Change of Literature in the 20th Century
Revolution: The Change of Literature in the Early 20th Century
America went through many changes in the early 20th century. These changes greatly altered the American mind, and consequently the literature of the time. Large scale world events such as: The first total war—WWI, and the swift change from prosperity in the twenties to nationwide depression in the thirties, drastically changed the American mind. Times were progressive—on one hand, man had never before been so powerful before, and on the other, man had never been so vulnerable. The literature of the time reflected that tortured juxtaposition—man on top of the world, man under the foot of God. The culture shaping events of the early twentieth century are reflected in the literature of the time—man as man. The very beginning of the twentieth century was a progressive time in science, warfare, and industrialization. With the mass advances in culture, the American people appeared to be on top of the world. However, those very progressions took the lives of thousands of American men in World War I. World War I was the first total war, meaning many nations all joined together and fought as a collective whole. This was a much different type of war than any other before; it involved the whole world. At the time, it was solemnly referred to as the Great War, and brought about unprecedented death and destruction (Sparknotes). By the time World War I ended in 1918, it had claimed over nine million lives, and over twenty-one million had been wounded (A&E Television Networks). The world had never before seen this kind of total destruction. The History Channel states “the four years of the Great War [ . . . ] saw unprecedented levels of carnage and destruction”(Rosenberg). Man had never before been capable of killing so many at one time. Modern technology gave nations the ability to kill nations. New inventions such as the Machine Gun, tanks, and chemical weaponry made this possible. Invented in 1917,
America went through many changes in the early 20th century. These changes greatly altered the American mind, and consequently the literature of the time. Large scale world events such as: The first total war—WWI, and the swift change from prosperity in the twenties to nationwide depression in the thirties, drastically changed the American mind. Times were progressive—on one hand, man had never before been so powerful before, and on the other, man had never been so vulnerable. The literature of the time reflected that tortured juxtaposition—man on top of the world, man under the foot of God. The culture shaping events of the early twentieth century are reflected in the literature of the time—man as man. The very beginning of the twentieth century was a progressive time in science, warfare, and industrialization. With the mass advances in culture, the American people appeared to be on top of the world. However, those very progressions took the lives of thousands of American men in World War I. World War I was the first total war, meaning many nations all joined together and fought as a collective whole. This was a much different type of war than any other before; it involved the whole world. At the time, it was solemnly referred to as the Great War, and brought about unprecedented death and destruction (Sparknotes). By the time World War I ended in 1918, it had claimed over nine million lives, and over twenty-one million had been wounded (A&E Television Networks). The world had never before seen this kind of total destruction. The History Channel states “the four years of the Great War [ . . . ] saw unprecedented levels of carnage and destruction”(Rosenberg). Man had never before been capable of killing so many at one time. Modern technology gave nations the ability to kill nations. New inventions such as the Machine Gun, tanks, and chemical weaponry made this possible. Invented in 1917,
Cited: Brook, Rupert. "Sonnets." Of World War I. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. Duffy, Michael. "Poison Gas." Weapons of War. Original Material, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 1925. Print. Mitchell, Koritha. "Prove It On Me: New Negroes, Sex, And Popular Culture In The 1920S." Journal Of American History 99.3 (2012): 959-960