THE SUN ALSO RISES - Alienation What I would like to show you by writing this essay is that for many individuals in many different generations, for some less for others more explicit, the time they live in does not fit their outlook on life. Because of this they live different lives than their generation and the cultural setting and standards of their era would expect them to live. They feel alienated and left out, or they are strange in the eyes of others, eccentric even, they do not fit in their time and the set of moral and aesthetic standards they live in. These are the individuals, of whom I could give you many examples. However, what is more interesting to me, sometimes an entire generation in a certain cultural setting, environment and time, can experience a feeling of alienation, estrangement, of having no ties with the past and no ties with the present or the future too. Not an individual who feels stranded in the wrong time, in the wrong place and perhaps even on the wrong planet. No, an entire generation living in a vacuum, feeling completely alienated of their time, waiting for the future, waiting for their lives to start. The cultural settings of an era are due to many factors. The period I would like to describe is called the roaring twenties, its generation The Lost Generation. The early years of the Twentieth century were dominated by the First World War which dragged the United States in a war it did not want. The Communist uprising in Russia that had as a consequence a completely new map of the world and which wiped out the last of the autocratic nobility. The new inventions like cars, airplanes, radio, electric light, which in the twenties resorted into house-hold appliances like washing-machines and vacuum-cleaners. There was hope but it was false hope. The hope was based on old values and thoughts and on unstable economical and political forces. The years immediately following World War I were besides hope also characterized by anger, discontent, and disillusionment. Society had been devastated by a global conflict that resulted in unprecedented death, destruction and resentment. The survivors who came of age during this era just after WW I, were termed the Lost Generation, they were left disjointed and alienated from both the world before and the new world that emerged after. Many of the generation left their homes to roam the world, to look for better morals and better lives unable to identify with either pre- or post war values, both of which, after the war, seemed deceptive and perverted. They became social exiles and were abandoned by their country and left to rediscover and redefine themselves in a world that had stifled their hopes, dreams and beliefs, in a world that after the war looked superficial and was based on economical values. It was during this time that literature in an attempt to capture the attitudes, emotions and opinions of the generation took a different tone and view. Because of the stream of consciousness, started by James Joyce and further developed by other authors like Virginia Woolf, literature had the tools and could therefore describe the feelings and outlooks of an entire generation. The works of the most successful writers of this generation literally became bibles to those who thought they had lost their identity but had rediscovered themselves in these books. To such people, these novels became their defining elements, and by resurrecting their individualism, they had found a point of departure from which they could finally rebuild their lives. In the period following the First World War, one novel emerged as the dominant literary work that best captured the disorder felt by the common man. It is semi-autobiographical, written by an individual who felt as disillusioned and abandoned by society as the rest of the generation did.
These ideas sum up societies mood in the 1920s. The Roaring Twenties was a period of cultural change in which people evaluated their life and morals. Responsiblity for many became unimportant and a spirit that focused on the individual and independence spread far and wide. Socially, in the 1920s, autonomy, or having the right of self government, was strong. People, especially members of the youth, formed new trains of thought and expressed their own personnel attitudes and beliefs. Music and theater grew and became expressions of the culture.
In 1918 when World War I ended, American society and culture changed immediately after. World War I resulted in the death of nine million soldiers and twenty one million wounded. Families were left mourning the loss of their relatives and people titled World War I as a “war to end all war.” With the nation going through such tragedy, change was bound to happen. During the 1920s there was a change in consumer culture, art, music and literature. So much changed happened during the 1920s that it’s referred to as the roaring twenties. Entertainment was on a rise and the way that Americans were used to living started to change. Along with that came immigration laws that changed American culture as well.
This chapter talks about the stream of consciousness and why it its important. A stream of consciousness is a literary style that is used when an author wants to describe a characters thoughts and feelings in a continuous flow. The first time it was used was by Edouard Dujardin in an interior monologue, which is an unspoken monologue. Stream of consciousness is important because its techniques have inspired other novelists. It also gave writers an understanding of the mind that no other technique had ever done before. Without stream of consciousness narratives would be unoriginal, and simple.
