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Early 20th-Century Literary Innovations

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147 views3 pages

Early 20th-Century Literary Innovations

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goodatvayne
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Assignment 8 (ENG-2206).
Experiments and Innovations in the Early 20th-Century Western Literature and Arts
I. Marcel Proust
1. Summarize the excerpt from Part I. Combray of Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust selected in
the textbook (pp. 137-140) in a paragraph of about 70 words. The summary needs to mention
the character(s) and the main actions described in the excerpt.
- In the extract from the textbook, the writer tells about his sleeping and waking experiences. At
first he went to sleep soon after putting off the light but when he awoke again and found himself
reflecting upon what he had read another while ago. Sleep restores to him memories of his life as
a child and places of residence too. Upon awakening, it becomes difficult for him to understand
where he is in terms of location and time; Therefore, he mixes up rooms and memories easily
most of the time. Then, thanks to habits and memories, he finally realized his position.

2. Write down a sentence which you think is the longest one from the excerpt.
- “But I had seen sometimes one, sometimes another, of the bedrooms I had inhabited in my life,
and in the end I would recall them all in the long reveries that followed my waking: winter
bedrooms in which, as soon as you are in bed, you bury your head in a nest braided of the most
disparate things: a corner pillow, the top of the covers, a bit of shawl, the side of the bed and an
issue of the Débats roses," which you end by cementing together using the birds' technique of
pressing down on it indefinitely; where in icy weather the pleasure you enjoy is the feeling that
you are separated from the outdoors (like the sea swallow which makes its nest deep in an
underground passage in the warmth of the earth) and where, since the fire is kept burning all
night in the fireplace, you sleep in a great cloak of warm, smoky air, shot with the glimmers from
the logs breaking into flame again, a sort of immaterial alcove, a warm cave dug out of the heart
of the room itself, a zone of heat with shifting thermal contours, aerated by drafts which cool your
face and come from the corners, from the parts close to the window or far from the hearth, and
which have grown cold again: summer bedrooms where you delight in becoming one with the
soft night, where the moonlight leaning against the half-open shutters casts its enchanted ladder to
the foot of the bed, where you sleep almost in the open air, like a titmouse rocked by the breeze
on the tip of a ray of light; sometimes the Louis XVI bedroom, so cheerful that even on the first
night I had not been too unhappy there and where the slender columns that lightly supported the
ceiling stood aside with such grace to show and reserve the place where the bed was; at other
times, the small bedroom with the very high ceiling, hollowed out in the form of a pyramid two
stories high and partly paneled in mahogany, where from the first second I had been mentally
poisoned by the unfamiliar odor of the vetiver," convinced of the hostility of the violet curtains
and the insolent indifference of the clock chattering loudly as though I were not there: where a
strange and pitiless quadrangular cheval glass, barring obliquely one of the corners of the room,
carved from deep inside the soft fullness of my usual field of vision a site for itself which I had
not expected; where my mind, struggling for hours to dislodge itself, to stretch upward so as to
assume the exact shape of the room and succeed in filling its gigantic funnel to the very top, had
suffered many hard nights, while I lay stretched out in my bed, my eyes lifted, my ear anxious,
my nostril restive, my heart pounding, until habit had changed the color of the curtains, silenced
the clock, taught pity to the cruel oblique mirror, concealed, if not driven out completely, the
smell of the vetiver and appreciably diminished the apparent height of the ceiling.” The sentence
in paragraph 140.

II. Tristan Tzara and André Breton


1. Write down the objects the author of “Dada Manifesto 1918” wants to attack.
- He wants to abolishes logic, archaeology, prophets, future.
- An absolute indisputable belief in each god immediate product of spontaneity.
2. What is the problem Breton wants to criticize and what is the one he wants to promote in
the process of artistic creation?
- Breton aims to critique the unchecked imagination that can only operate within the constraints of
arbitrary usefulness, finding it difficult to maintain such a limited role, particularly in the context
of the twentieth century.
- He wanted to promote freedom in the process of artistic creation.
3. Whom does Breton admire and try to apply his theory to the artistic creation? Summarize
in a paragraph of about 30-50 words the main idea of his theory which Breton mentions in the
Manifesto.
- Breton agrees with Freud that it is possible to use his critical abilities for the explanation of
dreams. He says that this important part of spiritual life is often neglected as thinking does not
supply an unbroken solution from birth to death. In terms on the duration of pure dreams in sleep,
these moments are not less significant than the moments of reality. Breton had set out for himself
what people expected from others: a monologue delivered at top speed without any input by
critical faculties and therefore exempted even from slight inhibition. It feels like speaking one’s
mind freely without inhibitions or filters. Assessing them can be difficult and may not be done in
the first reading
III. William Faulkner
1. Who influences Faulkner’s early period of writing and what is the most prominent narrative technique
he experiments with in his life as an author?
- Faulkner was influenced by Philip Stone in his early writing
- The most prominent narrative technique he experiments with in his life as an author is The stream of
consciousness.
2. Whose narrative point of view is in each chapter of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury (read the
quotation of each chapter selected in the textbook to figure out)?
- April Seventh, 1928 the narrator is Benjy
- June Second, 1910 the narrator is Quentin
- April Sixth, 1928 the narrator is Jason
3. How many italicized passages appear in the excerpt selected in the textbook? What is each of those
italicized passages about? (summarize each in some keywords or 1-2 sentences)
- There are 8 italicized passages that appear in the excerpt selected in the textbook.
1. The paragraph depicts Caddy and Benjy sneaking through a garden and a pig pen. They hear pigs
grunting, and Caddy suggests that the pigs might be upset because one of them was killed.
2. Luster's efforts distract the upset individuals on their journey.
3. Luster's frustration due to the noise, and he makes a passing observation of the carriage
4. The escape of the main character
5. The committed incest
6. Standing in the door
7. The gentleman and his books.
8. A woman, wearing a wedding dress and holding a veil, is seen running quickly and urgently out
of a mirror. She dashes across a porch and into a garden, eventually discarding her dress as she
runs toward someone named T.P., who is making a noise.

