A Century of Upheaval: An Analysis of 20th-Century Social and Literary Transformation
This blog, assigned by Dr./Prof. Barad Sir from the Department of English MK Bhavnagar University, examines A.C. Ward’s “The Setting” and its portrayal of the major social, scientific, and literary shifts of the twentieth century. Using Digital Humanities tools like NotebookLM, YouTube, Canva, and infographics, it highlights modernist change, disruption, and their impact on English literature.
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The Setting Twentieth Century English Literature
- A. C. Ward
Mind Map: The Zeitgeist of the 20th Century click here
Executive Summary
Here is concise infography of “The 20th-Century Zeitgeist: Quick Highlights”
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This document synthesizes A.C. Ward's analysis of the profound transformations that defined the first half of the twentieth century in Britain. The period is characterized as one of extreme and often contradictory change, where unprecedented scientific and technological progress occurred alongside a significant moral and spiritual decline. The central dynamic of the era was a comprehensive revolt against the Victorian mindset, replacing its core values of stability, permanence, and authority with a new ethos of skepticism, mutability, and relentless questioning.
The Scientific Revolution is identified as the primary engine of this upheaval, yielding both mastery over nature and the means for mechanized mass slaughter. Socially, this revolution fueled a "revolt of youth," breaking down traditional family structures and creating populations susceptible to political manipulation. English literature served as a mirror and a catalyst for these changes, transitioning from the socially engaged, widely accessible works of the early century to an esoteric, intellectual modernism post-1922 that alienated the "common reader." The establishment of the post-World War II Welfare State, intended to create contentment, paradoxically resulted in mass discontent, materialism, and a pervasive contempt for authority, culminating in a "cult of immaturity" and a decline in social manners and literary craftsmanship.
1. A Century of Contradictions: Progress and Regress
The first fifty years of the twentieth century are depicted as a period of social, moral, and technological upheaval far exceeding that of many preceding centuries combined. This era is framed by a central paradox: "progress and regress" occurring simultaneously.
• Scientific and Technological Progress: Humanity achieved an ever-accelerating mastery of the physical world and its material resources. This manifested in inventions like the airplane and the motor car, alongside significant medical advancements.
• Moral and Spiritual Decline: This material progress was accompanied by what is described as an "unprecedented moral and spiritual relapse." The period witnessed two devastating world wars, the collapse of long-held beliefs, and a societal shift away from established institutions.
This dual movement of progress and regress is identified as the direct consequence of the Scientific Revolution, the century's single most defining feature.
2. The Scientific Revolution: The Engine of Change
The Scientific Revolution is presented as the most important force shaping the 20th century, with its effects being profoundly double-edged.
Positive Consequences
• Mastery of Nature: Unprecedented control over natural resources was achieved.
• Technological Innovation: The perfection of the internal combustion engine enabled the creation of airplanes, motor cars, and other transformative machines.
• Medical Advancements: Significant progress was made in the field of medicine.
Negative Consequences
• Mechanized Warfare: New technologies enabled mass slaughter on an industrial scale during two world wars.
• Nuclear Threat: The development of nuclear power introduced the threat of universal destruction, counterbalanced only by a "saving fear of mutual annihilation."
• Breakdown of Social Control: In peacetime, the widespread adoption of the motor car and motorcycle granted unprecedented mobility to young people, allowing them to escape "parental guidance and control" and contributing to the breakdown of traditional family structures.
3. The Revolt from Victorianism
A core theme of the period is the radical rejection of the 19th-century Victorian mindset. The new generation viewed Victorian ideals as "dull and hypocritical," "mean and superficial and stupid," leading to a fundamental shift in values.
Victorian Mindset
20th-Century Outlook
Belief in Stability & Permanence: Institutions like the Home, Church, and Empire were seen as unshakeable and established in perpetuity.
Belief in Mutability & Change: A sense of "universal mutability" and "the flow of things" pervaded the culture.
Respect for Authority: The "Voice of Authority" in religion, politics, and family life was widely accepted.
Skepticism & Questioning: Everything was considered open to question; all dogmas were seen as superstitions until personally examined.
