Literature In The 1920s Essay

During the 1930's American citizens witnessed a breakdown of the Democratic and free enterprise way of life. The government saw that the free enterprise system was failing. The New Deal increased the government's regulation and intervention and the economic system, thus temporarily abandoning the capitalism system and turning toward socialism to find the answer. The answer... the New Deal. Socialism is usually thought of as a form of government that advocates public ownership and public control of wealth (Britannica Jr. Encyclopedia 1980, p.231).

Rarely has the world seen such a unique decade in time as the Roaring Twenties. It was an age of prosperity and change. The United States experienced a recession that was followed by a period of unlimited prosperity. Although the United States encountered both positive and negative experiences, it proved to be very influential in the future. The 1920's were definitely "Roaring" in more ways than one. There were major changes in American Society during the 1920's that took place. Many new industries emerged during this decade that influenced society and the American way of life. Even the federal government had different feelings about the business industry. The characteristics of this decade made the 1920's

in 1908 but by 1925 Model T car cost only $290. By the end of the

War has the ability to change many things about the world. While most associate the changes of war with boundaries and governments, people often forgot the influence it has over society and culture. The United States experienced a change similar to this shortly after the Civil war. Citizens were shown the brutality and devastation of war which lead to them having a grim outlook on the world. This viewpoint inspired a new generation of artists and authors who ,with their combined works, created Realism. Writers like Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, Abraham Cahan, Ambrose Bierce, and Henry James pushed the drastic shift from feelings to reality in the hopes of appealing to the more literate working class. Many stories, in order to capture reality, relied on similar techniques and themes such as: simplicity, truth, and criticism.

Prior to the 1920s people were already not given equal prosperity. This can be seen in 1882 by the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States. However, the ban was only against the immigration of Chinese laborers. Furthermore, Andrew Carnegie owner from the steel industry from 1973-1901 controlled the most extensive integrated iron and steel operations ever owned by in the United States. Although Carnegie gained millions, he paid his workers little. Therefore, the 1920s did not give prosperity to everyone including those who were immigrants, the new technological advancements, and the economic difference in social classes.

As the new world struggled to gain impendence from its mother country, Britain, native authors also try to develop their own style of writings. It quickly became evident that the search for a native literature became a national obsession. Then with the triumph of American independence, many at the time saw this as a divine sign that America and her people were destined for greatness. Greatness came with a strong nation and thousands of poems and stories that still shape our nation. The recent revolution greatly expressed the heart of the American people. However, it would take another fifty years of development throughout American before it produced the first great generation of American writers such as, Washington Irving, Ralph

disappointment. It was a decade classified as the "roaring twenties." Men returning from World War I had to deal with unemployment, wheat farmers and oil companies were striking it rich, new modern conveniences were being thought up, and fashion was a major issue among the rich.

Another disaster that resurface during the 1920’s was the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The KKK emerged when the United States was flooded with immigrants from all over the world. The Klan reformed in Georgia and spread across the country. “The new Klan, born in Stone Mountain, Georgia, in 1915, patterned itself on the secret rituals and anti-black hostility of its predecessor and, until 1920, it was limited to a few local chapters in Georgia and Alabama.” (p.611 ph.

Throughout American history, literature has been used to bring social injustices into public view. One successful example of this was anti-slavery work written before and during the Abolitionist Movement. Abolitionist literature began to appear predominantly in 1820. Until the Civil War, the anti-slavery press produced a steadily growing stream of newspaper articles, periodicals, sermons, children's publications, speeches, abolitionist society reports, broadsides, poems, and memoirs of former slaves. These works, initially a grass roots effort, led to increased support for the end of slavery. Through the use of vivid imagery and life experiences these authors were able to show their readers the crimes against humanity caused by slavery.

In the decade of the nineteen-nineties, there was a trend of creating things that were environmentally friendly and healthier for people. For example, washers and dryers in the nineteen-nineties were made to include a horizontal axis washer which reduced the amount of water being used in each wash. Even food that was made in the nineteen-nineties was focused on being made with healthy ingredients. Almost anything and everything in the nineteen-nineties was based on achieving the image of health for the environment and people living in America. In the nineteen-nineties, cuisine and home appliances, and chefs focused their attention on creating a healthy

“A Tale Intended to be After the Fact…” is how Stephan Crane introduced his harrowing story, “The Open Boat,” but this statement also shows that history influences American Literature. Throughout history, there has been a connection among literary works from different periods. The connection is that History, current events, and social events have influenced American Literature. Authors, their literary works, and the specific writing styles; are affected and influenced by the world around them. Authors have long used experiences they have lived through and/or taken out of history to help shape and express in their works. Writing styles are also affected by the current trends and opinions of the period they represent. By reading American

During, the 1930’s the world was in a time of great depression, with economic and political uncertainty fueled after the stock market crash in 1929. Many US banks failed, mortgages were foreclosed on homeowners. Croplands in the Midwest lost their topsoil and were ruined during the Dust Bowl drought, with many farmers relocating to California. Unemployment affected a large part of the work force, leaving a population of long-term joblessness. Ultimately, the stock market crash left a dramatic end to an era of unprecedented, and unprecedentedly lopsided, prosperity (H. Staff). Supporters of Eugenics movements an extension of Social Darwinism were realizing the misconception they were under. This consciousness came when the wealthy suddenly became poor and reality of genocide caused the extreme end to eugenics. Consequently, total dissolution of eugenics in the United States was a slow process, due to the persistence of racial discrimination (Rogers). It was during this significant time during the 1930s, when literature, politics, and economics changed its platform, inspiring writers to form allegiances directly or indirectly to political parties (S. Staff).

The theme in books by Sinclair Lewis1 relates to the time in which they were written. In both Babbit (1922) and Main Street (1920) Lewis shows us the American culture of the 1920's. He writes about the growing cities, the small towns, the common American man, the strong American need to conform, cultural integration, morals (or lack of in some cases), and he touches upon the women lib movement. All of these and more successfully describe the 1920's.

How many books were published from 1920 to 1959? 792 and that’s only the bestsellers. Four of the books published within this time frame weren’t bestsellers, but they are some of the most famous books of the 20th century. Those books are The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Winnie–The–Pooh, and Mein Kampf. But why weren’t they bestsellers if so loved now?

Since 1945, the United Staes has gone under serval cultural and political changes. These changes has helped our nation grow, adapt, and develop into the strongest country in the world. Several of these changes include civil rights, women rights, and also political changes such as the various types of republicans and democrats that have sprout up since the 40's. American literature is one of if not the biggest influence for these changes. Since television was still developing and the Internet wasn't even a dream yet, literature is what connected everybody and what helped people change America for the better. American literature also developed quickly and heavily during this time era. The fact that United States has a diverse population many