Gertrude Stein

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Gertrude Stein

Introduction

The world has seen its fair share of influential individuals both in the contemporary and the ancient societies. It goes without saying that these individuals traverse the varied sectors of the societies within which they live including manufacturing, politics, economics, poetry, writing, religion and even activism. However, it is evident that these individuals stand out from the varied other participants in similar movements as a result of the distinctiveness of their ideas, as well as vigor and tact with which they approached the issues that confronted the societies within which they lived. This is the case for Gertrude Stein, a modernist author who attracted admiration and contempt in equal measure.

Born in 1874 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Gertrude Stein was one of the most influential and imaginative writers in the 20th century. As a daughter of a rich businessman, Stein spent her formative years in Europe before the family moved to Oakland, California. Gertrude studied psychology in Radcliffe College, where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 1898, before moving on to the prestigious Johns Hopkins Medical School where she studied medicine. However, Gertrude is primarily known for the work that she did in Paris where she moved in 1903 and started collecting Post-Impressionist paintings alongside her brother Leo ( HYPERLINK “http://www.biography.com/people/gertrude-stein-9493261” http://www.biography.com/people/gertrude-stein-9493261). Gertrude, however, passionately advocated for the relatively “new” in art, with her literary friendships growing to incorporate diverse individuals such as James Joyce, William Carlos William, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and even Djuana Barnes alongside other writers. Gertrude came up with the phrase “the lost generation”, which described expatriate writers that lived abroad between the wars. Unfortunately, Gertrude parted ways with her brother in 1913, thanks to her support for cubist painters, as well as her increasingly avant-garde writing.

Gertrude kicked off her writing career with the book titled “Three Lives” which was published in 1909, after which she published “Tender Buttons” in 1914. The later clearly demonstrated the immense impact of modern painting on her writing, especially with regard to cubist painting ( HYPERLINK “http://www.biography.com/people/gertrude-stein-9493261” http://www.biography.com/people/gertrude-stein-9493261). It is noted that the small prose poems have phrases and images coming together in quite surprising ways just as is the case for cubist painting.

The writing style used by Gertrude Stein was extremely idiosyncratic and playfully repetitive. In some cases, her text comes with a clear syncopation while in other cases, her writing flows like a persistent stream of consciousness ( HYPERLINK “http://www.egs.edu/library/gertrude-stein/biography/” http://www.egs.edu/library/gertrude-stein/biography/). It is noted that her style revolved around a literary interpretation of the attention of Modernism to material pertaining to her medium. Gertrude Stein often attempted to giver words that came with too many associations a wide berth, opting for short words that were usually derived from Anglo-Saxon (( HYPERLINK “http://www.egs.edu/library/gertrude-stein/biography/” http://www.egs.edu/library/gertrude-stein/biography/)). This, therefore, empowered the reader to determine the relationship that he or she had with the text, thanks to Gertrude’s willingness to express ambiguity, especially considering that her writing usually concentrated on the thrill of being.

As much as her writing, which featured the use of words not for their meanings but for their sounds and associations, did not get a wide audience, it attracted significant interest from other writers and artists. Some of the most influential works by Gertrude Stein include “The Making of Americans” published in 1925, “How to Write” published in 1931, and “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas” published in 1933, as well as “Stanzas in Meditation and Other Poems [1929-1933]”, which was published posthumously in 1956.

In the course of the First World War, Gertrude was known to serve as ambulance drivers serving the French. The end of the world war saw her continue to maintain her salon, as well as serve as an inspiration and a hostess to American expatriates such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sherwood Anderson ( HYPERLINK “http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/315” http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/315). It is worth noting that “The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas” published in 1933, which Gertrude wrote from the point of view of Toklas, was her only commercial success. Nevertheless, Gertrude Stein held successful tours in the United States in the 30s, but went back to France where she resided in the course of the Second World War ( HYPERLINK “http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/315” http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/315). Apart from her memoirs and novels, Gertrude wrote librettos to two of Vigil Thomson’s operas namely “The Mother of Us All”, which was published in 1947 and “Four Saints in Three Acts”, published in 1934.

