The Vile Bodies Essay example -- Literary Analysis, Evelyn Waugh

The postwar England of the twenties and thirties was the context of purpose of Evelyn Waughs first satirical originals, among which was the piteous Bodies. Waugh, an author mostly cognize for his highly satirical fiction, published his novel Vile Bodies in 1930 justly in the middle of the term-period between the Great Wars. Because of the historical evens that occupied England at that time, much of British Literature of the late 1920s and early 1930s was concerned with the Modernist movement, which was occupied with the idea of individualism of the young generation. Through the use of prominent and yet highly satirical characters, Waugh strives to criticize his Modernist generation for its stillborn movement into Modernism, both on the individual and political/institutional level. He does so by defining his type-characters as ignorant, self-centered and hypocritical in their disastrous movement toward individualism. Through the use of satire, the issues presented by Waugh in Vile Bodies become greatly influenced by the time period in which the novel was written. Great Britain, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, was placed on the time line between the Great Wars. Thus, the novels arranging in the history shifts its focus not only toward the emergence of the introduction War II but also on the depressed postwar economy of Britain at the time. Some of the most prominent ideas evolving during this period of time were embracive of the idea of change in areas such as religion, science, art, social rules, belles-lettres and economic and political conditionschanges that most often led to a printing of loss of community (Wellman, 327). Because of the nature and the ongoing changes during this period the idea of modernism also played a major role in Britis... ...the sizeableness placed on individualism. For, although he blinkingly accepts whatever outrageous turn of fortune he may encounter (Twayne, 43) he is still the only character that displays a feeli ng on emptiness and disillusionment about the constant count of amusement that is seen in all the other characters. Adam questions the generations way of living do you ever feel that things simply houset go on much longer and states that he would contact anything in the world for something different (Waugh, 273). Furthermore, he even goes as furthest as criticizing the never-ending parties and games as succession and repetition of massed humanity those unspiritual bodies (Waugh, 171). Although Adam seems to have glimpses of understanding the destruction that this generation is causing, nonetheless, he feels stuck in the vicious cycle that is created by this lifestyle.