Plan: General Background. " The Angry Young Man"

Modern literature after world war ii

PLAN:

1. 
   General Background.
   
2. 
   “The Angry Young Man”.
   
3. 
   A new type of criticism – the “working-class novel”
   

In the 20^th century in English Literature appeared such young writers like Graham Greene, Charles Percy Snow, Norman Lewis, Sid Chaplin and James Aldridge, who created their works in the spirit of optimism. They are mature writers with anti-imperialist and anti-colonial point of view. In the fifties there appeared a very interesting trend in literature the followers of which were called "The Angry Young Men". The post-war changes had given a chance to a large number of young people from the more demo­cratic layers of the society to receive higher education at universities. But on graduating, these students found they had no prospects in life. Unemployment had increased after the war. No one was interested to learn what their ideas on life and society were. They felt deceived and became angry. Works dealing with such characters, angry young men, who were angry at every­thing and everybody. Outstanding writers of this trend were John Wain, KingsleyAmis, John Brain, Colin Wilson and the dramatist John Osborne. It is important to note that they did not belong to a clearly defined movement. They criticized one another in press. But they had one thing in common - an attitude of unconform ity to the established social order. Through their characters these writers were eager to express their anger with society.

Modern literature that began in the sixties saw a new type of criticism in the cultural life of Britain. That criticism was revealed in the "working-class novel", as it was called. The novels deal with characters coming from the working class. The best-known writers of this trend are Sid Chaplin (1916-1986), the au­thor of "The Last Day of the Sardine" (1961), and Allan Sillitoe, the author of the well-known novel "Key to the Door" (1963).
A great deal of contemporary English fiction and drama is dedicated to the subject of man's search for identity, and the stress is not so much on political or social issues as on moral problems. The problem of identity is closely linked with one of the most influential philosophical trends of the 20^,h century - existentialism. According to it man must live and make his choice, must come to terms with his own existence and the true meaning of everything around him. 1 he inlluence of existentialist ideas left a profound impression on the work of William Golding and iris Murdoch.
Writers of earlier times shared with their readers a common value system and sense of what was significant in human life. This helped to determine their choice of subjects and themes as well as their methods of expression. In contrast, the modern age has w itnessed the disintegration of a public background of belief, and it is their own personal visions of life and reality that modern writers express.
English drama experienced a renaissance in the 1950s and 1960s, it was stimulated by the presence of large numbers of first-rate actors and directors and the works of playwrights like John Osborne, John Ardcn, Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, and Edward Bond.
This personalized view of reality has resulted in significant changes in the subject matter and style of modern poetry and fiction. It has led to the creation of works concerned foremost with the exploration of the moods, thoughts, and feelings of indi­viduals - their inner life. The works of Ted Hughes were simpler in style, but his poetry powerfully evokes the world of nature, using a richly textured pattern of metaphor and mythic sugges-tiveness for its effects.