Contemporar y Literature WWII to the Present Contemporar y Influences Cold War & threat of nuclear destruction Vietnam Conflict 1960’s civil rights violence Tone Tone is the attitude a writer displays toward his subject Tone in Contemporar y Literature Emotional Humorous irony Concern w/connections between people Antiheroes Ironic Humor Contemporary writers look at irony and absurd situations as a cause for subtle humor “If you can’t fight it, you might as well laugh.” Social Concer n The attitude toward the individual and society has changed We now view individuals in relation to others rather than as isolated from others Social Concer n cont Contemporary literature often contains an implied criticism of the barriers between people The Anti-Hero An anti-hero is a protagonist who has the opposite qualities of a hero He/she may be insecure, dishonest, most often a failure Anti-Hero cont The purpose of an antihero is not to garner praise or criticism, but to aid in understanding Strategies for Reading Contemporar y Lit Identify the emotions conveyed Does the narrator express emotions, or does he seem detached? Notice any humor in the irony Clarify what, if anything, is being criticized and what just needs to be understood and accepted