Gertrude Stein died in France on 27th July 1946. There are variations on the critical opinion pertaining to her varied writings. However, the imprint pertaining to her witty and strong personality has lived on, as is the case for the influence that she has had on contemporary literature.

Gertrude Stein’s Influence in the 1920s

One of the most immense influences of Gertrude Stein in the 1920s revolves around the inspiration of varied prolific writers, who later on became famous in their own respect. Gertrude Stein is undoubtedly the mother of the “Lost Generation”, as she chaperoned the young novices in search of inspiration and renewal in Europe. The varied young (but undiscovered) literary giants included William C William, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who were influenced by the “avant-gardiste” writings and works of Gertrude Stein. Stein and William had their paths crossing when the later started studying the aspects of “being and speaking Aboriginal” ( HYPERLINK “http://gertrudestein.e-monsite.com/pages/the-lost-generation-and-gertrude-stein.html” http://gertrudestein.e-monsite.com/pages/the-lost-generation-and-gertrude-stein.html). He immensely admired Gertrude’s capacity to play with words and the American language. Both of them shared the aspect of focusing on objects that captured components pertaining to shapes and colors. On the same note, it would be difficult to talk about the “Lost Generation” without some snippets pertaining to Scott Fitzgerald. Testament to the influence of Gertrude on Fitzgerald is his first Book called “This Side of Paradise”. The book, which has three parts, demonstrates the young generation of the 20’s, which is trying to cover its general depression in forced exuberance pertaining to the Jazz age ( HYPERLINK “http://gertrudestein.e-monsite.com/pages/the-lost-generation-and-gertrude-stein.html” http://gertrudestein.e-monsite.com/pages/the-lost-generation-and-gertrude-stein.html). It is noted that the book was emblematic of the period in which the “Lost Generation” existed, with the main character living in an environment where he feels safe and affords to trust until events thwart all his ambitions and projects. On the same note, the author comes as the protagonist in the book, especially considering the similarities between the varied episodes through which their lives went. These similarities clearly confirm the fact that Fitzgerald was an accomplished writer from the Lost Generation. As much as Ernst Hemingway, eventually, departed from the influence of Gertrude Stein with their relationship deteriorating to the extent of having literary quarrels that spanned over decades, he credited the rise of his career to Gertrude, who also introduced him to expatriate writers and artists if Montparnasse Quarter. Through studying the great leaders pertaining to every movement in the “Lost Generation”, it is evident that Gertrude immensely inspired the young novices. Indeed, Gertrude by herself founded the movement in the societal margins thanks to her “avant-gardiste” side ( HYPERLINK “http://gertrudestein.e-monsite.com/pages/the-lost-generation-and-gertrude-stein.html” http://gertrudestein.e-monsite.com/pages/the-lost-generation-and-gertrude-stein.html). Gertrude was immensely different from other authors of her time thanks to the innovative and experimental nature of her works. It is noted that she was significantly ahead of the movement that she founded even prior to the coming of the authors that she chaperoned.

In addition, Gertrude Stein contributed immensely in establishing a provocative and innovative writing style that deviated significantly from the normal establishments. It is noted that her writing defied a large number of the conventions pertaining to English literature. A case in point is her notoriety with extensive usage of the split infinitive, as well as the rejection of punctuation. Gertrude threw away the European literary ideology that featured an overdependence of a highly structured narrative form and promoted the notion that writing should incorporate an exact reproduction of inner or outer reality, rather than having emotion as the source of literature. In a lecture at Cambridge and Oxford, Stein outlined the theoretical basis pertaining to the experimental prose. She argued that the artistic and cultural contexts have an impact on the manner in which literary works are written and read (Simon 17). She outlined the fact that there are instances where the reader does not share the same context with the writer. In instances where writers bring in new perceptions and patterns of thinking, their works may be deemed avant-garde and impenetrable (Simon 17). This was, essentially, the case for her thoughtful works, which are testament to the complex and deep intellectual basis for her literary productions. As much as Gertrude left her home in the course of the Second World War, she left a legacy of normative divergence that continued well into the subsequent decades, as she had laid the foundation for future European women generations to cut ties with the reigning conventions and reshape their lives and their societies according to their likes and preferences (Simon 17).

