Modernist literature is not exactly high on my list of categories to browse through at the local Barnes and Noble. Perhaps it was previous experiences with English class literature that turned me sour but I was never one to read fiction that was written before the 1950's, and even then I found myself struggling to make it through such classics as To Kill A Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye. In fact, one of the only stories I have ever read in English class and gone back to reread on my own time was Hatchet which ended up becoming one of my favorite books to date. There was something about the precise descriptions and details of Brian's every action as he fought for survival that kept me enthralled through the whole story.
As I started the assigned summer reading this year I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike the extreme mundane description of average English life that last years summer reading portrayed that bored me too tears, I found books with exciting plots with dark twists and turns that really kept me interested. However, the real beauty I found in these books was the amount of detail of the world around the characters as the story progressed, especially in Tender is the Night. Post World War 1 Europe was a dismal continent which I learned much about last year in History class, but was never fully interested in until I read this book. I don't think I really understood how much impact the first World War had on the psyche and culture of Europe until I was reading about Dick and Nicole traveling and experiencing it. I was also very interested in how each detail in stories like the three we read can be interpreted in so many different ways. It was enthralling to think about things like whether Esther's feeling of being under a bell jar was due to being a social anomaly or whether it was because she felt everyone had their eyes on her at all time. In short, I am excited to keep reading these stories in and out of class as the year continues and seeing if this literature will have a positive effect on my learning experience.
This is really well written, I like the connections you made from last year's history class and this year's summer reading. I agree with your assessment of The Bell Jar and how she felt under the pressure of society constantly. I was like you, that I did not really enjoy the books that I read in school but I really enjoyed these books for the most part. What was your opinion of Dead Wake? You mention the other two but not that one
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of your points about modernism. The improvement from last year's summer reading to this year's summer reading is immense and I could not be happier about it. Also, I am amazed by how each story can be interpreted in so many ways because of the amount of levels of meaning that each detail can possess.
ReplyDeleteI also felt that last year's summer reading books were (subjectively) terrible. Jane Eyre was by far the worst. I found myself falling asleep every time I opened it up. The summer reading books this year were much more interesting. The perspectives of these psychologically broken characters changes how I perceive different situations. For example, I would not personally turn down an invitation to study at a prestigious university, but Esther's experiences in "The Bell Jar" made it seem like she was physically incapable of even writing a response.
ReplyDeleteAlthough your post was well written, I can't say I agree with it. I found Tender is the Night to be a decent portrayal of the descent into depression, but I did not think it did a particularly good job at displaying the effect of the first World War on Europe. The only characters in which we really saw that effect were Tommy (the perpetual soldier in whom it was accentuated) and Rosemary (the American in whom it was missing).
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