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World War I and The Literary Transition Into Modernism Essay

World War I and The Literary Transition Into Modernism World War I was the culmination of many things. On the surface, it was the ultimate in international disputes. Never before had the nations of the civilized world boiled over on such an enormous level. So large was the scale of World War I that there were few countries who did not feel its effects. On a more profound level, the human being had never before exacted such damage upon themselves in the name of warfare. Due to the absolute horror of the violence, man became shell-shocked psychologically and disillusionment filled many people. The psychological effects of this conflict would alter world views for years to come, especially as recorded in the post-war literature.†¦show more content†¦After years of vicious trench warfare, gas attacks, and artillery shellings, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicated in late 1918. The allied forces settled the terms of peace at Versailles in 1919, ending the war. In all, total deaths of all nations reached over eight-and-a-half million. Total casualties involved numbered thirty-seven million. The damage to the European infrastructure was immeasurable. The damage done to the psyche of the survivor is hard to estimate. A gauge by which to judge the effects of World War I is the literary world. Through the written word, artists of the 1920s and afterward expressed their disillusionment that the violent conflict triggered in the form of modernism. The world reacted to the war, and the writers in Europe and the U.S. expressed a common sentiment. â€Å"The era following World War I marked by tremendous social upheaval and economic and political devastation, gave rise to modernism. Modernism began in Europe as a response to the devastating effects of World War I. Broadly, it refers to literary work produced in the interwar period; more specifically, it references the breakdown of traditional society under the forces of modernity† (Norton). Much of this description relates to the literary elements of Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence, a novel written amidst the violence and aftermathShow MoreRelatedThe Birth Of The Realism And Modernism Era1322 Words   |  6 PagesEdith Wharton Literary History The birth of the Realism and Modernism era appeared during the late eighteenth century to early nineteenth century. Both Realism and Modernism are evident in many of Edith Wharton’s literary works. Realism came from chaotic times where it â€Å"encompasses the period of time from the Civil War†(Realism from American). The United States grew enormously after the civil war with â€Å"the rapid growth in industrialism and urbanization, an expanding population base due to immigrationRead MoreThe Wasteland, by T.S. Eliot857 Words   |  4 Pagesliving death. He uses techniques such as narration, historical, literary, and mythic allusions. Using themes and techniques from his earlier work, Eliot publishes The Wasteland. 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All the Pretty Horses novel free essay sample

The main character, John Grady Cole, faces plenty of hardships throughout his journey from his home in Texas to Mexico. On the other hand, McCarthy writes this award-winning book in a positive way, demonstrating the balance between optimism and pessimism in our world. He shows how John Grady Cole has matured and grown substantially because of this negativity he faces. The reader can clearly see the negativity not only in the first page of the novel, but also in the first paragraph. McCarthy begins the book with, â€Å"†¦ he looked at the face so caved and drawn among the folds of funeral cloth, the yellowed moustache, the eyelids paper thin. That was not sleeping†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3). The funeral described in the first page is John Grady’s grandpa’s funeral. Starting a book off in this way (with a dead body) obviously points the reader towards the opinion that this book is a long, dreadful ride with much death and destruction. We will write a custom essay sample on All the Pretty Horses novel or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The image of the coffin, the yellowing moustache, and the deceased person clearly shows the negativity that fills this book. Throughout the book, John Grady Cole faces many challenges and much adversity and learns to live with it. After leaving their home in Texas, John Grady and his best friend Rawlins travel hundreds of miles deep into the heart of Mexico on horseback until they reach a ranch offering work called La Purisima. Both of these boys are skilled at working with horses and spend most of their time at the ranch taming and taking care of the many horses there. While working at La Purisima, John meets the ranch owner’s daughter, a beautiful girl named Alejandra, and falls in love. Alejandra’s father absolutely does not appreciate this; in fact, he orders for John Grady and Rawlins to be arrested because of John’s interactions with Alejandra. The hardships that these boys face are relentless, however, John Grady refuses to hang his head and give up. On their way to the jail, John Grady says to Rawlins, â€Å"I can’t back up and start over. But I don’t see the point in slobberin over it† (155). At this point, McCarthy reveals how John Grady has matured and has learned to live with the sorrows he faces. With this new found maturity, and as John Grady Cole overcomes this terrible journey of negativity, he has learned to live with the pessimism and has found out how the negatives go side by side with the positives. Nearing the end of the book John Grady Cole realizes that â€Å"the world’s pain and its beauty moved in a relationship of diverging equity† (282). John Grady has learned the skill of searching for the light in a dark room, constantly refusing to dwell on the negative aspects of his many horrible situations. He has a new wisdom of the world and has learned how it works. In conclusion, McCarthy writes All The Pretty Horses with much negativity and at the same time he delivers a lesson of how positivity is hidden in every situation, journey, and life. McCarthy demonstrates how John Grady Cole learns maturity the hard way: through hardships, sorrow and death. This book leaves the reader with a tear in their eye and a smile on their face, for they know that sorrow is sitting on the doorstep of happiness.

