty tropical backwaters, creating what is known as “Greeneland.”

Notable works from the 1930s and beyond include:

• Stamboul Train (1932)
• England Made Me (1935)
• A Gun for Sale (1936)
• Brighton Rock (1938), a powerful novel exploring good, evil, and Catholicism.
• A Confidential Agent (1939)

His later works, such as The Power and the Glory (1940) and The Heart of the Matter (1948), continued to delve into complex moral dilemmas.

W.H. Auden (1907-73): Engaging with Political and Moral Issues

W.H. Auden was a highly influential poet known for his stylistic and technical achievements, as well as his engagement with moral and political issues. He displayed a remarkable variety of tone, form, and content.

Early collections from the 1930s include:

• The Orators (1932)
• The Dance of Death (1933)
• Look Stranger! (1936)
• Spain (1937), reflecting his engagement with the Spanish Civil War.

Auden emigrated to the United States with Christopher Isherwood in 1939 and became an American citizen in 1946, though he remained unmistakably a British poet.

The End of an Era: Modernism's Legacy

While many of these authors were still alive and producing significant works, the peak of Modernism as a dominant literary movement did not survive the 1930s in its original form. The decade saw a shift towards more direct social commentary, political engagement, and a focus on realism or satiric critique, paving the way for post-war literature.

Frequently Asked Questions about 1930s English Literature

What are the main characteristics of English Literature in the 1930s?

English literature in the 1930s was characterized by a shift from high Modernism to more direct engagement with social and political realities. Key characteristics include satirical and documentary fiction, a focus on the negative impacts of modern technical civilization, the exploration of moral and religious themes, and a journalistic, colloquial style.

Who are the most important authors of the 1930s in English Literature?

Some of the most important authors include Aldous Huxley (known for Brave New World), Evelyn Waugh (satirical novels), Christopher Isherwood (Berlin stories like Goodbye to Berlin), George Orwell (social commentary like Down and Out in Paris and London and The Road to Wigan Pier), Graham Greene (Catholic themes in novels like Brighton Rock), T.S. Eliot (religious poetry and verse drama), and W.H. Auden (poetic engagement with political issues).

How did the social and political context influence literature in the 1930s?

The 1930s saw significant political, economic, and social upheavals, including economic crises, the rise of new regimes, and the growth of consumer society. These factors led authors to critique modern society, explore themes of dystopia, poverty, political conflict, and moral ambiguity, often using satire or documentary realism to reflect the turbulent times.

What is the significance of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley?

Brave New World (1932) is a highly significant satirical dystopia that critiques the potential dangers of unchecked scientific and technological progress. It explores themes of social conditioning, loss of individuality, and the pursuit of superficial pleasure, making it a foundational text for discussions on technological ethics and societal control.

What role did Christopher Isherwood's Goodbye to Berlin play in depicting the 1930s?

Goodbye to Berlin (1939) offers a vivid, semi-autobiographical depiction of the bohemian and politically charged atmosphere of Berlin in the early 1930s, just before the Nazi rise to power. It captures the social decadence, personal struggles, and emerging political tensions through its memorable characters, providing a crucial historical and cultural document of the period.