Flipped Learning - Unit 2 Trends and Movements

 

Flipped Learning - Unit 2 Trends and Movements

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1.What is Modernism? Explain the characteristics of Modernism.

➡️ 1. 16th Century: Renaissance and Humanism

• The Renaissance (14th–17th century) was a revival of classical learning and arts, emphasizing individual potential and secularism.
• Humanism focused on human reason, education, and dignity, moving away from medieval religious dogma. Thinkers like Erasmus, Thomas More, and Montaigne emphasized critical thought and personal ethics.

2. 19th Century: Foundations for Modernism

• The 19th century saw rapid industrialization, colonial expansion, and scientific progress. This period also saw the rise of realism and naturalism in literature, reacting against romantic idealism.
• Philosophy and Social Theory: Thinkers like Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche challenged existing structures of society, morality, and religion.
• Psychology: Sigmund Freud introduced theories of the unconscious mind, repression, and psychoanalysis, questioning the notion of a rational, unified self.

3. Modernism (Late 19th – Early 20th Century)

Modernism rejected traditional literary forms and embraced experimentation, influenced by:

• Karl Marx (1818–1883): His ideas about class struggle, historical materialism, and alienation influenced modernist writers. Works like Eliot’s The Waste Land reflect themes of societal decay and disillusionment.
• Sigmund Freud (1856–1939): His theories of the unconscious, dreams, and the fragmented self shaped stream-of-consciousness writing, seen in works by James Joyce and Virginia Woolf.

Modernist literature often features:

• Fragmented narratives (e.g., T.S. Eliot, James Joyce)
• Multiple perspectives (e.g., Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse)
• Rejection of absolute truths, influenced by Nietzsche’s critique of traditional values
• Experimentation in form and language, as seen in Ezra Pound’s imagists. 

2. Explain "tream of consciousness. "

➡️ Definition of Stream of Consciousness

Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that attempts to capture a character’s thought process in real time, often disregarding conventional grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure to mimic the natural flow of human consciousness. It is characterized by associative leaps, inner monologues, and a focus on the character’s subjective experience.

Stream of Consciousness Narration

In literature, stream of consciousness narration presents a character’s thoughts and feelings as they occur, often in a nonlinear or fragmented way. This technique immerses the reader in the character’s mind, offering a deep psychological perspective rather than an objective, structured account of events. It can include free association, shifts in time and space, and a lack of clear transitions.

Example of Stream of Consciousness

One of the most famous examples of stream of consciousness is found in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses (1922), particularly in Molly Bloom’s soliloquy in the final chapter. Joyce presents her thoughts in a long, uninterrupted flow, lacking punctuation, which mirrors the way thoughts move freely in the human mind:

"yes because he never did a thing like that before as ask to get his breakfast in bed with a couple of eggs since the City Arms hotel when he used to be pretending to be laid up with a sick voice doing his highness..."

Works of James Joyce & Stream of Consciousness

James Joyce is one of the pioneers of stream of consciousness writing. His major works employing this technique include:

1. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) – The novel follows Stephen Dedalus’s intellectual and emotional development, using interior monologues and fluid, impressionistic prose.
2. Ulysses (1922) – A landmark modernist novel, it follows a single day in the life of Leopold Bloom, using multiple narrative styles, including stream of consciousness, particularly in the sections focused on Bloom and Molly Bloom.
3. Finnegans Wake (1939) – Joyce takes stream of consciousness to an extreme, creating a dense, dreamlike text with a fragmented, multilingual style, making it one of the most challenging works in literature.

Joyce’s use of stream of consciousness helped redefine modernist literature, influencing writers like Virginia Woolf, William Faulkner, and Samuel Beckett.

