-Matt Rosenzweig, Max Hansen, Logan Smith Mrs. Kelly English 11 Honors Period 7 2 May 2014 The Modernist Fiction Period The Modernist Fiction period took place during the 1920’s and revolutionized the American way of life in literature, economically, and socially. There was a national vision of upward mobility during this time that represented the American Dream. The upward mobility was seen through the consumerism and materialism that dominated this decade economically. Popular novels of this time reflected the mass consumerism in the lives of those wrote them. During the American Modernist Fiction period, Americans became increasingly materialistic throughout the roaring twenties; therefore, the American Dream was to obtain upper class status through the possession of material goods, which was reflected in many of this period’s works.
03 Dec. 2013. "Themes in American History." » Fashion in the 1920s. N.p., 29 June 2011. Web.
Indeed the 1920s left America with jazz music, flappers, The Great Gatsby, and an era of good fortune, there was so much more to the era than optimism and enthusiasm. After The Great War ended, America had hope, leading Americans to take out their savings from under their mattresses and invest in the Stock Market which skyrocketed throughout the ‘20s leading to an economic boom. Although the 1920s remind us as a time of prosperity in US history with some of the most important inventions, we fail to remember what led to this era and it’s downfall. We tend to think of technology as helpful and promising, but new inventions left half of America in the past and the other pushed into the modern world. New government enforced laws resulted in gangs and black market.
Reasons Behind the Economic Boom of 1920's There was an economic boom in the 1920s for 5 main reasons. Firstly the growing strength of American Industry meant that the USA was a leading producer of many raw materials. This was partly due to the second main cause of the boom, which was World War 1. This had helped the American Industry to grow, as during World War 1 new markets had opened up to America. Also, after World War 1, America took over as a leading producer as many European industries had suffered greatly because of the war.
Norris, Floyd. "Looking Back at The Crash of 1929." The New York Times 15 Oct. 1999, web edition ed. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. .
The 1920s got its reputation as the “Roaring Twenties” from the economy in part because the economy was booming, and people were purchasing products on credit and stocks on margin. All this exchange of currency created a boom era or a “Roaring” period of time. In sports, athletes were being identified as heroes for the first time in history. This was the time of great athletes such as Babe Ruth. American Football reached the professional leagu...
The Great Gatsby, USA: Warner Bros Truslow, James (1931) Localized Retrieved December 5, 2013 from http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/580393.James_Truslow_Adams Chris Truman, (Unknown year), America in the 1920’s, Retrieved December 5, 2013 from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/America_economy_1920s.htm Unknown author, but a Princeton.edu website (Unknown Year), F. Scott Fitzgerald Papers, Retrieved December 5, 2013 from http://www.princeton.edu/~rbsc/research/tutorial/lib-fitzaid.html Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). The Great Gatsby. Retrieved April 23, 2014 from http://www.shmoop.com/great-gatsby/
The economy was booming and people had money to spend. “A person from any social background could, potentially, make a fortune” (The 1). Social changes, new technologies, and a thriving economy that eventually collapsed at the end of the decade are factors that contributed to why the 1920s became known as one of the most unforgettable decades in United States history. There were many social changes that took place in America during the 1920s, starting with women rights. Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment which granted women the right to vote.
Prohibition Thirteen Years That Changed America. New York: Arcade Publishing, 1996. Cayton, Andrew, Perry, Elisabeth Israels, Reed, Linda, and Winkler, Allan M. America Pathways to the Present. Needham: Prentice Hall, 2003. Fitzgerald, F. Scott.
Advertisement was first created in the age of consumerism. The 1920s, often known in America as the “Roaring Twenties”, is considered as the first modern era in which many advancements and improvements have been made. As men went off to fight in the Great War, women had to step in and took the places of men in factories and other work fields. However, after