Lost Generations Effect on American Literature in the 1920s Megan Vissering South Newton High School
AMERICAN LITURATURE IN THE 1920s
Abstract In America, the early 1920s brought about many new ideas regarding choices of lifestyles and views on society. World War I soldiers returned home to find their homeland had changed by the emphasis of spending large sums of money very quickly. Dissatisfied with the tumultuous relationships of friends and family members, these men turned to Europe as a way out of the disillusion they felt. The term Lost Generation, was coined to describe the young soldiers as well as young adults who found no self-identity in a career. Writers of this time period also embarked on the migration to Europe with hopes of finding artistic inspiration to mold new ideas in brilliant pieces of literature.
AMERICAN LITURATURE IN THE 1920s
The end of World War I left Americans unable to find meaning in life. Many of the militarys finest knew nothing more than fighting and war tactics, leaving the majority of young adults misplaced in a society dependent on creativity in the workplace. Citizens at home felt the same disillusionment after hearing of the growing death rate; reckless behavior and weakened values became common among the Lost Generation (OConnor, n.d.). According to Montgomery College, the term Lost Generation, was coined by Gertrude Stein to describe the inefficient skill set young Americans possessed (The Lost Generation, n.d.). Theorists believe Stein didnt create this famous term, rather overheard a mechanic in France label his workers as une generation perdue, a phrase explaining his workers less than desirable auto-mechanic skills (The Lost Generation, n.d.). American authors were also characterized as a lost generation due to their *struggle+ to understand the changes occurring in society, Americas struggles proved irreversible and damaged the artistic abilities of key literary figures forcing innovation to be outsourced. Influenced by Americas lack of creativity, lost generations writers embraced literary techniques indirectly describing patterns in American life. In the early 1920s, America stood at the peak of economic prosperity. The wealthiest country in the world was providing jobs for all people and creating excess cash to spend on materialistic goods such as cars and electrical kitchen equipment (historylearning, n.d.). Many people lived grand lives, using money to fill their every desire just as expatriate F. Scott Fitzgerald characterized in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgeralds novel mirrored American lives filled with decadence; Jay Gatsbys wild parties filled with abundant alcohol and his erratic lifestyle branded by distasteful morals highlighted the pitfalls of high society. Fitzgerald himself suffered AMERICAN LITURATURE IN THE 1920s
from disillusionment; compulsive drinking and reckless habits pushed him farther from normality. Sara Krauss specified that Fitzgerald was increasingly prone to drunken behavior, a trait common in literary lost generation characters (Krauss, 2010, November 10). A loss in faith and moral standings assumed the lives of young adults associated with the lost generation; Hemingways The Sun Also Rises is a prime example because of the growing importance of continual partying and drinking (OConnor, n.d.). The lost generations ideals *were+ shattered so thoroughly by the war, that social responsibilities, such as obtaining a job, became irrelevant (OConnor, n.d.). Women became significant leaders in the 1920s. After continuously fighting for the right to vote, the 19 th Amendment was passed giving women the opportunity to seek careers (The Culture, n.d.). Flapper trends became increasingly popular and gave women the confidence to flaunt their sexuality. With gender roles changing, women gained educational power and were able to compete in the workforce causing men to develop masculine anxiety, (Yu, 2010). In Hemingways The Sun Also Rises, Brett is representing the 1920s woman; her shared masculine and feminine define the power she has over the many male relationships she encountered throughout the novel (Yu, 2010). As stated by Yu, lost generation writer, Earnest Hemingway, created such a powerful female figure in his novel to make an example of, Bretts ability to function as both the initiator and terminator of her relationships, (Yu, 2010). Fitzgerald also utilized the idea of the new women, in The Great Gatsby, except he chose to portray two women with differing personalities. While both Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker possess cynical traits, Jordan is much more self-directed than Daisy. According to Women in the 20s, Daisy is more emotional, while Jordan *has+ a very arrogant attitude (Women, n.d.). AMERICAN LITURATURE IN THE 1920s
Jordan characterizes the working women, one who is determined to become successful in a career and acts similarly to Hemingways character, Brett. Daisy embodies flapper qualities however, she differs from both Jordan and Brett because she is focused on finding the right man in her life (Women, n.d.). Writers during the 1920s became unstimulated by Americas materialistic values, opting for an escape to a creative hub in Europe. According to 1920s Literature, *authors+ expressed disappointment in the passing of old ways, because societal changes were straying from Americas pre-war morals (1920s Literature, n.d.). Fleeing to Europe, most commonly Paris, became rhythmic in the sense that more and more expatriates and writers chose to leave America. Soldiers felt that they couldnt face returning to their homelands in fear that their family and friends didnt understand the great hardships they endured while at war (Andrews, n.d.). Just as the heightened economy opened for a greater sense of living, the stock market crashed in 1929. The Great Depression was a result of the economy shift and left much of the lost generation out of work and falling into extreme poverty. The same effects were being felt in Europe, the home of many writers and soldiers. Many of these people traveled back to their homeland in search of family ties. Writers no longer felt the disillusionment of the past decade because America was in a vulnerable state-a writers key inspirational tool. The Great Depression ended the quest of writers and settled into a new era filled with the ravishing lows of society.
AMERICAN LITURATURE IN THE 1920s
References 1920's Literature. (n.d.). 1920's Literature. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://www.1920- 30.com/literature/ America in the 1920's. (n.d.). America in the 1920's. Retrieved December 7, 2013, from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/America_economy_1920s.htm Andrews, A. (n.d.). American Expatriates in Europe. engl352 /. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://engl352.pbworks.com/w/page/18969962/American%20Expatriates%20in%20Euro pe Krauss, S. (2010, November 10). F. Scott Fitzgerald: American Expatriate of the Lost Generation | Americans in Paris, Fall 2010. Americans in Paris Fall 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://uramericansinparis.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/f-scott-fitzgerald- american-expatriate-of-the-lost-generation/ Literary Expatriates in Paris. (n.d.). Literary Expatriates in Paris. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://www2.lib.unc.edu/rbc/french_expatriates/paris.html O'Connor, K. (n.d.). Lost Generation. Great Writers Inspire: Learning from the Past. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://writersinspire.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/content/lost-generation The Culture of the Roaring Twenties. (n.d.). Boundless. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from https://www.boundless.com/u-s-history/from-the-new-era-to-the-great-depression-1920- 1933/the-culture-of-change/the-culture-of-the-roaring-twenties/ The Lost Generation. (n.d.). The Lost Generation. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/hpolscrv/jbolhofer.html Women in the 20s. (n.d.). women in the 20's. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://www.ovtg.de/3_arbeit/englisch/gatsby/women20.html AMERICAN LITURATURE IN THE 1920s
Yu, X. (n.d.). English Language Teaching. The New Woman in The Sun Also Rises. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/view/7229/5580