3.Expressionism

➡️ Expressionism was a modernist movement that emerged in the early 20th century, primarily in Germany, and extended beyond painting into architecture, theatre, cinema, dance, and literature. It emphasized emotional experience over realism, often distorting forms to evoke moods and subjective perspectives. Here’s how it manifested across different art forms:

1. Architecture

Expressionist architecture used dramatic, organic, and sometimes futuristic forms, rejecting classical symmetry and ornamentation. Key features include:

Unconventional shapes and materials

Strong emotional or symbolic meaning

Dynamic, flowing structures

Notable examples:

Einstein Tower (Erich Mendelsohn)

Goetheanum (Rudolf Steiner)

Chilehaus (Fritz Höger)

2. Theatre

Expressionist theatre aimed to externalize inner emotions rather than depict realistic situations. It often used exaggerated gestures, abstract staging, and intense lighting to convey themes of anxiety, alienation, and societal oppression.

Key features:

Stylized acting, unnatural movements, and declamatory dialogue

Minimalist or distorted stage design

Themes of existential crisis and social critique

Notable playwrights:

Georg Kaiser (From Morn to Midnight)

Ernst Toller (Man and the Masses)

August Strindberg (later works, such as A Dream Play)

3. Cinema

Expressionist cinema, particularly in Germany, used high-contrast lighting, distorted sets, and exaggerated performances to reflect psychological states and fears, especially after World War I.

Key films:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, Robert Wiene) – a defining work with its twisted sets and psychological horror

Nosferatu (1922, F. W. Murnau) – an early horror masterpiece with eerie lighting and grotesque figures

Metropolis (1927, Fritz Lang) – a dystopian vision with dramatic contrasts and stylized settings

4. Dance

Expressionist dance, often linked to German Ausdruckstanz ("expressive dance"), rejected classical ballet’s rigid techniques in favor of more spontaneous, emotive movements.

Key figures:

Mary Wigman – known for intense, primal performances (Witch Dance)

Rudolf Laban – developed a system of movement analysis

Kurt Jooss – combined expressionism with ballet in The Green Table (1932), a powerful anti-war piece

5. Literature

Expressionist literature, particularly in Germany, focused on subjective experiences, fragmented narratives, and intense emotional states. Writers often depicted urban alienation, war trauma, and societal decay through heightened language and distorted perspectives.

Key authors and works:

Franz Kafka (The Trial, The Metamorphosis) – explored absurdity and alienation

Georg Trakl – poetry filled with visions of decay and despair

Alfred Döblin (Berlin Alexanderplatz) – blended stream-of-consciousness with urban chaos

4. Absurdism:

   ➡️Albert Camus, in The Myth of Sisyphus, explores the concept of the absurd—the conflict between human desire for meaning and the indifferent universe. The quote "If the world were clear, art would not exist" suggests that ambiguity, uncertainty, and a lack of clear meaning drive artistic creation.

Absurdism in This Context

Camus argues that humans seek meaning in a world that offers none. This tension—between our craving for clarity and the world's inherent ambiguity—is what he calls the absurd. If reality were entirely transparent and understandable, there would be no need for interpretation, imagination, or artistic expression. Art, therefore, arises from this fundamental lack of clarity.

"Absurd Creation" in The Myth of Sisyphus

In the chapter Absurd Creation, Camus discusses how the absurd man, once accepting the lack of ultimate meaning, does not retreat into despair but instead creates. He outlines three responses to absurdity in artistic creation:

1. Absurd Fiction (e.g., Kafka, Dostoevsky) – Literature that portrays the absurd condition without providing easy resolutions.

2. Absurd Art – Art that does not impose a fixed meaning but instead captures the chaos and fragmentation of existence.

3. Absurd Thinking – Rejecting absolute truths and embracing multiple perspectives.

Camus asserts that absurd artists do not seek to explain the world but to express their confrontation with it. They acknowledge that clarity is impossible but create despite (or because of) this. In a way, their work is a form of defiance—similar to Sisyphus pushing his rock endlessly.

