20P - Culture in the Twentieth Century Lesson

After World War II, political and economic changes abounded in England. The two main political parties in Great Britain were the Conservative party founded in 1834 as an outgrowth of the Tory party and the Labour Party founded in 1900. The role of the Prime Minister grew to be the head of the government in Great Britain, and the monarchy became more of a figurehead. The Prime Ministers elected throughout the Postmodernist period held different views on social and economic issues while vying for the various reforms occurring throughout Britain. Not surprisingly, the literature of the time period reflected the growth and changes of Great Britain during the late 1900's. View the presentation below for an overview of Britain after World War II.  

Overview of Postmodern Britain

Overview of Postmodernism

The actual date marking the beginning of Postmodernism is unclear. Some critics recognize the end of World War II as the beginning of Postmodernism, but other critics argue that Postmodernism started later around 1965. Nonetheless, the Postmodernist literary movement was a reaction against Modernism and essentially allowed a writer or artist to craft their works however they choose—even blending various styles. Although the two time periods share many commonalities, the differences are clear. View the presentation below for an overview of Postmodernism in art, music, and literature:

Key Terms Review

In order to understand the terminology used throughout the Twentieth Century Postmodernism module, make sure to review and study the Twentieth Century Postmodernism vocabulary below.