Personal Opinion Essay: The 1920s, A Hopeful Time to Live

959 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Prosperity and the riches during the 1920s

I always envy going back to the 1920s in the USA. There are times when I feel miserable; there are even times when I lose sight of hope. When I feel that the obstacles in my life are insurmountable, going back to the 1920s might help me acknowledge what I am hoping for in my life. The 1920s was seemingly the most hopeful and exciting period to live in. With economic prosperity, the idea of the American dream, the change of women position in the society and all other events, Americans were more hopeful than ever.
In the 1920s, people used to hope immensely. The USA undergone the first economic prosperity since World War 1. Inflation had been controlled and most of the people could earn much more. People could afford manufactured goods such as washing machines and radios, which were only affordable by wealthy people in the past. About half of the American families owned a car as new production of car had been increasing. As the prosperity in Wall Street continued to increase, more people immigrated to New York from all parts of the country. Many of them believed the American dream of “anyone can hope for anything”. I am sure that everyone knows Jay Gatsby from the novel The Great Gatsby, who lived in a poor farmer’s family and became a millionaire by setting up business in New York. By immigrating to New York, people saw a glimpse of hope to get wealthy.
Besides benefiting from materialistic enjoyment, people also hoped for soul relaxation. People enjoyed driving and going on sprees, which were outings where people would drink and play wildly. Americans also enjoy more pricy leisure activities like going to the movies and attending enormous parties. On top of that, drinking is surely the major leisure of them all. With liquor p...

... middle of paper ...

...ut people in the 1920s, they all insist on chasing after their dreams. From people who hoped to earn much, to people who hoped to recover from the war, to women who strived for their rights although they saw less hope. Going back to the 1920s will surely inspire me to find my dreams and hope.
All in all, believe it or not, always have hope. From the aforementioned events happened in the 1920s, I can see that the reason for people succeeding was mainly due to their persistence of hope. People in the 1920s are not afraid of changes, while Hong Kongers are hesitant for changes. What I, or we, could learn from the “Roaring Twenties” is the never-failing insistence and assertiveness towards the future. It is time for us to find courage and to persist our hopes. Remember there is always a glimpse of hope ahead of you. Remember “once you choose hope, anything’s possible”.

Show More
Related

  • Sara Smolinsky in The Bread Givers

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the early 1920s the Great Depression took place. The Great Depression affected many people's lives. The immigrants caught the worst of it. They had just come from another country and were trying to start their new lives when the depression hit. They had to struggle once more with poverty and desperation in taking care of their families, the main reason they had left their old countries was to escape the same epidemic that was now overtaking ?the land of the free?. Immigrants, such as the Jewish immigrants, had to live in poverty-stricken ghettos without the necessities they needed to live healthy lives. The 1920s was the time of rapid change, it was the time of risque fashion, it was the time of which that if you were rich and had all the latest fashions then you were ?in? but if you did not then you were an outcast.

    Read More

  • Great Gatsby Dialectical Journal

    1258 Words  | 3 Pages

    The 1920s or the roaring twenties was post World War I and before the Great Depression. Unfortunately, not everything was pleasing for the 1920s, as this time period experienced social, economic, and cultural alterations that affected the lives of Americans. One reason I would not enjoy living in the 1920s was because during this time a law prohibition was passed abolishing the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol and liquors which led to bootlegging and high crime.The 20’s were a very time changing era. Personally, I think things were to uncontrolled and especially for young women living the cities of America. They could now

    Read More

  • 1920s Labor Grievances

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 1920s was an era of great cultural, technological, and economic expansion. It was a prosperous time for the upper and middle classes. This time period named the “New Era” because the United States seemed to be on the cusp of great change and fortune. The 1920s seemed to be a prosperous time for America but looks can be deceiving.

    Read More

  • America in the 1920s

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    Technology played an important role in the daily lives of Americans in the 1920s. Many inventions and new developments occurred during this time. A large number of items that are used today were invented by individuals and teams in research laboratories. This technology brought many conveniences such as electrical power and indoor plumbing into the home. Radios gave people access to the news and provided entertainment. Mass culture was also born and the automobile became the largest consumer product of the decade. By 1929, one in five Americans had an automobile on the road. America experienced a decade of economic growth due to the impact of technology in the 1920s.

    Read More

  • 1920s: The Roaring Decade

    1722 Words  | 4 Pages

    The 1920s was a time of conservatism and it was a time of great social change. From the world of fashion to the world of politics, forces clashed to produce the most explosive decade of the century. It was the age of prohibition, it was the age of prosperity, and it was the age of downfall.

    Read More

  • Essay On The 1920's

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 1920’s was a period of extremely economic growth and personal wealth. America was a striving nation and the American people had the potential to access products never manufactured before. Automobile were being made on an assembly line and were priced so that not just the rich had access to these vehicles, as well as, payment plans were made which gave the American people to purchase over time if they couldn't pay it all up front. Women during the First World War went to work in place of the men who went off to fight. When the men return the women did not give up their positions in the work force. Women being giving the responsibility outside the home gave them a more independent mindset, including the change of women's wardrobe, mainly in the shortening of their skirts.