5.surrealism

➡️ Surrealism as a movement officially began in 1924 with the publication of The First Surrealist Manifesto by French poet André Breton. The movement emerged from Dadaism and was heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud's theories on the unconscious mind. Breton, often called the "Pope of Surrealism," sought to channel the subconscious through automatic writing, dream analysis, and free association, rejecting rational thought and traditional artistic constraints.

In literature, Surrealists experimented with unconventional narrative structures, spontaneous writing techniques, and bizarre imagery to break free from logic and societal norms. Some key Surrealist writers include:

André Breton (Nadja, 1928) – A semi-autobiographical novel blending reality with dreamlike sequences.

Louis Aragon (Paris Peasant, 1926) – A mix of prose and poetry celebrating the magical aspects of everyday life.

Philippe Soupault and Breton (The Magnetic Fields, 1920) – A pioneering work of automatic writing.

Robert Desnos – Known for his dream-like poetry and use of wordplay.

The movement also influenced later literary works and spread to art, film, and philosophy, with figures like Salvador Dalí, Luis Buñuel, and René Magritte pushing its boundaries. Would you like a deeper analysis of its impact on modern literature?

6.Postmodernism

➡️ Postmodernism in Literature

Metafiction – Fiction that acknowledges its own fictionality (e.g., Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler).

Unreliable Narrators – A questioning of objective truth through characters who distort reality (Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov).

Blurring of High & Low Culture – Mixing pop culture with traditional literary techniques (e.g., Gravity’s Rainbow by Pynchon).

Postmodernism in Philosophy & Thought

Michel Foucault – Power structures shape knowledge; history is not linear progress but shaped by discourse.

Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari – Concepts like the “rhizome” challenge hierarchical structures of knowledge.

Criticisms of Postmodernism

Some argue that it leads to extreme relativism, undermining the possibility of truth.

Thinkers like Noam Chomsky and Jürgen Habermas critique its rejection of reason and social progress.

Are you thinking about postmodernism in a specific context—literature, philosophy, history?

7.Modernism

➡️ Modernism was a broad cultural movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a response to rapid industrialization, urbanization, and the disillusionment caused by World War I. It spanned literature, art, architecture, music, and philosophy, emphasizing innovation, experimentation, and a break from traditional forms and values.

Key Features of Modernism

1. Rejection of Tradition – Modernist writers and artists abandoned classical structures, favoring fragmented narratives, stream-of-consciousness techniques, and open-ended stories.
2. Subjectivity and Perspective – Works often focused on individual consciousness and inner turmoil, as seen in James Joyce’s Ulysses or Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway.
3. Alienation and Disillusionment – Themes of existential crisis, loneliness, and skepticism towards progress were central, especially after World War I. T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land captures this mood.
4. Experimentation with Form – Literature saw free verse poetry, non-linear storytelling, and unreliable narrators. In art, cubism (Picasso), surrealism (Dalí), and abstraction (Kandinsky) flourished.
5. Urban Experience and Technology – Cities became central settings, representing both modern energy and existential despair (e.g., Eliot’s Prufrock or Dos Passos’s Manhattan Transfer).
6. Interdisciplinary Influence – Literature drew from psychoanalysis (Freud), philosophy (Nietzsche, Bergson), and new science, reshaping how identity, time, and reality were depicted.

8.Dada Movement

➡️ Dadaism emerged during World War I (1914–1918), a time of immense destruction and disillusionment. The movement began in Zurich, Switzerland, around 1916, at the Cabaret Voltaire, founded by Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings. Switzerland was neutral, making it a refuge for artists, intellectuals, and political dissidents escaping the war.

Dada was a reaction against the violence, nationalism, and rigid structures that had led to the war. The movement rejected logic, reason, and traditional aesthetics, embracing absurdity, spontaneity, and anti-art gestures. Tristan Tzara, Hans Arp, Marcel Duchamp, and Francis Picabia were among the key figures.

