MODERNITY THE 1920S AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

CONTEXT: MODERNISM: AN AGE OF TRANSITION World War I and After: American entered WWI with a sense of hope and idealism However, after the horrors of the war, a general disillusionment among the people caused nervousness People feared almost everything-- racism, intolerance, violence, Ku Klux Klan, immigrants, political intolerance, and the "ghost of Bolshevism" behind every form of social protest/ strikes foreign policy of Isolationism Feeling that America had seriously messed up by going to war

WHAT WHAT HAPPENING IN THE ROARING 20S? Economy boomed  More money came into America after WWI Prohibition Act In 1919, Congress passed the Prohibition Act, which forbade the sale and consumption of alcohol As a result, organized crime takes off and underground money is everywhere Social revolution The “new woman” (women who worked white collar jobs) and the 19 th Amendment in 1920 Birth of mass culture

OPTIMISM… Business, change and innovation, laissez faire- economy Rapid growth of industry and mechanization, unlimited progress effecting an even wider distribution of the blessing of civilizations, electricity, mass entertainment, the automobile… Even skeptics believe in progress and in solving of problems New" Golden Age" for America

…AND CRITICISM Critics called the decade one of "decline and degradation" Americans were caught up in a "surge of materialism,” and people who had failed to grasp the meaning and significance of life. Fueled by the horrors of war and the “fast and loose” lifestyle promoted, they lost faith in life and in the possibility of social progress that caused their absolute lack of interest in politics.

1920’S:ECONOMY, TECHNOLOGY, & SCIENCE In 1926, the advent of Technicolor made movies more entertaining and memorable; consequently, the movie industry became a major part of American industry in general Lindenburg’s pioneering flight across the Atlantic Ocean in the Spirit of St. Louis in 1927 Canned foods, ready-made clothing and household appliances emerge, liberating women from household drudgery

1920’S:ECONOMY, TECHNOLOGY, & SCIENCE The use of machinery increased productivity, while decreasing the demand for manual laborers The nation's demand for food remained relatively steady. As a result, food prices — and profits — dropped. Machinery was costly. The small farmer was no longer able to cope because he lacked the capital to buy the equipment Industrial boom lured numerous workers off the farm to the cities Farmers were compelled to merge in order to compete; the lasting effect would be larger, but fewer farms.

1920’s:Economy, Technology, & Science Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921 With women’s newfound freedom came the desire to stay eligible for longer, resulting in a focus on dieting and her looks This resulted in a significant change in the dietary habits of Americans as a whole — less fat and meat, and more fruits and vegetables However, contradictory habits like cigarette consumption, rose roughly by 43 billion annually, and bootleg liquor became a $3.5 billion-a-year business

SPIRIT OF THE 20S Urbanization and the move away from the land Fascination with the dream of success Development of the cinema as a medium of entertainment Carefree attitude Reflected in improvisational style of writing and jazz Increased mobility brought about by the mass produced automobile

QUICK REVIEW OF ERAS… PURITAN/AGE OF REASON View of God: All Sovereign Man is depraved Predestination Pray for perfection Theocracy Man is good God in man ROMANTICISM Man is divine God in nature Flaws are part of the whole Sublime is in nature “The spontaneous overflow of feelings”—Wordsworth Reaction to Industrial Revolution

QUICK REVIEW OF ERAS… REALISM “Objective reality” Showing the ugly side of life Especially concerned with lower/poor classes Reaction to Romanticism Focus on the self MODERNISM (THIS IS THE ONE WE'RE STUDYING RIGHT NOW!) “God is dead” -Nietzsche Stream-of-consciousness writing style Playing with form, style, perspective, and how we interpret “reality” Reaction to the horrors of WWI Common themes of disillusionment, isolation, inability to find oneself, and a “lost generation”

LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK Written by T.S. Elliot in 1917 Poking fun at feelings of isolationism and abandonment while also acknowledging that everyone has these feelings Literally about a skinny bald guy who hates parties because he doesn’t feel glamourous or “cool” enough to be there Critique of materialism People love their status symbols more than they love other people Dark and humorous look at humanity’s inability to live in the moment and instead focus on the worst case scenario