    Read More

  • Notorious Outlaw, Machine Gun Kelly

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 1920’s otherwise known as the roaring twenties was the era of prohibition outlawing alcohol and the era of gangsters like al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. If it wasn’t for the outlawing of alcohol I would probably be out of work dirt poor. I would be back on my farm in Tennessee where I grew up shoveling cow shit and arguing with my drunk of a dad every night. The first chance Kelly gave me to go back to Chicago with him I took, taking full advantage of the gang life.

    Read More

  • Greed and Envy: An Analysis of the 1920’s Consumer-Driven Society: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    599 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 1920s was a decade of rapid expansion, wealth, envy, and greed. This is a time during which life felt as if it was moving in fast forward. Its basis was money and the extravagances that money could buy. America went under a radical change and social reform. America is becoming more industrialized, more Americans lived in cities than in the countryside. The development of technologies like radios, mo...

    Read More

  • Social Changes In The 1920's

    425 Words  | 1 Pages

    Events that occurred in the 1920s altered society greatly, becoming an important part of modern day reality. The way society thinks in the 1920s is quite similar to modern society, illustrated through the ideology of the “American Dream”. During the 1920s, people aspired to grow to their fullest through achieving a high social status, and wealth. Likewise, in modern society, people continue to carry this idea as they aspire to have a good job; earn money; and obtain a high social status. This idea of opportunity of prosperity and success has continued on into the modern society, having a great impact. These impacts are also visible through the lessons carried on from events that occurred in the 1920s. Many mistakes were made in this era which are

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises

    2155 Words  | 5 Pages

    Americans in the 1920s were fresh off of World War I and freshly into the Prohibition Era. The American Dream was well defined- a life of wealth, comfort, and exuberance. After a World War I victory, the Dream was thought to be in the near future for every American. The country was seen as a world superpower, wealthy after the devastation of a war fought entirely overseas and brimming with hope and possibility- at least on the surface. Despite the highs experienced by much of the country, it wasn't without its problems. Crime violence was benevolently running the streets and the Speakeasies beyond the reach of full Prohibition, the world was being set-up for The Great Depression, and America was brimming with members of the "Lost Generation." This generation and the hypocrisies and idiosyncracies of the "American Dream" inspired a rising and influential set of artists, poets and writers, and a list of best-selling books that both reflected and inspired the generation that devoured them. Authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Edith Wharton, Anita Loos, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Sinclair Lewis were some of the popular fiction authors of the 1920s who both entertained and delighted their readers, while also offering an intelligent reality check about the limits and realities of the American Dream.

    Read More

  • Roaring Twenties In America

    1757 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Roaring Twenties was America’s golden age. F. Scott Fitzgerald once said,“The parties were bigger, the pace was faster, the shows were broader, the buildings were higher, the morals were looser, and the liquor was cheaper” (“People” PBS). The cultural undertone of the twenties was very different from the times before and during World War I. “ For the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms…people from coast to coast bought the same goods…listened to the same music, did the same dances, and even used the same slang” (“Roaring” History). The Twenties was a time of social and cultural change. During this time, things like the automobile and jazz became more popular and mainstream. These things were possible because America

    Read More

  • The Tensions of the Changing 1920s

    981 Words  | 2 Pages

    History is an abundance of movements that demonstrate the changes in societal ideals and beliefs, it also conveys the struggle many people had to maintain conservative ideas. The 1920s was a major time frame when many changes occurred and began, it is the epitome of the struggle between a changing nation and the Conservatives who want it all to stay the same. The power struggle between the Conservatives and the rebellious members of society had been going on for years but it was the passing of the Volstead Act, which had kicked started the Prohibition, that created an explosive change throughout the society. Drinking became fashionable, everyone wanted to do it because it was forbidden. With one law being broken people began to break the societal norms; woman drank and smoked in public, blacks were becoming popular in society, and even the accepted religious facts were called into question. This disregard for the norms caused an uproar throughout society and were the main tensions between old and new ideal; the tension stemmed from the ideals about women, blacks and religion.

    Read More

  • Social Dichotomy of the 1920s

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a nation coming out of a devastating war, America faced many changes in the 1920s. It was a decade of growth and improvements. It was also a decade of great economic and political confidence. However, with all the changes comes opposition. Social and cultural fears still caused dichotomous rifts in American society.

    Read More

  • Roaring Twenties And The Great Gatsby

    942 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 1920s in America, known as the "Roaring Twenties", was a time of celebration after a devastating war. It was a period of time in America characterised by prosperity and optimism. There was a general feeling of discontinuity associated with modernity and a break with traditions.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of 1920's

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of production, it was the age of destruction, it was the epoch of nativism, it was the epoch of racism, it was the season of skepticism, it was the season of anti-communism, it was the spring of gain, it was the winter of loss – in short, it was the 1920's. Indeed, the decade of the 1920s was a truly “roaring” and prosperous time, but at the same time, it was a period of chaos and conflict. The events that happened during this decade influenced the world as we know it today. More importantly, the thought that the 1920’s was an era of major change in the United States, both positive and negative, is indeed fascinating and it deserves thorough examination.

    Read More

More about Personal Opinion Essay: The 1920s, A Hopeful Time to Live

Open Document