Instruction
Use the two texts "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell and "Babylon Revisited" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Discuss both texts in relation to modernism. Make sure to explain what modernism is, and show how the texts you chose demonstrate modernism. Use the definition of modernism given:
**Modernism:A movement dated from roughly 1900-1950. In short, modernism is about changes--changes in society and changes in literary form. Modernist literature represents the change a traditional society experiences as it becomes modern, a transformation that may be painful. In this time period, Americans witnessed the devastating effects of World War I, Black Friday and the subsequent stock market crash, the Great Depression, and World War II, and many people were disillusioned. Also in this time period came Darwin's theory of evolution, challenging traditional ideas about religion; Karl Marx's theories on communism, challenging the current idea of government; and Sigmund Freud's theory of the unconscious mind, challenging traditional ideas about humanity. Many modernist writers reflect this disillusionment and confusion by questioning traditional values and beliefs and/or portraying the failure of the American Dream. As the editors of your textbook point out, modernism is "an experience of loss". This loss and uncertainty is sometimes reflected in literature that might end without a true resolution, echoing the loss many felt in their lives. The traditional "happy ending" is certainly not a staple in modernist literature.
*This is a formal essay and should be formatted according to APA guidelines. You do not need to include an abstract.
*Write a 750-word (minimum) essay addressing the topic above. You must meet the minimum word count to get full credit.
*Your essays must include quotes from each text used to get full credit. Be sure to quote, cite, and reference from the text(s) using appropriate APA format.
*Save your essay as Microsoft Word document.