The world during Dadaism’s birth, however, was anything but amazing. Europe was in chaos, millions were dying in the trenches, and old empires (Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian, German) were collapsing. Economic hardship, political unrest, and a sense of meaninglessness pervaded everyday life. Dadaists channeled this despair into their art, mocking conventional values and creating works that deliberately defied coherence—collages, sound poems, ready-mades, and performances that challenged the audience's expectations.

The movement spread to Berlin, Paris, and New York, influencing later avant-garde movements like Surrealism and Situationism. Its legacy continues today in conceptual and performance art.

9. What is comedy of Menace?

➡️ The Comedy of Menace is a term used to describe plays that blend elements of comedy with a sense of underlying threat, unease, or tension. The phrase was first associated with the works of Harold Pinter and other playwrights of the mid-20th century, particularly those connected to the Theatre of the Absurd and Kitchen Sink Drama.

Key Features of Comedy of Menace:

1. Unsettling Atmosphere – There is a constant feeling of impending danger or unpredictability, even in seemingly ordinary situations.

2. Dark Humor – The comedy often arises from absurdity, irony, or awkwardness rather than straightforward jokes.

3. Power Struggles – Characters engage in psychological games, often using language as a weapon to assert dominance.

4. Ambiguity – Meaning and intentions are often unclear, creating a sense of paranoia and miscommunication.

5. Threatening Intruders – A common motif is an outsider entering a confined space (like a home) and disrupting the fragile stability of the characters.

Key Playwrights and Examples:

Harold Pinter – The Birthday Party (1957), The Caretaker (1960)

David Campton – The Lunatic View (1958)

Edward Albee – The Zoo Story (1958)

Harold Pinter is the most famous figure associated with this style. His early plays often depict seemingly mundane situations that gradually reveal an underlying menace, with characters trapped in ambiguous, power-laden conversations.

10. Avant Grade Movement

➡️ The avant-garde movement, from the French term meaning "advance guard" or "vanguard," refers to innovative, experimental, and radical artistic, literary, and cultural movements that push the boundaries of traditional forms and conventions. Avant-garde artists challenge societal norms and explore new techniques, often in response to political, social, and technological changes.

Origins and Meaning

The term originates from the military, where it referred to the front line of an advancing army. In an artistic and intellectual context, it came to signify pioneers who break away from tradition to create revolutionary work. The avant-garde is closely associated with modernism and is often seen as its most radical wing.

Key Avant-Garde Movements

1. Futurism (1909-1944) – Celebrated technology, speed, and modernity while rejecting the past. Founded by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti.
2. Dadaism (1916-1924) – Anti-art movement that mocked logic, reason, and artistic traditions, arising as a reaction to World War I.
3. Surrealism (1924-1950s) – Influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis, surrealists like André Breton explored dreams, the unconscious, and irrational juxtapositions.
4. Constructivism (1915-1930s) – Russian movement that fused art with engineering and industry to serve social change.
5. Expressionism (1905-1930s) – Focused on emotional intensity and subjective experience, as seen in the works of artists like Edvard Munch.
6. Minimalism (1960s-1970s) – Rejected excess in favor of simplicity, repetition, and abstraction.
7. Conceptual Art (1960s-present) – Emphasized ideas over aesthetic value, questioning the nature of art itself.

Avant-Garde in Literature and Theater

• Writers like James Joyce (Ulysses), Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway), and Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot) experimented with narrative forms, stream of consciousness, and non-linear storytelling.
• In theater, Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theater and Antonin Artaud’s Theater of Cruelty revolutionized performance and audience engagement.

Avant-Garde in Politics

• Avant-garde movements were often tied to political ideologies, especially socialism, anarchism, and anti-fascism.
• Thinkers like Guy Debord and the Situationist International critiqued capitalist culture through radical art and performance.

Impact and Legacy

The avant-garde shaped modern and postmodern art, influencing contemporary film, literature, architecture, and digital media. While some argue it has lost its revolutionary edge, elements of avant-garde thought persist in experimental and subversive art today.