Insistent Attitude of Acceptance: Characterized by a readiness to affirm and confirm rather than to question or reject.
The Interrogative Habit of Mind: A restless desire to probe, examine, and test all established truths.
Striving for Order & Dignity: Society was structured around a consciousness of dignity and a striving for order.
Spiritual Vacuum & Anti-Art: The rejection of Victorianism created a "spiritual vacuum" for the multitude and a later flouting of literary form.
This transformation was famously articulated by H.G. Wells, who described the modern world not as a permanent "home" but as "the mere site of a home. On which we camped." The shift was propelled by figures like Bernard Shaw, whose creed was "Question! Examine! Test!" and whose character Andrew Undershaft's call to "scrap its old prejudices and its old moralities" acted as a "trumpet call" for a generation. For many, this collapse of certainty was profoundly destabilizing, as expressed by the character Barbara Undershaft: "I stood on the rock I thought eternal; and without a word it reeled and crumbled under me."
4. The Transformation of English Literature
The dramatic changes in society were reflected and advanced in English literature, which underwent several distinct phases of transformation.
From Social Engagement to Esoteric Modernism
The turn of the century featured writers with powerfully skeptical minds who rejected the "art for art's sake" doctrine of the 1890s in favor of "art for life's sake."
• The Fabian Group: Writers such as Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells were animated by sociological and political motives. Shaw stated he would not write "a single sentence" for art's sake alone. Their goal was the "dissemination of knowledge" to bring about social and political change.
• The 1922 Turning Point: The publication of James Joyce's Ulysses and T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land is marked as a watershed moment. With these works, "literature left the highroad of communication and retreated into an esoteric fastness." This created a fundamental split between writers who were accessible to the "averagely intelligent readers" (e.g., Hardy, Kipling, Wells) and a new avant-garde.
The Rise of Intellectual Elitism
This new modernism was characterized by a "dictatorial intellectualism" and a contempt for the general public.
• Contempt for the "Common Reader": An early interpreter of Ulysses, Stuart Gilbert, wrote that Joyce "never once betrayed the authority of intellect to the hydra-headed rabble of the mental underworld."
• Eliot on the "Half-Educated": T.S. Eliot argued that those who see a conflict between high literature and life were "flattering the complacency of the half-educated."
Key Literary and Intellectual Movements
• The Bloomsbury Group: A circle of friends including Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, J.M. Keynes, and Roger Fry, who valued intellectualism, art, and good manners, while feeling themselves to be of "superior mentality." Keynes's book The Economic Consequences of the Peace (1919) is noted for its powerful and destructive critique of the Versailles Treaty, which may have encouraged a German war of revenge.
• Anti-War Literature (Post-WWI): An "avalanche" of anti-war books appeared after 1922, including C.E. Montague’s Disenchantment and Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front (1929), which proclaimed the moral and spiritual destruction of the war.
• Literature as Politics (1930s): In response to the rise of totalitarianism, many younger writers adopted the creed that art must be a "handmaiden of politics." This is criticized as producing "dreary polemics" and suppressing creative ability in favor of propaganda.
5. The Post-War Social Landscape (Post-1945)
The end of the Second World War ushered in the Welfare State, which created an affluent society but failed to deliver the expected contentment.
The Paradox of the Welfare State
• Aims: The Labour government's nationalization programs and social security measures were intended to remove economic stress and create "fair shares for all."
• Outcomes: Instead of happiness, a "mood of sullen discontent" settled upon the population. Crime and prostitution flourished, and materialism became widespread. The principle of "have only what you can afford" was replaced by hire-purchase and the desire to "keep up with the Joneses."
The Cult of Youth and Immaturity
The "revolt of youth" became a defining feature of the affluent society, encouraged by the unprecedented spending power of adolescents.
• Beatniks: A subculture emerged, originating in the U.S. and reflected in Britain, that professed "utter disgust" with debased society. They contracted out of its conventions, adopting promiscuity, drug addiction, and a disregard for hygiene. Their literary expression was found in works like Jack Kerouac's On the Road.
• Contempt for Authority: A general contempt for authority became prevalent, manifesting in "bastard satire" that relied on "witless innocence" and ridicule rather than intelligent critique.
