The Shattering of Idealism in Nadine Gerfimer´s The Moment...

Literature changed drastically between the nineteenth-century and twentieth and twenty-first century. Idealistic views that British writers once held, turned into skepticism as Great Britain enter war and inequalities grew greater. The writers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries wrote realistically what was happening in the world. The Moment before the Gun Went Off by Nadine Gordimer and â€Å"The Day They Burned the Books† by Jean Rhys are both stories that show the shattering of Idealism in twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Britain’s colonialism caused many problems for natives and natural born British who lived in the colonies. The illusion of patriotism shattered as conflicts of race, class, and gender equality took light.†¦show more content†¦One of the many reasons why patriotism was shattered is because coloialism was creating harsh tensions. In The Moment before the Gun Went Off they discuss how the killing of the son is going to turn into an ugly racial debate â€Å"Bad enough to have killed a man, without helping the Party’s, the government’s, the country’s enemies† (p.1442) The reader can conclude from this quote that because great Britain colonized in South Africa it caused rifts between many people. People’s patriotism tends to dwell when all they see is conflict around them. The once idealistic views turn critical when war and inequalities is all there is. The twentieth and twenty-first century writers were common people going through hor rific times such as extreme racism. In The Moment before the Gun Went Off and â€Å"The Day They Burned the Books† both stories leave the reader thinking. Unlike, the 19th century; modern writers often left the end of the story open ended because they didn’t see an end to the conflict. Modern writers often wrote their own personal experiences and feelings on a particular issue leaving much room for the reader to analyze. â€Å"The Day They Burned the Books† tells a story of young boy trying to find where he fits in. His father is from Great Britain and his mother is from the West Indies. Eddie hates England because he associates with his father; a man who is often mean to his mother and says things â€Å"Look at