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With its stylistic innovations, bold experimental forms and novel ideas, Modernism brought forth a cultural sea change. The poet Ezra Pound encapsulated the transformative power of Modernism in his slogan ‚Make it New’. Yet for Pound ‚Make it New’ did not only pertain to art, but also served as a political slogan. More specifically, he used it to promote the Fascist revolution. What at first glance seems like a contradiction – the Modernist artist in favour of deeply reactionary politics – is an indicator of a larger pattern. In fact, many prominent Modernist writers embraced right-wing politics, while advocating for a renewal in art.
In this course we will analyse key Modernist texts, starting from early twentieth-century intellectual reactions of the avant-garde against liberal democracy and the burgeoning emancipatory movements to the full-fledged support for continental European fascist regimes by some Modernist authors. Focussing on T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Wyndham Lewis and D. H. Lawrence we will trace the way these writers married right-wing ideology and Modernist literary style. Moreover, the course will throw some light on the way literary criticism has shaped our understanding of the matter. Our literary and cultural analyses will be supported by a robust theoretical framework on right-wing ideology as well as the nature of fascism including reflections on the role of race, class, gender and other categories in anti-democratic thought.
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