Themes and Ideas:
* Disillusionment and Loss of Faith: The horrors of the war shattered the optimistic pre-war world view. Writers expressed disillusionment with traditional values, patriotism, and the meaning of life.
* Existentialism: The war's senselessness led to explorations of individual existence, freedom, and the search for meaning in a meaningless universe.
* Psychological Trauma: The psychological impact of war on soldiers and civilians was widely explored, leading to a focus on mental breakdown, alienation, and the struggle to cope with trauma.
* Social Commentary: Writers critiqued the political and social systems that led to the war and the injustices faced by those who fought and suffered.
Writing Styles:
* Modernism: The war influenced the development of Modernist literature, characterized by:
* Experimentation with form: Writers like James Joyce, T.S. Eliot, and Virginia Woolf broke from traditional narrative structures and explored new ways of expressing thought and experience.
* Emphasis on subjective experience: The focus shifted from objective reality to individual perception and inner turmoil.
* Stream of consciousness: This technique attempted to capture the flow of thoughts and emotions without conventional narrative structure.
* Anti-war Literature: Writers like Erich Maria Remarque and Ernest Hemingway wrote powerful anti-war narratives that exposed the brutality and futility of war.
Notable Writers:
* Ernest Hemingway: "The Sun Also Rises" (1926)
* F. Scott Fitzgerald: "The Great Gatsby" (1925)
* Erich Maria Remarque: "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1929)
* T.S. Eliot: "The Waste Land" (1922)
* Virginia Woolf: "Mrs. Dalloway" (1925)
* James Joyce: "Ulysses" (1922)
Overall Impact:
World War I irrevocably changed the landscape of literature. It led to a reassessment of traditional values, a deeper understanding of human psychology, and the emergence of new literary forms that reflected the complexities and traumas of the modern world.