Unit 5: Crisis and Change
Lesson D: Postwar Anxiety, Creativity, and Change
Activity 5: The Impact of WWI on Music, Literature, and Arts Discussion
How did the Great War affect the arts, and how did artists after World War I express their emotions?
Directions: Read the following quotation and examine the etching "Stormtroops Advancing Under Gas" to prepare for a class discussion.
"They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason."
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
"Stormtroops Advancing Under Gas", Etching and Aquatint by Otto Dix, 1924 [1]
Classroom Activity - Impact of World War I on Music, Literature, and Art
Discussion
Directions: Prepare a response to the discussion questions below. Follow your teacher's directions to participate in your class discussion.
- What views of modern war are shown in the following quote and artwork?
- How does this source express the feelings of disillusionment felt after the Great War?
Select the link to review the Discussion Scoring Tool (pdf).
Page Notes:
[1] Source: This image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:'Stormtroops_Advancing_ Under_Gas',_etching_and_aquatint_by_Otto_Dix,_1924.jpg qualifies as fair use and is in the public domain.
