The New Death

More about the book

Exploring the concept of "new death" in relation to the First World War, Pearl James examines how American modernist writers like Willa Cather, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and William Faulkner grappled with the traumatic realities of death. The narrative reveals a complex paradox where death is both revered and ignored, and heroism is simultaneously celebrated and questioned. Through historical analysis, James illustrates how these authors shaped and transformed the cultural significance of death in the wake of the war, reflecting broader societal attitudes.