The Twentieth Century gives me real insights into human and social issues that are still current in the 21st century.
The 20th century was a time of catastrophic events that lead to great social, political and cultural changes. During this era, writers wrote with conscious and sub-conscious experimentation as a result of their war-demolished surroundings. As I started to become familiar with works from the twentieth century and then wrote about them for my blogs, I came to the realisation that these issues still very well impact us today.
In my first blog I delved into an experience of mine that touched me more than an everyday ordinary experience. The purpose of this blog was to allow students to recognise how the events around them can shape their emotions and their writing which is what influenced many of the 20th Century writers. These writers sought to create pieces that captured the core of the experiences that occurred around them. As I wrote about an experience that struck me in my own life I came to realise how we still utilise our surroundings and the therefore, the issues around us as the basis of our writings. Thus, it is evident that concepts from the 20th century are still relevant in the 21st century.
For my second blog I analysed the many layers of Picasso’s painting “Femme nue au fauteuil à bascule “. The painting depicts the distorted image of a woman sitting in a chair achieved through the layering of colours and textures. Through creating his piece in this jagged form, Picasso highlights the corrupt social and cultural backdrop of the time due to the effect of war. The painting acts as a physical representation of the human condition and depleting society during a horrific time. This still remains relevant to the 21st century as our society can still be viewed as corrupt and lacks cemented meaning. Human beings in this present day, like Picasso, are still very much influenced by what is happening in the world around them such as the coronavirus pandemic.
Continuing on with the influence of war, my third blog explores Charley Chaplin’s satirical mockery of Adolf Hitler in the film “The Great Dictator”. Chaplin breaks social and cinematic boundaries with his take on the leader. Through this characterisation, Chaplin highlights the absurdities of war and the detrimental impact of the wrong people in power. This ideology of destruction and – leaders can be recognised in the 21st century through leaders such as Donald Trump. A recent occurred which saw Sacha Cohen dressed up as Donald Trump to mock him at presidential rallies. This act ultimately lampooned Trump, representing his debated role as a leader and human being. Thus, illuminating the way in which issues and how they are dealt with, are evident within the 21st century.
My fourth blog captures Yeats’ melancholy state due to the outcome of war in his poem “Wild Swans at Coole Park”. Yeats’ use of imagery to encapsulate the quest for beauty in a war-struck world highlights the vast destruction of war on the human condition and environment. Yeats’ highlights the way in which beauty is mortal in a changing world, especially in a world that is full of rejection and war. These themes cross over into the 21st century as beauty that could be found in the world is noticeably changing due to technological advancements.
Finally, my fifth blog, similarly to my Picasso blog, engages with the way in which writings of the 20th century were a product of their surroundings, in particularly the detrimental impact of war. In this final blog, I discussed the way in which modern society is also a product of its surroundings and how this is written about today. Therefore, reiterating that the way in which issues influenced writings of the 20th century also occurs or will occur in the 21st century and future generations to come.
Thus, the twentieth century has provided me with real insight into the issues that are still current in our modern society.
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