Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 22:49:29 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: G.B.Shaw and Modernism


At 12:01 AM 12/13/2001 EST, Bill Everdell wrote:
>I would say that "Modernism" is attributed to Shaw in his time because he 
>follows Zola, Ibsen, Strindberg and the Thtre Libre in putting shocking 
>slice-of-life material on the stage without the figleaf of the melodramatic, 
>the operatic or the farcical.  England came late in this sort of theatrical 
>"naturalism," and Shaw was in the lead.  A very young Joyce aimed in the same 
>direction at about the same time.  I would add that "Modern" was attached to 
>dance in large part because of the same change.
>

I would also recommend that the original poser of the query should consider
sticking a nose into Martha F. Black's _Shaw & Joyce_ (1995; an early entry
in the U of Fla Press's Joyce series). Some people who have commented on the
book to me, and perhaps some reviewers (I'd have to check) have taken the
position that the argument (in favor of pervasive Shavian influence on
Joyce) is overstated. But whether or not that is a fair assessment, it seems
likely that if you are interested in Shaw's relation to what was
subsequently labelled Modernism (in which Joyce's work was of course so
influential) Black's book might be of some use to you.

Hope this hasty comment helps.


Greg Downing, at greg.downing-AT-nyu.edu or gd2-AT-nyu.edu