On the same note, Getrude Stein played an immense role in eliminating the stigma that came with being gay or a homosexual. Indeed, Gertrude is not only credited with being a trailblazer for atheists and even the burgeoning a new school pertaining to modernist writers but also as a pioneer for homosexuals ( HYPERLINK “http://womenineuropeanhistory.org/index.php?title=Gertrude_Stein” http://womenineuropeanhistory.org/index.php?title=Gertrude_Stein). Her homosexual tendencies may have been hidden in her literary works but she never made any attempts at hiding her homosexual relationships in real life. This was at a time when such tendencies were frowned upon. Her well chronicled homosexual relationship was with her secretary named Toklas, with whom she met on 8th September, 1907. Indeed, it is noted that Gertrude openly courted Alice Toklas in spite of the immense discomfort that her family and friends had with the tendencies. This was, essentially the reason for their going separate ways with her brother Leo, who was extremely uncomfortable with the fact that Alice had moved into the apartment that they Leo shared with his sister. Alice not only became Gertrude’s secretary but also took up the responsibilities pertaining to all household operations, while Gertrude concentrated with writings that increasingly revolved around her relationship with Alice. The rejection of the identity that had been crafted on her and other women by the society allowed Gertrude Stein to open up varied opportunities for future European women generations to upend societal expectations, as well as truly craft individual and autonomous identities ( HYPERLINK “http://womenineuropeanhistory.org/index.php?title=Gertrude_Stein” http://womenineuropeanhistory.org/index.php?title=Gertrude_Stein).

In conclusion, Gertrude Stein was one of the most influential and imaginative writers in the 20th century. As a daughter of a rich businessman, Stein spent her formative years in Europe before the family moved to Oakland, California. Gertrude is primarily known for the work that she did in Paris where she moved in 1903 and started collecting Post-Impressionist paintings alongside her brother Leo. Gertrude, however, passionately advocated for the relatively “new” in art, with her literary friendships growing to incorporate diverse individuals such as James Joyce, William Carlos William, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and even Djuana Barnes alongside other writers. Gertrude came up with the phrase “the lost generation”, which described expatriate writers that lived abroad between the wars. As much as her writing, which featured the use of words not for their meanings but for their sounds and associations, did not get a wide audience, it attracted significant interest from other writers and artists.

Nevertheless, One of the most immense influences of Gertrude Stein in the 1920s revolves around the inspiration of varied prolific writers, who later on became famous in their own respect. Gertrude Stein is undoubtedly the mother of the “Lost Generation”, as she chaperoned the young novices in search of inspiration and renewal in Europe. In addition, Gertrude Stein contributed immensely in establishing a provocative and innovative writing style that deviated significantly from the normal establishments. It is noted that her writing defied a large number of the conventions pertaining to English literature. Lastly, Getrude Stein played an immense role in eliminating the stigma that came with being gay or a homosexual. Indeed, Gertrude is not only credited with being a trailblazer for atheists and even the burgeoning a new school pertaining to modernist writers but also as a pioneer for homosexuals.

Works cited

Gertrude Stein biography. Bio Full Story. Web Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.biography.com/people/gertrude-stein-9493261” http://www.biography.com/people/gertrude-stein-9493261

Poetry.Org. Gertrude Stein, retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/315” http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/315

Simon, Linda. Gertrude Stein, 1874-1946. Jewish Women’s Archive, 2009 Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/stein-gertrude” http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/stein-gertrude

Gertrude Stein. The Lost Generation and Gertrude Stein. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://gertrudestein.e-monsite.com/pages/the-lost-generation-and-gertrude-stein.html” http://gertrudestein.e-monsite.com/pages/the-lost-generation-and-gertrude-stein.html

The European Graduate School. Gertrude Stein – Biography, retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.egs.edu/library/gertrude-stein/biography/” http://www.egs.edu/library/gertrude-stein/biography/

Gertrude Stein: A Critical Biography. Women in European History, web retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://womenineuropeanhistory.org/index.php?title=Gertrude_Stein” http://womenineuropeanhistory.org/index.php?title=Gertrude_Stein