Entertainment and literature in American culture from the 1920s to the 1930s experienced plenty of changes. Along with the changing economy and society, entertainment and literature took on new looks.
With the rise of the stock market, the 1920s American culture experienced a newfound materialism and began to spend and consume more than ever. Americans enjoyed particular types of literature and entertainment. In literature, novels often portrayed the corruption in America. Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald depicts the 1920s as period of deterioration of values, an empty pursuit of pleasure, and the desire for money. Likewise, in poetry, T.S Eliot in “The Hollow Men” described the world being full of emptiness and illustrated what was grasped as the negative effects of modernism. Similarly, films and sports were widely enjoyed by Americans. Movie houses had to be built to allow the accompaniment of orchestras owing to the absence of sound in motion films. With the help of motion pictures and radio,
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Literature and entertainment began to take on a different look. In literature, John Steinbeck published his book The Grapes of Wrath. This novel attempted to criticize the economic and social system that brought on the depression. Poetry was written with the purpose of evoking empathy and to display resentment. Similarly, the world of entertainment also took on new changes. "The Jazz Singer" was the first talkie in the late 20s. By the 1930’s most movies were being produced with talking actors and at last movies in color. Over 60 million Americans visited theatres each week to experience talkies. Just as popular as motion pictures, America took a strong interest in baseball. People were recovering from the hardships of The Depression, with a few dollars to spare Americans attended baseballs games. Baseball became more popular than any other sport, and became a source for unification among
As a nation coming out of a devastating war, America faced many changes in the 1920s. It was a decade of growth and improvements. As immigrants fled from Europe, the economy improved, and new machines offered convenience and luxury from the kitchen to the streets. However, with all change comes opposition. The 1920s revealed a conflict between traditional America and the new attitude and lifestyle through the changing role of women, continued dominance of Christian values, and racism.
The 1920s, often referred to as the Roaring Twenties, was a time of great change and a time of powerful enthusiasm in many areas of society. The world had just finished the biggest war in history, the First World War, and the United States was left almost unharmed by the war. The United States was able to experience a decade of peace and success following the war. During this decade, America became the wealthiest country in the world (Trueman, 2000). The people in the United States went through a colorful period during the twenties. However, at the same time the 1920s was also a very rebellious and difficult time for many. The culture of the 1920s has influenced the culture of America’s society today.
The USA in the 1920s is remembered as the ‘Roaring Twenties’, an age of new life, of hedonism and opportunity following the horrors the Great War. The decade is synonymous with wealth, materialism and unprecedented freedom. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby provides an insight into the exciting and prosperous lives of the American people as they embark on the limitless potential of the American Dream and therefore it conveys a picture of 1920s American society. With
After the war, the American people made the change from "old" ways to "new" ways. Many factors, such as new technology, fundamentalism, new looks and church led to tension between the old and the new. The 1920s were a time of conflicting viewpoints between traditional behaviors and new and changing attitudes.
The 1920s, also known as the Roaring 1920s were a time period where things changed in the US. After World War 1, there was a lack of inspiration in the US, according to the lost generation with the rising racial tension to the everyday roots for employement, things were not great during the early 1920s. In the late 1990ss, labor unions were popular during the war fought back for their rights with the increased number of strike in 1919. Largest included General of all workers in Seattle and Strike of the entre American Steel industry, which affected 100 of 1000s workers and consumers. Those workers returned to work when the owners threatened them of violence. Due to that unemployment in 1920-21 had increased by 11% but things changed after the changes made by Commerce Secretary, Herbert Hoover, as he convinced Industrial leaders to voluntarily increase wages and production to remove the economy from the debt of World War 1.
On October 29th of 1929 the stock market crashed, resulting in a widespread economic crisis throughout the United States. During this large crisis, Americans struggled living through the Great Depression. Baseball, America’s pastime was affected by this very badly. Attendance was at an all time low through this crisis, with the loss of jobs and opportunities to make money. With this situation luxuries of going to baseball games was not a realistic thing at this time for the average person.
The love and popularity for baseball in the 1930s was really started to take off. Baseball all over the world was booming.Baseball is americas favorite sport. Baseball with family and friends have became a pastime. Money that was spend at the baseball games went back to that community.
