Some of the greatest authors evolved from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries one of which was Gertrude Stein. Unlilke other authors, Stein’s work was unconventional of the time, best described as a push towards modernism. The explanation for Stein’s work and her unconventionality root back to the days before she began to write- particularly her reading. Three main aspects of Stein’s life that make her a particularly unique author include her childhood, her financial situation, and her heritage.
Firstly, Stein grew up as the youngest of five children. Gertrude’s first encounter with books was on her third birthday. She received picture books as gifts. At an early age, Gertrude and her brother Leo would read anything they could find including Mark Twain, Jules Verne, nineteenth-century English novels, science handbooks, encyclopedias and history plays, historical novels, and Shakespeare. She and her brother shared a love for reading and books as children and would take their allowance and spend is solely on new books. Gertrude loved the works of Shelly and Byron. (Rogers 15) Gertrude wasn’t interested in the lower levels of education. She felt that in order for education to be useful you needed to know what you wanted to pursue. She felt that she was learning more from the independent reading she was doing than in school. (Wilson 24) Gertrude’s early encounter with books and literature gave way to her later works and love of reading. (Wilson 25)
The Stein family experienced loss of their mother passing away when Gertrude was only 14 years old. Gertrude’s adolescent years were gloomy and depressing. (Wilson 20) However, she searched for happiness in literature. Gertrude dealt with a tough time by turning to literature to find answers. This later affected her writing which makes Gertrude different from other writers of the time.
Gertrude’s older brother Leo went to study Law at Harvard University. She followed him in his journeys but studied psychology instead. Gertrude’s education in psychology affected her work as a writer because of the things she read while studying psychology. Studying psychology enabled Gertrude to observe and analyze people not as individuals but as a collection of characteristics that make up a certain class. (Hobhouse 72) Her observations show up in her work showing her as an unconventional author of the time.
A second aspect that contributes to Stein as an unconventional writer of the time was her financial privileges. Stein’s family originated from a second generation Jewish American business families. Gertrude was given an allowance of money from the family business. She used this to buy many books of all genres. At this age, Stein’s family was described as upper class with rich status. Stein’s financial status enabled her to attend post-secondary education and she was privileged enough to travel around the world and discover different works of art. Gertrude often sat alone in libraries and read books that were not touched by many people. Having access to these libraries and rare books was an advantage for Gertrude and let her explore all types of literature. When her and her older brother Leo moved to Paris they began to take interest in modernist forms of art. Their wealth helped them to purchase paintings and use them to study from. Gertrude’s positive financial situation aided her path to her avant-garde style of writing.
Lastly, Gertrude’s heritage had a significant affect on her reading practice. Gertrude was born in America however, Gertrude’s first words were spoken in French and German because of her parents’ European descent. (Hobhouse 1) English was a second language to both of her parents which became an issue when Gertrude began to read and write in English. There were many confusions and many errors because she was not taught proper English. When Gertrude moved to Paris with her brother, she was involved in European culture. (Hobhouse 72) Leo believed that from Gertrude never being taught proper English and her involvement with European culture later in her life it affected the way she wrote. (Malcom 10) In London, Gertrude continued her reading and worked her way through literature and became absorbed in Elizabethan prose and the prose of Greene. (Hobhouse 30)