The Relationship between Gender and Modernism/Postmodernism

In late XIX early XX century a total crisis gripped mixed areas of life economy, politics and culture. However, the ideological ferment minds, lack of confidence in the future, premonition close historic and social change, although anxiety filled the souls of men, exclusively encouraged to seek rude(a) ideals of life and creativity. Artists tried to have new forms adequate to reflect changes that had occurred primarily in mankind consciousness, and reach a new aim of artistic creation values as they didnt perceive the romanticism and realism means.Art of the starting signal fractional of XX century primarily determines such(prenominal) things as decadence and upstartism. Among many modernist writers, I would like to point Ibsen and O Conner, whose make fors are a reflection of real life and social problems. The status of women in society and family is considered to be nonpareil of these problems (Burgess 153). Henrik Ibsen is Norwegian playwright, whose work is considere d the crowning achievement of so-called middle-class free rein, which fell on the flowering of the XVIII century. However, he is considered the creator of the foundations of new drama a new path in the development of world drama.What was a new Ibsens approach to reality? Ibsen was one of the first playwrights, who had shown a new society by making stress on the cataclysm of merciful life non in individual acts of negative second part, and in life itself. He showed the tragedy of life, debunked the false morality. In the play A Dolls House not only the dream of the playwright intimately the family and the family comfort was embodied, but in like manner a critical attitude towards society, which does not recognize womens equal rights with men. A Dolls House was an innovative product and the best example of new drama.In addition, it combines realism with modernist form of embodiment. It is also an intellectual and analytical piece, in which there is a problem of personality, whi ch seeks to protect his identity, the right to dignity in modern drama society. The end of XIX century was marked by the development of feminist movements. This promontory provoked strong interest of society and was the subject of disputes in many families. So the play by Ibsen was a response to the requests of time. The focus of the playwright is in the office staff of women in the family and her status in society.From the first scenes the reader can understand how the author appreciates the comfort of kin, how he admires Nora a real ideal cleaning lady funny, sweet, and nice. Her children adore her and her conserve is satisfied with the tale, illusion of a perfect family. Whats wrong with this idyllic picture? Maybe, its alone fantasy, not the authenticity of everything that they see outside. The plays by Ibsen are called analytic not by chance, the author analyzes the problems of the modern family, in which the woman is often not only conquered, but does not have the right t o vote.While Nora was such a vital playful squirrel for her husband Thorvald, he admired her he loved his wife and took alimony of her. Only of her? Probably not. But once it became clear that Nora could do something by her own, she could make her own decision. When she took the notes for her husbands medication everybody saw the real attitude of such a loving husband to his wife. It was a despot who did not bear the thought that his wife has something to solve herself, that she could be responsible for her choices.Thats where the subsoil is constructed in the Helmer family (Boyesen 94). The play has become a loud resonance precisely because of the fact that the problem of womens fate, and human was at point that time. When Nora left the family, it was really a shock for society, with its stabilized minds eye on the role of women in family and society. It was the first time when woman said of her dignity and desire to be a person, not just a beautiful doll for men. A woman does n ot agree any more with the role of a slave and a housewife.She wants to be on a par with men to delay a full life, to love, raise children and feel like a man. This solves the problem of womens rights in the family. Flannery OConnor is an outstanding American author. The author of Gothic novels and short stories about rural life of the American South, animate the religious upheaval and brightly-colored comic strokes. Metaphysical, on what it called enlarged view of the world combined with the full perception of reality. Major trends of her work have identified a zealous Catholic and a disbelief in science, shattering the native life.For OConnor, the image is characterized by unexpected, extreme situations, resulting in acts of violence provoked by the grotesque characters. A hot man is hard to find is the most outstanding work of this author which tackles both the authors views regarding personal transformations and Christianity. The story follows the life of a Christian grand ma who faces various struggles with her family and environment in hurt of religion, beliefs, and practices. Many of Flannery OConnors characters defy cultural expectations.For example, many of her women are strong, opinionated leaders, while the prevailing culture, especially during OConnors lifetime, prized women as nurturing homemakers whose role was to support the decisions and opinions of men. Grandmothers, especially, were expected to follow the lead of their grown sons if there was no grandfather in the house. Men, not women, were the driving decision-makers (at least on the surface) in literature, and generally in society until after populace War 2. The mother in this story is the more stereotypical character who is left in her depute gender role.OConnors grandmother character defies the cultural stereotype. She is opinionated and not shy of voicing those opinions on subjects from holiday destinations to proper etiquette for children to current events. She pays attention to the details that others ignore, including the starting mileage of the car and the facial features of The Misfit (OConnor 48). O Connors grandmother character is also the one to patronize the family during the predicament. Again in traditional gender roles, family protection is the state of the family patriarch, not one of the women.Yet, in another example of OConnors challenge to social norms, it is the elderly woman who stands to defend her family. Both authors in their works paid great attention to the role of a woman in family and in society, her right to take decisive actions, the importance of her personality. The works by Ibsen and OConner caused much controversy but they still remained bright representatives of modernism. The topics and problems they discussed in their works are still important and relevant.