Writing
Suppose you’re asked to write an essay (of about 2,000-2,500 words) whose title is “The
technique of stream of consciousness and the tragedy of family in William Faulkner’s The
Sound and the Fury.”
Create an outline, which consists of essay’s argument and main ideas elaborating that
argument, for that essay.
Note: You need to know what is an argument and what form it should be of to have a good
outline. The argument could be 1-3 sentences in length. Each main idea should be presented
in form of a short phrase and started with a dash.

- Introduction: William Faulkner’s use of the stream of consciousness technique in The Sound and the
Fury vividly portrays the disintegration of the Compson family, emphasizing their personal tragedies and
the broader implications of familial decay.
- Literature review:
- Body:
Main idea 1: Stream of consciousness technique in character development.
Main idea 2: The function of the stream of consciousness technique.
Main idea 3 Theme of time and memory in the novel.
- Conclusion:

Common questions

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In both Proust and Faulkner's narratives, childhood memories serve as critical conduits for reconstructing past experiences, providing emotional depth and insight into character development. In "Swann's Way," Proust examines how involuntary memories of childhood environments trigger self-reflection and identity formation. Similarly, in "The Sound and the Fury," Faulkner utilizes fragmented childhood memories to depict individual psyche and familial decline. These memory techniques enrich narrative complexity by anchoring characters’ present consciousness in formative past experiences .

Tzara’s emphasis on spontaneity in the Dada Manifesto champions an art form that emerges from immediate, unfiltered creativity, which has significantly shaped contemporary notions of authenticity. This belief in spontaneity cultivates an appreciation for raw, unmediated expression that challenges crafted, commercially-driven art forms. In today’s art world, this perspective foregrounds authenticity as a measure of artistic value, encouraging a departure from traditional aesthetics towards an embrace of uniqueness and genuine personal expression .

Breton integrates Freudian dream theory into his surrealist ideology by valuing dreams as vital, untapped wells of creativity. He suggests that dreams offer an unfiltered, raw access to the subconscious, which he believes should be harnessed to liberate the artistic process from rational restraints. By promoting a monologue-like flow of thoughts, Breton aims to bridge conscious creativity with subconscious impulses, endeavoring to realize art that reveals deeper truths obscured by conventional rational thought .

"Swann’s Way" portrays spatial and temporal disorientation as metaphors for existential uncertainty—a prevalent theme in early 20th-century literature responding to rapid social changes, war, and shifting identities. Proust uses the narrator's disorientation upon awakening to echo broader concerns about the instability of self and the fluidity of reality, mirroring the era’s philosophical inquiries into the nature of existence, the reliability of perception, and the search for meaning against a backdrop of modern alienation .

Bedrooms in "Swann’s Way" act as a narrative device that symbolizes the intersection of memory, security, and identity. As the narrator describes various bedrooms he has inhabited, each setting reflects distinct layers of personal history and emotional resonance. This recurring motif underscores the transformative power of environment on memory recall and self-identity, capturing the fluid nature of consciousness where personal past converges with the immediate sensations of security and nostalgia .

Faulkner's 'stream of consciousness' technique revolutionizes narrative structure by eschewing linear timelines for a more immersive depiction of character experiences. In "The Sound and the Fury," this technique enables a fragmented yet profound exploration of time as a malleable dimension, where characters’ thoughts and feelings intersect past and present events. This results in complex portrayals of individuals, as internal monologues reveal intimate emotional landscapes, emphasizing the subjective nature of reality and the fluidity of time .

Proust uses memory as a central theme to illustrate how past experiences can blur boundaries of time and space, affecting self-awareness. In "Swann’s Way," the narrator's experiences of waking and sleeping demonstrate how his childhood memories spontaneously surface in his mind, challenging his sense of temporal and spatial identity. This narrative structure underlines the intricate ways memory intertwines with current cognition, suggesting identity is a complex tapestry woven from past and present moments .

In "Swann’s Way," habits serve as an anchor that eventually aids the narrator to situate himself in time and place upon awakening. His initial confusion about his surroundings dissipates as familiarity through habits reassures his understanding of his present environment. This signifies how routine acts as a stabilizing force counteracting the disorientation of fragmented memories, highlighting the interplay between habit and perception in constructing a cognitive map of the self in space and time .

Faulkner's use of multiple narrators in "The Sound and the Fury" deepens the exploration of family dynamics by presenting the Compson family’s disintegration from differing perspectives. Each narrator provides unique insights into familial relationships and individual motivations, creating a multifaceted narrative that allows readers to piece together a more complex, holistic understanding of the family saga. This approach illustrates the fractured and subjective nature of personal and collective memory within the familial construct .

Tzara's "Dada Manifesto 1918" critiques traditional artistic conventions by rejecting the logic and structured norms prevalent in the art world of his time. He aims to dissolve established frameworks, advocating for spontaneity and a rejection of conventional legitimacy. These criticisms remain relevant in contemporary art, which still grapples with institutional and market-driven constraints. The ongoing call to liberate creativity from commercial and cultural orthodoxies resonates with Tzara’s initial challenges to find authenticity and freedom in artistic expression .

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