The 1920’s was a great and important decade for the United States. After World War I, the United States went through events and changes that, overall, made the United States a much better place to live. New advances in technology and industry improved American life in more ways than just one. Americans had better wages during this time, more leisure time, and overall, had a better life than ever before. In addition, the 1920’s advocated social and cultural change as well. During this time period, the United States did not return to Normalcy, and instead developed attitudes that changed the life of the people of the United States forever thanks to social changes, cultural changes and changes in technology.
The materialistic nature during the twenties was everywhere. Some Americans embraced it and some attacked it. For President Calvin Coolidge and his followers it was embraced: “Sharing so visibly in the wealth of society, more and more Americans came to feel that the booming Coolidge economy was working for them”(Nash 379). The wealthy nation satisfied materialistic Americans and Coolidge became a prominent leader. For American writers, materialism was attacked and “they questioned the society that placed more importance on money and material goods…”(Nash 390). Leading to their fame in literature, the writers who were concerned with American materialism moved to Europe. Materialism lead to prominence in 1920s America just as it did in The Great Gatsby. Gatsby’s prominence is an aspect of how Americans used materialism in the 1920s. One way materialism is shown is through fashion.
The turn of the 19th century lead to technological advances that made the life of many easier. These time saving devices gave many Americans free time to begin to engage in a newly forming entertainment culture. Thus became Baseball an American tradition engraving roots in the history of a modernizing nation. Baseball became popular within large cities for a few reasons ,however, fellowship and entertainment stood out in the source material as the main factors.
Life Changes of Americans in the 1920's In the 1920's many American lives were improved greatly, but some lives were as bad as they had been before. The economy was booming, with cars being mass produced, and many other consumer goods such as radios, were widely available. Also more jobs became available, and many people recieved a par rise. However there were bad things such as racism about.
The 1920s and 1930s were two different centuries. The 1920s were a time of wealth, prosperity, and a huge sense of national pride, while in the 1930s those things seemed to be drowned in the grief of the depression. [1] The two decades can be compared through their economies, employment for both, men and women, fashion, as well as the politics. The economies of the 1920s and 1930s contrast greatly.
Books displayed the lively, booming times as well as the time of hardships. Both of these atmospheres were created due to the financial status of America. According to Adam Kirsch, “It was no secret during the 1920s that the stock market had assumed an unprecedented importance and reach in American life. The rising tide of prosperity turned millions of Americans into investors and helped the ’20s to become Roaring. The glittering parties thrown by Jay Gatsby in Fitzgerald’s 1925 masterpiece were funded by the easy money that seemed to be everywhere for the taking. But once the Depression hit, the 1920s began to seem less like an era of prosperity.”
Many events occurred during all the eras, but they all differ from each other in many ways. The 1920’s was an age of dramatic social and political changes. For the first time more Americans lived in cities instead of farms. Which eventually led to enormous cultural changes for women; as well as religious divisions. For example, this era is known as the sexual revolution, because of the historical change that occurred to the women. After earning their right to vote with the nineteenth amendment in 1920. This created a new image for women in society. Flappers became well known in the twenties, because of their outspoken and independent personalities, they were viewed as unlady like. They had short hair, drank, smoked, wore miniskirts and became more sexually free. Margaret Sanger was a popular voice during this change because he was the leading advocate for birth control. There was also religious division that took place, due to the Monkey Scopes Trial, which caused a huge conflict between modernists and fundamentalists. Fundamentalists believed in the bible while on the other hand modernists believed in Darwin’s theory of evolution. The 1930’s was extremely different from the 20’s because they had to experience the struggle that was brought by the Great Depression. It occurred when the stock markets had crashed and the banks fell. People were desperate to escape this tragic issue, and hoped that someone would come save them from this tragedy. That savior is known as Franklin
Considered as the defining work of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925, when America was just coming out of one of the most violent wars in the nation’s history. World War 1 had taken the lives of many young people who fought and sacrificed for our country on another continent. The war left many families without fathers, sons, and husbands. The 1920s is an era filled with rich and dazzling history, where Americans experienced changes in lifestyle from music to rebellion against the United States government. Those that are born into that era grew up in a more carefree, extravagant environment that would affect their interactions with others as well as their attitudes about themselves and societal