EXPRESSIONISM

EXPRESSIONISM

EXPRESSIONISM

Ø (1910-1925) (uses symbolism)

Ø Originated in Germany in 20th century (especially in Berlin) remained Popular in Weimar Republic (old German)

Ø It is a reaction to positivism, naturalism, impressionism and developed as an avant-garde style, before W.W-I

Ø It is to express solely from a Subjective perspective.

Ø Expressionists express the meaning of Emotional Experience rather than the physical reality.

Ø They use symbols, and exaggerations.

Ø The movement was declined in 1930s due to the rise of Adolf Hitler (in Germany)

Ø Expressionism is notoriously difficult to define in part because it overlapped with major (isms') with Futurism, vorticism, Cubism, Surrealism. Dadaism

Friedrich Nietzsche (German)

Ø “Thus spoke Zarathustra" (1885)  is in 4 parts

Ø It is a philosophical prose poem about Newman.

Ø He made a controversial statement "God is dead we have killed him.”

Dramatists:

 August Stindberg: father of expressionism

Ø “To Damascus” is an autobiographical trilogy and also first true expressionist drama.

Ø A Dream play (1909), The Ghost Sonota (1907)

George Kaiser (1878-1945):

Ø leader of Expression of theatre.

Ø “The citizens of Calais” (1917)

Ø “From Morning to Midnight” (1917)

Frank Wedekind:

Ø "Lulu' plays

Ø Erdgeist (earth spirits(1895) and "Tandora Box" (1904)

Elmer Rice:

Ø American play wright of Expressionism.

Ø Best known for his play" The Adding Machine”.

Ø -Mr.zero is an accountant in it.

Ø He won The Pulitzer for his "Secret Scene" (1929)

Oskar Kokoschka: 

Ø "Murderer, The Hope of women" is often termed as the first Expressionist drama in (1909)

Ø Leading expressionist journals published in Berlin were Der sturm by Her worth Walden from (1910)

Prose writers

Franz Kafka (1883-1924)

Ø The Metamorphosis (1915) - about Gregor Samsa, Salesman

Ø The Trial (1925)

Ø The Castle (1926)

Ø Kafkaresque : some things possessing a complex, inscrutable Scriptable and bizarre quality.

Alfred Doblin

Ø “Berlin Alexander platz” – a novel

Djuna Barnes (American writer)

Ø Nighthood -Best Novel, lesbian fiction.

Clarence Malcolm-(English writer) –

Ø “Under the volcano” best novel

James Joyce's

Ø Ulysses (1922) –‘ The Night town' section is in it

Sheila Martin Watson

Ø Canadian Writer

Ø "The Double Hook - best Known novel

Patrick White

Ø Australian Writer

Ø Voss

Whitman:

Ø American Writer

Ø ‘The leaves of Grass’ (poetry)

Dostovesky

Ø Novelist, short story writer

Painting:

 Edward Munch (Norwegian) -best known for the scream Vincent van Gogh - (Dutch)

Paul Gauguin (French)