Modernism and mass politics

By Michael Tratner

Book Description

This groundbreaking exploration reveals how the emergence of mass movements in the early twentieth century fundamentally shaped modern literature in ways that continue to influence our understanding of collective consciousness today. Michael Tratner uncovers the fascinating connections between political theories of crowd psychology and the revolutionary literary techniques that defined modernism.

Drawing from influential works like Gustave Le Bon's "The Crowd" and Georges Sorel's "Reflections on Violence," Tratner demonstrates how writers like Joyce, Woolf, Eliot, and Yeats developed their distinctive styles by tapping into what theorists called the "mass mind." Rather than rejecting popular culture, these authors were actually pioneering new forms of collective expression that spoke to the emerging consciousness of their era.

The book challenges conventional wisdom about modernist literature, showing how techniques like stream of consciousness and symbolic imagery emerged from attempts to capture the psychology of crowds and mass movements. This perspective offers fresh insights into how individual creativity intersects with collective awareness, and how artistic expression can both reflect and shape social transformation.

For readers interested in understanding how consciousness operates on both personal and collective levels, this work provides valuable insights into the relationship between individual awareness and group dynamics. Tratner's analysis illuminates how the artistic innovations of the early twentieth century continue to influence how we process information and experience reality in our interconnected world.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)

📄 Length: 284 pages

What You'll Discover

✓ Explore History and criticism
✓ Explore Popular culture
✓ Explore Political and social viewseliot, t. s. (thomas stearns), 1888-1965
✓ Explore Culture de masse
✓ Explore Politiek
✓ Explore English literature, history and criticism, 20th century
✓ Explore Politics and literature--history
✓ Explore Politique et littérature

Topics Covered

History and criticism Popular culture Political and social viewseliot, t. s. (thomas stearns), 1888-1965 Culture de masse Politiek English literature, history and criticism, 20th century Politics and literature--history Politique et littérature Popular culture, great britain Political and social viewsjoyce, james, 1882-1941 Popular culture--great britain--history--20th century Literature and society--great britain--history--20th century Popular culture--history English literature--20th century--history and criticism Modernisme (cultuur) Eliot, t. s. (thomas stearns), 1888-1965 Political and social viewswoolf, virginia, 1882-1941 Crowds in literature Politics and literature--great britain--history--20th century Histoire English literature English literature--history and criticism Gesellschaft Histoire et critique 820.9/1 Modernism (Literature) Culture populaire Littérature anglaise Foules dans la littérature Masse Literature and society Littérature et société Letterkunde Pr478.p64 t73 1995 Political and social viewsyeats, w. b. (william butler), 1865-1939 Populaire cultuur Political and social views Collective behavior in literature Joyce, james, 1882-1941 Yeats, w. b. (william butler), 1865-1939 Pensée politique et sociale Literature and society--history Modernism (literature)--great britain Politics and literature Woolf, virginia, 1882-1941 Modernisme (Littérature) History