Timeline of English Literature--The Inter

A Timeline of English Literature: The Inter-War Years (1918-1939)

The interwar period, between World War I and World War II, was a time of immense social, political, and economic upheaval. English literature reflected these turbulent times, exploring themes of disillusionment, loss, and the search for meaning in a changing world.

Key Events and Literary Movements:

1918: World War I ends.
1920s: The Jazz Age begins, characterized by economic prosperity, social change, and cultural experimentation.
1922: T.S. Eliot's groundbreaking poem "The Waste Land" is published, heralding the arrival of Modernism.
1925: Virginia Woolf's novel "Mrs. Dalloway" is published, exploring the inner lives of characters and the fragmentation of experience.
1929: The Great Depression begins, leading to widespread economic hardship and social unrest.
1930s: The stream-of-consciousness technique becomes increasingly popular, exemplified by James Joyce's novel "Ulysses" (1922) and D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love" (1920).
1930s: The social realist movement emerges, focusing on the working class and social issues. Notable authors include George Orwell and Walter Greenwood.
1936: W.H. Auden's poetry collection "Look Back in Anger" is published, reflecting the disillusionment and anger of the generation that came of age during the war.

Notable Works and Authors:

Poetry: T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, Ezra Pound, Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon
Fiction: Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, E.M. Forster, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell
Drama: Noel Coward, J.B. Priestley

The interwar period was a time of great literary experimentation and innovation. English writers responded to the challenges and traumas of their time, producing works that continue to resonate with readers today.

The Inter – War years (1918-39)

Historical events	Literature
1936 – :Allen Lane founded The Penguin Books, B B C starts. 1939 –: World War II begins.	1922 –: Ulysses –- Joyce The Waste Land – -T. S. Eliot. Forsyte Saga – -Galsworthy. 1932 –: Brave New World- – Huxley. 1935 – Murder in The Cathedral – T. S. Eliot

Rulers
1910-1936	George V
1936	Edward VIII

Authors
1888-1965	T. S. Eliot
1903-1950	George Orwell
1904-1991	Graham Greene
1907-1973	W. H. Auden
1914-1953	Dylan Thomas
	Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brute Edward Thomas etc are war poets.
1906-1989	Samuel Beckett

Important Short Questions from the Period

1.Name the important works published in 1922.

Ans. In 1922 the famous poem entitled The Waste Land created by T. S. Eliot, and the celebrated novel named Ulysses worked by James Joyce. The novel Ulysses marks the beginning of ‘Stream of Consciousness’ technique in the domain of writing novels.

2.Name the two essays by T. S. Eliot?

Ans. Tradition and Individual Talent and Metaphysical Poets are two significant critical essays written by T. S. Eliot.

3.Name the verse plays by Yeats?

Ans. The Countess Cathleen and Deirdre are two verse plays by Yeats.

4.Name two plays by T. S. Eliot?

Ans. Murder in the Cathedral and The Family Reunion are the two plays by T. S. Eliot.

5.Name two important literary periodicals of the early 20^th century.

Ans. The Egoist, The Criterion, by T. S. Eliot.

6.Name two important literary critics of the 20^th century.

Ans. T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) – Tradition and Individual talent.

Symons, Arthur (1865-1945) – Studies in Elizabethan Drama.

7.Who writes Eyeless in Gaza? (1936)

Ans. Eyeless in Gaza, a novel by Aldous Huxley, shows the barrenness of contemporary values and it also presents a positive ideal which will serve a disenchanted and hopeless world.

8.Who is the creator of the Father Brown stories?

Ans. Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) wrote detective stories with Father Brown, a Christian priest, as the detective.

His detective book is often called Father Brown stories. The collection of his Father Brown stories is The Innocence Of Father Brown.

9.What is symbolist movement in modern poetry?

Ans. Symbolists in modern poetry found in seemingly disconnected things unexpected links and upheld the power of the mind to render an organic what appears fragmentary. Arthur Symon and W.B. Yeats helped this movement through their theories of Symbolism which paved the way for modernism.

10.Who wrote the famous modern poem The Hollow Men? Mention another poem by the same poet?

Ans. The Hollowmen is written by T. S. Eliot. The poem depicts The hollowness of modern men in a most critical way. His other poem The Waste Land, Prufrock and Other Observations are also notable.

11.Who are called The Bloomsbury Group?

Ans. The writers like Roger Fry (1866-1934), Lytton Starches, Virgina Woolf, E. M. Forster and Desmond Mac Carthy used to assemble in a house at Gordon Square, Bloomsbury. They were all critical personalities with their separate individuality. They neither shared they view with the New Romanticism or T. S. Eliot or I. A. Richards. They all advocated The freedom of expressing their critical opinions in their own way.

12.Who are called The New Romantics?

Ans. John Middleton Murry (1889-1957), D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) G. Wilson Knight, Herbert Read etc. are grouped together as The New Romantics in the history of literary criticism. They all advocated the Romantic ideals in their writing.

13. What are the key characteristics of Modernist literature?

Ans. Modernist literature is characterized by its experimentation with form, fragmentation of narrative, and exploration of subjective experience. It often reflects a sense of disillusionment and fragmentation in response to the traumas of World War I and the rapid social and cultural changes of the time.

14. How did World War I influence the development of Modernism?

Ans. World War I had a profound impact on the development of Modernism. The horrors and disillusionment of the war led to a loss of faith in traditional values and a sense of fragmentation in society. These experiences were reflected in the themes and techniques of Modernist literature.

15. What is the significance of T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land"?

Ans. T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" is considered one of the most influential poems of the 20th century. It reflects the fragmentation and disillusionment of post-war society, exploring themes of loss, alienation, and the search for meaning.

16. How does Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway" explore the fragmentation of consciousness?

Ans. Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway" uses the stream-of-consciousness technique to explore the inner thoughts and feelings of its characters. The novel reveals the fragmentation of consciousness and the difficulty of understanding the subjective experiences of others.

17. What are the main themes of social realist literature?

Ans. Social realist literature focuses on the lives of the working class and the social and economic issues of the time. It often explores themes of poverty, inequality, and social injustice.

18. How did the Great Depression impact the development of social realism?

Ans. The Great Depression had a significant impact on the development of social realism. The economic hardship and social unrest of the Depression led to a renewed interest in social issues and a desire to give a voice to the marginalized.

19. What is the significance of George Orwell's "The Road to Wigan Pier"?

Ans. George Orwell's "The Road to Wigan Pier" is a powerful social commentary that explores the lives of the working class in northern England. The book provides a firsthand account of poverty, inequality, and the struggles of the working people.

20. How does Walter Greenwood's "Love on the Dole" depict the struggles of the working class?

Ans. Walter Greenwood's "Love on the Dole" is a novel that realistically portrays the struggles of the working class during the Great Depression. It explores themes of unemployment, poverty, and the impact of economic hardship on individuals and families.

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