1. A CENTURY OF CHANGE
TWO WORLD WARS BROKE DOWN AMERICA’S ISOLATIONIST AND REGIONAL PERCEPTION

2. THE LOST GENERATION
WRITERS SUCH AS HEMINGWAY SAW SOCIETY AS CHAOTIC AND MEANINGLESS

3. THE LOST GENERATION
WRITERS FELT THE REAL AMERICA HAD BEEN LOST AND QUESTIONED THEIR FAITH IN THE AMERICAN DREAM OF BEN FRANKLIN

4. THE LOST GENERATION
INDIVIDUALS SEEMED LOST AMONG THE INDUSTRIAL AND DEHUMANIZED MODERN WORLD

5. THE JAZZ AGE
MUSIC, LITERATURE AND SOCIETY HAD AN AIR OF REBELLIOUSNESS
PROHIBITION & SPEAK-EASIES

6. THE GREAT GATSBY FITZGERALD WROTE ABOUT MORAL CARELESSNESS
QUESTIONED THE MYTH OF THE SELF-MADE MAN
EXPLORED THE BREAKDOWN OF TRADITIONAL VALUES

7. THE GREAT DEPRESSION
THE BREAKDOWN OF THE ECONOMY CAUSED FURTHER QUESTIONING OF THE AMERICAN WAY
SOCIALISM & COMMUNISM CHALLENGED AMERICAN CAPITALISM

8. MODERNISM BROKE THE RULES OF LITERATURE
REJECTED CONVENTIONS OF THE PAST
“MAKE IT NEW”
POEMS DIDN’T HAVE TO RHYME

9. MODERNISM
STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS SHOWED REALITY TO BE DEPENDENT UPON ONE’S POINT OF VIEW
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
USED ALIENATION, IRONY, ILLOGICAL CONNECTIONS

10. MODERNISM
TRIED TO MAKE SENSE BY PUTTING TOGETHER THE FRAGMENTS OF A BROKEN WORLD
VIEWED SOCIETY AS DECAYING

11. MODERNISM OTHER VOICES EXPATRIATES LEFT AMERICA
GOLDEN AGE OF WOMEN WRITERS
HARLEM RENAISSANCE

12. MODERNISM
LITERATURE BECAME IN THE WORDS OF ROBERT FROST “A MOMENTARY STAY AGAINST THE CONFUSION” IN AN INCREASINGLY CONFUSING AND FRAGMENTED WORLD.