1914. Literature.

Literature

"The Sisters." James Joyce. Irish. 1914. Story. Boy confronted with death the first time; learns the truth about the dead priest and the Catholic religion.

"Clay." James Joyce. Irish. 1914. Story. Ineffectual spinster tricked into putting fingers into wet clay, symbol of her own and the Irish character.

"The Congo: A Study of the Negro Race." Vachel Lindsay. American. 1914. Poetry. Black ragtime rhythms. Basic savagery. High spirits. Hope of religion.

"The Dead." James Joyce. Irish. 1914. Story. Thinks of aunts who will soon be dead, his own spiritual death, and his wife's dead lover.

"The Death of the Hired Man." Robert Frost. American. 1914. Poetry. Argument between farmer and wife over whether to keep defeated old hired hand. He dies.

Dubliners. James Joyce. Irish. 1914. Stories. Picture of the paralyzing world from which Joyce fled.

He Who Gets Slapped. Leonid Andreyev. Russian. 1914. Play. Disenchanted intellectual seeks refuge as clown in circus. Symbol of the intellect buffeted by the mob.

Lafcadio's Adventures. Andre Gide. French. 1914. Satire/Farce. Caricatures various types in society. Unmotivated murder. [Now, THAT's funny!]

"Mending Wall." Robert Frost. American. 1914. Poem. Neighbor repeats uncriticially the saying of his father about good fences making good neighbors.

"The Prussian Officer." DH Lawrence. British. 1914. Story. Sadistic Prussian army officer finally is killed by his victim.

"The Santa Fe Trail: A Humoresque." Vachel Lindsay. American. 1914. Poetry. Contrasts industrial civilization with natural bird song: radical sound effects.

Sword Blades and Poppy Seed. Amy Lowell. American. 1914. Poetry. Use of free verse and polyphonic prose--all devices of verse except strict meter.

The Titan. Theodore Dreiser. American. 1914. Novel. Second in trilogy. Almost succeeds in Chicago in establishing monopoly of all public utilities. Series of affairs. Frustrated in economic plans. Goes to Europe. Driven by need for power, women and social prestige. Discovers that giants re pygmies and that balance is needed.