Serial Killers Essays (1304 words) - Crime, John Wayne Gacy

Serial Killers Serial Killers and What They Are Behavior is sometimes defined as the response of an individual, group, or species to its environment. Parents, girlfriends, sisters, brothers, and peers can all affect a persons behavior. Not everybody necessarily will have the behavior of a serial killer. In this paper, I will attempt to show the difference between the psychopath and the psychotic. Explain how the environment, upbringing, and treatment of serial killers led them to become who they are today. Most serial killers can be placed in two categories, the psychopath and the psychotic. Psychotics are clearly insane and fail to perceive reality correctly. However, very few serial killers fall into this category. Most serial killers have a thought out scheme, or plan of going about things. They think things through, and evaluate what the situation could bring to them. This comes from a long line of abuse, intolerance, and dysfunction during their early childhood years. Many people may even go so far as to view certain serial killers as geniuses, in the respect that their actions are so well thought out so very carefully planned. These types of serial killers would fall, under the psychopath category. A psychopath, also known as a sociopath, does not suffer from a mental illness, where in their makeup of their DNA have nothing to do with the way they are. A psychopath, rather suffers from a severe brain flaw, or personality, resulting due to the way they were brought up, their envir onment, and the way they were treated by family, especially that of the parents, or brothers, and sisters. One thing to note about the psychopath is that, the majority of the time, they realize the crime they are committing is wrong. This does not concern them, however, as they feel their need to kill and punish is greater than any rule or law (www.serialkillers.net). Psychopaths are usually very smart, very deceiving, and very normal upon first glance. They look like everyone else and behave like everyone else when in the company of others. Deep into the depths of their mind, they are working up an elaborate plan on how to catch their prey tonight. They have a need to kill, and an elaborate scheme, to fit the pieces of the puzzle. Their need to kill comes from the way they were treated in the past. Some serial killers hold vengeful thoughts towards their parents, fathers in particular, who dismissed them from their lives or abused and harmed them when they were children. An example is, John Wayne Gacy, During Gacys late teens, he had some trouble with his father, although relations with his mother and sisters were very strong. John Wayne Gacy, Sr., was an abusive alcoholic who physically abused his wife and verbally assaulted his children. Although John Sr. was an unpleasant individual, young Gacy deeply loved his father and wanted desperately to gain his devotion and attention. However, his father would drink himself stupid and physically and verbally abuse young Gacy. He would call him a queer, and a mamas boy, and seemingly avoided his son at all costs. Unfortunately, Gacy was never able to get very close to his father before he died, something which he regretted his entire life. (www.crimelibrary.com) This type of behavior, presented to a child at a young age, is bound to stir up some troubled emotions. Gacy was to never get over his father calling his only son a queer. During a three year period, Gacy would go on to viciously torture, rape, and murder over 30 young boys, who would later be discovered buried under the floorboards of his home. Another notorious serial killer whose killings were based on major events that occurred to him during his adolescent years is the infamous Ted Bundy. Bundy grew up with a family of all women. He never knew his father, and his mother and sisters played a big role in his life. He was shy as friends recalled him being a loner in school. In college he met a young woman by the name of Stephanie Brooks, and he fell instantly in love. Stephanie became Teds first love, and she was the first woman Ted was ever involved with sexually.