20 th Century America Challenging the American Dream Men travel faster now, but I do not know if they go to better things Willa Cather

A Timeline 1917: U.S. enters WWI 1919: Treaty of Versailles ends WWI 1920: Harlem Renaissance begins 18 th Amendment : Prohibition 19 th Amendment : Women Right to Vote 1929: Stock Market Crash; Great Depression 1933: FDR, New Deal Program 1939: Germany invades Poland, WWII begins

The American Dream America – a promised land America – a promised land of beauty, unlimited resources, endless opportunity of beauty, unlimited resources, endless opportunity American birthright: opportunity, progress, & optimism Independence, self-reliance, individuality

I Dreamed a Dream DO NOW QuIcK wRiTe What is your definition of the American Dream? Is the American dream specific to America? Why does the American dream have such a prominent place in our nation’s identify? Do people often see the American dream realized?

“What happens to the American Dream in a Recession” What is the state of the American Dream? Problem: 1.Battered economy 2.Increasing joblessness 3. Collapse of housing market Solution? Risks? Rewards?

Elements of Modernism Bold new experimental styles Rejection of traditional themes Sense of disillusionment & loss of faith in the Am. Dream Rejection of sentimentality & emotion Rejection of the ideal or infallible hero Interest in the human mind - Psychology

Students can analyze how and why individuals, events and ideas develop over the course of a text. pgs Author : William Faulkner Style : southern Gothic Setting : Jefferson, Mississippi at the turn of the 20 th century Main character : Emily Grierson, an aristocratic, eccentric spinster (unmarried) Craft & structure : A series of flashbacks after the elderly Emily has died.

The Jazz Age: 1920’s Roaring Twenties Age of Economic boom (upswing) Age of Economic boom (upswing) “Work hard, play harder “Work hard, play harder Women played a prominent role in fashion, intellectual circles, society

The Jazz Age: 1920’s Social Influences Speak-easies (secret / underground clubs) Speak-easies (secret / underground clubs) Jazz clubs Jazz clubs Prohibition Prohibition Flappers Flappers Gangsters Gangsters Radio / Film Radio / Film

The Jazz Age: 1920’s Nouveau riche “new rich” Refers to a person who has acquired considerable wealth within his/her generation. Derogatory: Derogatory: social class distinction

F. Scott Fitzgerald Coined the phrase… The Jazz Age

The Roaring Twenties America Automobile changes life and travel as never before Mail order catalogues, such as Sears, gives everyday Americans access to world’s biggest stores Hollywood (west) was becoming a factory of the world’s daydreams; Wall Street (east) – the world’s money mart Americans became obsessed with : alcohol, music, dancing, and cocktail parties

F. Scott Fitzgerald Chronology Born Sept. 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Full name Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald Mother’s family is wealthy but his father is unsuccessful at business so money is always an issue. He is poor but he attends prep. schools which make him feel like an outsider.

This Side of Paradise captures the hopes of success of Americans but also the fears of failure and poverty. NOTE: * A reoccurring theme that runs throughout Fitzgerald’s best works is that happiness and success are unattainable.

During the next 5-10 years, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald are at the center of Jazz Age culture, and regularly appear in gossip magazines. They were the talk of the town! What was their life like? She was wild! Some would say CRAZY ! He was an alcoholic! They followed the party circuit. They both had affairs but loved each other deeply!

Works written by F. Scott Fitzgerald during this period: The Beautiful and the Damned Tales of the Jazz Age (short stories) – The Vegetable (a play) The Great Gatsby – the defining novel of the 20’s Tender is the Night - is unpopular because it is published after the start of The Great Depression and people didn’t want to read about success and excess when they didn’t have enough! His unfinished novel The Last Tycoon is about Hollywood

“ Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... And one fine morning ” This quote describing Gatsby at the end of his novel could just as easily describe Fitzgerald himself.