«Eruption, Explosion, Intensity» – With these three terms, the writer and journalist Pinthus summarizes the literary epoch of Expressionism. Expressionists intended to put into words the most intense human feelings.
Expressionism Literature – Definition & Period
the literary epoch of Expressionism extended from 1910 to 1925. The term «expressionism» comes from the Latin word expressiothe one with the word «Expression» is translated.
Expressionist literature is particularly characterized by the intense expression of emotions and individual experience. The mostly very young poets of the epoch grappled with the world that was changing through the industrialization had changed greatly.
the industrialization started with the Invention of the steam engine in England against Late 18th century. During industrialization, the manufacture of products and goods changed. These were no longer made by hand, but increasingly by machinery. By the advent of factories a new social class formed, the so-called working class. The big cities in Europe grew due to the many jobs and also the People’s consumption has changed due to the new living conditions and the higher availability of many products.
Representatives of Expressionism believed that old structures will be overcome and that humanity must fundamentally change its behavior in order to «new people» to create. That Underclass misery in big cities, death and decay and utopias were central themes of the literary current of Expressionism.
One utopia is the fictional draft of a better future. The design of a worse future is called dystopia.
Expressionism was one of several literary currents turn of the century and was from the new objectivity superseded. Before the literary currents of the turn of the century stood the epoch of the naturalism.
At the same time as Expressionism, the movement of impressionism. The Impressionist writers aimed to depict the outer plane of the world, while the Expressionists focused on the inner workings of man.
Expressionism epoch – historical background
The period from 1910 to 1925 was marked by various conflicts. The supporters of Expressionism initially positioned themselves against this Wilhelmine Empirewhich they found obsolete and later against First World War. Also the emergence of big cities and the associated misery of the working class was a central theme of the era. Threats perceived as existential, such as the fear that the Halley’s Comet could hit the earth and cause huge destruction, also influenced the literary epoch.
Of the Halley’s Comet is considered one of the most famous comets. It comes close to Earth at regular intervals. Around 1910 he crossed the career of the earth. Some people feared that it might hit Earth and were also worried about the gases surrounding the comet. However, both fears turned out to be unfounded.
The Empire
The Expressionists stood by patriarchal and conservative Society critical of Wilhelminism. The values of Wilhelminism, which are particularly focused on obedience and nationalism related, were considered outdated for them.
as Wilhelminism will be the time of the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II (1890-1914) designated. This phase was heavily influenced by a social one conservatism shaped. Socialism and social democracy were seen as enemies. A typical feature of Wilhelminism is the emphasis on military and especially the Navy. The spiked helmet worn by soldiers at the time is considered one of the most common symbols of Wilhelminism.
Literally, during Wilhelminism, the home poetry widespread and the architecture was inspired by the magnificent buildings of the Neo-Baroques shaped.
The current of expressionism developed especially in the big cities of the empire, especially Berlinand stood for one departure the younger generation.
The word patriarchy comes from ancient Greek and is composed of the words father which means «father» and archein which translated «rule» means together. Patriarchal is the term used to describe social relationships that are mainly dominated by men are dominated. In patriarchal societies, women are opposed to men subordinate and disadvantaged.
The means of rebellion of the Expressionists were among others the Empathy with social outcasts, such as prostitutes, the working class and the mentally ill. Generational conflicts were also discussed in this context. Since the generation of fathers often represented the conservative values of the empire, empathy was a means for the younger to rebel against the older.
The conflict also often spilled over into family relationships, making conflicts between father and son a common motif in Expressionism.
The industrialization
Most Expressionist authors came from the middle class. The center of the movement was the city of Berlin. Cities grew rapidly in the early twentieth century, but were underdeveloped for the masses of residents moving in ghetto and misery developed.
through the industrialization there was also one deindividualization of the human. Many workers had to work in monotonous and physically demanding jobs factories to pursue, which brought only little money. Life in the big city also brought a new one anonymity with itself, which left many people disoriented, as life in the city was very different from their previous way of life.
The Expressionists were critical of these developments and often portrayed the city as monstrous or angry Although some appreciated the cultural freedom in cities like Berlin, this was overshadowed by criticism of the reification of man.
Expressionists took the developments of industrialization as one Relegation of man to machine true. The work in the factories was very monotonous and the working conditions were bad. It was the task of humans to secure the work processes of the machines. As a result, many felt that the benefit of man consisted only of his labor power.
The First World War
From the First World Warwho in the year 1914 began, many expressionists were initially enthusiastic. They hoped that there would now be one departure would give and the old structures of society would be left behind. This changed, however, as many young men began to realize the gruesome reality of war.
Since most Expressionists were very young, many of them died in the war. Others were traumatized by the battles. Spread quickly war criticism. The enthusiasm for the war within Expressionism could only be maintained for a very short time and the current quickly aligned itself against the First World War.
The literary life
Most of the authors lived in the big city and found there both publisher for her works as well as her audience. One developed in Berlin mass culturethat through the entertainment industry was embossed. The Expressionists represented a counter-movement to this mass culture based on light entertainment.
mass culture (also pop culture) developed at the end of the 19th century and denotes that counterpart of elite culture (high culture). The key to the development of mass culture was layer of bourgeoisiethat had developed in Europe and industrialization.
A decisive point in the development of mass culture was that Invention of the feature film, which was distributed through the cinema. Since the music of high culture only took place in concert halls and was therefore only available to a certain part of society, street musicians a mass cultural phenomenon in big cities. Street music was contrary to high culture.
Many expressionists performed in pubs and cabarets and read their texts or sang songs with musical accompaniment. The appearances of expressionist artists were mainly from satirical lyrics and songs shaped and referred to current events.
The narrative style of the prose and the dramaturgy were also influenced by cinematic stylistic devices, since the movie theater took a new place in the culture of the big cities. Scenes, for example in dramatic texts or descriptions in epic texts, were increasingly thought of in camera perspectives and described as if they were being viewed through a specific camera perspective.
Another means of spreading Expressionist literature were associations by artists, some of whom also Magazines brought out. The main journals were «The bridge», «The storm», «The burner» and «The New Pathos». The aim of the associations was to spread the basic ideas of Expressionism and to reach a larger readership for their works.
Themes and motifs of Expressionism
the Themes and motives of the literary epoch of Expressionism have emerged from their historical context, the time just after the turn of the century, and have changed over time. Especially that one First World War has replaced old themes and motifs and created new ones.
subjects
In the early years of Expressionism, the themes of industrialization and des departure in a new era in the foreground. The authors wrote about fears, which triggered the isolation and loneliness in the big city in them. Among other things, they were afraid that life in the big city and working in the industrialized world could lead to that human values and morals were lost.
A well-known example of this perspective on urban development is the poem «God of the City» by Georg Heym. In it, the ancient deity Baal is depicted as a demon ruling over the city and bringing people to its doom.
He stretches his butcher’s fist into the darkness.He shakes her. A sea of fire chasesthrough a street. And the embers roarAnd eats them up until late in the morning.
(Georg Heym, 1910, god of the city)
The «He» in the poem «God of the City» refers to the demon Baal, for whom the people of the big city celebrate mass and to whom they are subject. Baal is depicted with attributes such as a «flesh fist» symbolizing his closeness to death and murder. Baal can be seen as a metaphor for the city itself, which threatens to engulf its inhabitants.
Of the loss of individuality is also with the theses of Sigmund Freud brought into context, who divided the human consciousness into the «I», the «super-ego» and the «id».
The…