Literary Movement of Modernism in American Literature

American literature, to my eyes, like American history, although short, however, still full of glories and shining masterpieces and writers. Those American writers, while conquering this wild America, also had conquered the great field of American literature. From its first imitative activities to innovative attempts nowadays, American literature gradually gains its unique style, theme and form, and always excited to see their works are more and more America in its true sense. American literature is part of world literature; however, it always has its unique flavor that cannot be easily ignored. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck, is a powerful novel telling the story of two men, Lennie and George, who try to achieve their dream of owning their own ranch (Tracy Greg 41-52). They find work on a farm near a place called Soledad, and are met by very unequal people. Most of the characters on this farm are lonely and the only thing that keeps them alive is their dreams. Using different ways though natures and these people, Steinbeck shows us the main theme of loneliness and isolation in this novel, and tries making the point that loneliness is painful.

Early romanticism was more or less imitative of British literature of Romanticism. They were experimental and conformist. At that time, the new United States of America was in a period of development, growth, experimentation and search. Above all, it was a time of extension of the American nation and the American identity. During this period, some American writers did begin to attract notice abroad and their books drew attention of important foreign figures. Although English literary models were still admired, the American writers soon turned to the American civilization and found their materials in the culture and history of their native land. Steinbeck creates a lonely and isolated atmosphere.

The emergence of postmodernism in America was related to the Second World War and the postindustrial social structure there afterwards. It is considered peculiarly American, because a multiplicity of independent voices made their Appearance there, although postmodernism is not a united movement with a coherent theory.

However, they do share the common concept. Postmodernists think that the world is full of randomness, disorder, irrational and can be expressed. Therefore, the only way to write is to describe the world likewise. It is natural for us to find out disorder, deliberate chaos, fragmentation, violation, disruption, dislocation, concentration and indetermination in their works. The scenery is set as though there are no other people around. He often uses nature, mainly animals, to give the feeling of solitude, 'the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them.' 'Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand' 'the rabbits sat as quietly as the little gray, sculptured stones.' Whenever George plays cards, always puts of a 'solitaire lay' (Robert 18), which is a one player game, and when Lennie and George walk together, they walk single file, ...