• Decline in Morality: Chastity became a "by-word" for scorn in schools and colleges, and the traditional wisdom behind civilized manners and restraints was rejected.
The Power of Mass Media and Advertising
A major concern was the growing power of advertising, which shifted from informing consumers to manipulating them.
• Psychological Manipulation: Advertisers utilized "depth psychology" to create an "automatic emotional response" and link products to primal desires for love and sex. The National Union of Teachers expressed anxiety about ads suggesting it was "manly and grown-up to smoke and drink."
• Exhibitionism: The personality cult developed by television and other media created a "passion for exhibitionism" among writers, scholars, and politicians, cheapening public discourse.
6. The State of Literary Criticism and Thought
The intellectual climate of the mid-century is critiqued for its academic insularity and its embrace of psychiatric jargon.
Academic Isolationism
• Detachment from "Life": Professional academic critics are described as isolated from life as lived by the wider community. This leads to a situation where literature becomes little more than "raw material for university exercises."
• "Cerebral Incest": The process of academic criticism producing only more academics is described as "a process of professional inbreeding, a kind of cerebral incest."
• The Pitfalls of Textual Analysis: An example is given of Professor William Empson's influential analysis of a T.S. Eliot poem, which was based entirely on a printer's typo in a specific edition. This highlights how easily complex theories can be spun from non-existent evidence.
The Psychiatric Vogue
• Influence of European Thinkers: The translated works of Kierkegaard, Rilke, and Kafka became influential, fostering a preoccupation with "spiritual morbidity or of mental sickness."
• The World as a Clinic: This led to a growing assumption that "most men and women are cases to be diagnosed, that the world is a vast clinic, and that nothing but abnormality is normal." Freudianism became rooted in the substance of contemporary fiction and drama, contributing to a disintegration of individual personality
Detailed Infography of The 20th-Century Zeitgeist:.png)
Here is video abot The Setting: A.C. Ward’s 20th-Century Zeitgeist Explained
Here is video of 20th Century Zeitgeist Explained | हिन्दी पॉडकास्ट
- Learning Outcomes Throughout this Process
-Through the use of NotebookLM, I learned how to break down dense and abstract literary arguments from A.C. Ward’s chapter The Setting into structured summaries. This helped me move from raw textual analysis to clear and concise points. The tool supported me in identifying major themes, connecting ideas, and understanding historical contexts more effectively than traditional reading alone.
-This project taught me how one piece of literary content can be expressed in multiple modes. I converted the chapter into an 8-minute explanatory video, a 12-minute podcast, concise and detailed infographics, and a mind map. Each format required a different approach—visual design for infographics, narrative flow for videos, and conceptual connections for mind maps—strengthening my ability to adapt academic material into diverse mediums.
-By working with these tools, I gained hands-on experience in Digital Humanities practices. NotebookLM helped in summarization and text processing, Canva supported infographic and visual creation, and Clipchamp enabled audio-video editing. This combination improved my technical skills and showed me how digital tools can enhance traditional literary study.
-Transforming the chapter into YouTube videos, podcasts, and blog text taught me how to present complex ideas in simple, accessible language. I learned how visual cues, narration style, pacing, and layout design can influence understanding. This improved my academic communication skills and helped me practice presenting literature to both academic and public audiences.
-Each format required a fresh understanding of the text. Creating videos demanded a storyline, infographics required highlighting key points, and mind maps needed conceptual links. This repeated re-engagement with the same content sharpened my reading, analysis, and interpretation abilities. It also deepened my understanding of 20th-century zeitgeist topics.
-Throughout the process, I used AI tools responsibly by verifying facts, editing outputs, and applying my own interpretation. This helped me understand the importance of ethical AI integration—AI should assist, not replace human judgment. I also ensured originality by rewriting and customizing all content rather than relying on direct AI output.
-By translating the content into Hindi and preparing audio podcast formats, I realized how multimodal projects can reach a wider audience. Students who prefer listening over reading, or those more comfortable in Hindi, can now understand the same content easily. This showed me the importance of linguistic accessibility and inclusive digital practices in English literature studies.
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