Although there were many different individual and group experiences during and after the war, “the generation of 1914” may be used to collectively regard the suffering and sacrifice that all participants of this “generation” endured. Both Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth and Robert Graves’s Good-bye to All That express a common theme of suffering, sacrifice, and the betrayal of their generation. Brittain wrote extensively about her generation’s loss and endurance of so many physical and mental hardships. Parents sacrificed sons, wives sacrificed husbands, and soldiers sacrificed their lives. Much of Europe had to endure under a constant atmosphere of death, loss, and other hardships, like food shortages, and military occupations. This suffering was an important element in Brittain’s definition of her generation. She wrote that if her fiancé had been of the postwar generation she could not have married him, because “a gulf wider than any decade divides those who experienced the War as adults...
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
Throughout Preludes, the structural element of time is portrayed through images and sensations associated with daily actions. Points in time are made obvious through meaningless tasks; early mornings are defined by the raising of dingy shades and evenings by the "smells of steaks in passageways," (T.S.Eliot: The Complete Poems and Plays [CPP], 12) and the lighting of the lamps. As the initial stanza begins, we are aware that evening is upon us. The notion of scheduled action is made through the reference of, "Six o’clock," (CPP, 12). Images of poverty and lower class filth set the scene and allude to "the burnt-out ends of smoky days," (CPP, 12) painting a disgusting picture of society’s surroundings. Deepening the feeling of emptiness, there stands a "lonely cab-horse," (CPP, 12) the first notion of actual emotion on a street of meaningless leaves and newspaper.
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.
In the early 1980s, many accidents occurred as a result of drunk driving. The Presidential Commission Against Drunk Driving was established in April 1982 to reduce the number of fatalities or accidents with alcohol involved. The purpose of the commission was for adults to be more cautious about drunk driving and to confirm that adults were
Despite his reasoning for choosing to make the change he still acted stubborn and with a bit of my grandfather’s personality, he planted his feet (so-to-speak) and refused to make changes and adjust to a new country, lifestyle and culture. He told me some of our friends and family's surnames had changed, such as “Rodrigues” became “Rogers;” Oliveira to “Oliver;” “Silva” to “Silver;” and “Pereira” to “Perry.” He swore the entire ride across the ocean that his name was “Souza” and it would stay “Souza” until the day he died.
Before her death she had become known as a powerful force for good in the world as she "embraced all those requiring care, even breaking the barriers associated with AIDS, leprosy, and those maimed from land mines. She had such a deep concern for each individual taught the world for which we will be forever blessed" (Anonymous Diana Frances Spencer George diana.
Those born before 1943 are referred as silent generations or veterans. They are also called traditionalist. The people of this generation grew up during World War II and great depression era where they were the part of the fight or were the children at that time. Patriotism, hard work, team effort and dedication defines this generation. They are also the first true innovators of many vaccines for deadly disease like tetanus, polio, tuberculosis etc. Some calls them as the wealthiest generation .In today’s world, silent generation are majority who are retired and mostly seen during the time of voting.
The post World War II period had an enormous impact on American society and literature. Many important events occurred and affected directly to the movement of American literature. During this period, American Literature reflected the movement of disillusionment, and portrayed the lost generation. Many WWII writers adapted new approaches and philosophies in writing their novels. They portrayed the lost generation, anti-war perspective and explored the true meaning of “war hero”. Among them, the pioneers are Bernard Malamud, Ken Kesey and Joseph Heller, who wrote the Natural, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Catch-22.
Diana, “The People’s Princess”, was one of the greatest and influential people in Great Britain during the 20th century. She always strived to help the less fortunate despite her personal struggles with bulimia, depression and the divorce with Prince Charles. Diana was known everywhere for her efforts to ban landmines and bring awareness to AIDS. Through Princess Diana’s charity work and humanitarian efforts, she made a positive impact on the world.
Throughout her life all eyes were always on Princess Diana. Millions came to identify with her and, when she died, they felt as though they have lost a best friend. Princess Di was known across the world as “The People’s Princess” and “The Queen of Our Hearts”. She was one of the most admired and relatable princesses to society. Through her charity and her life struggles, many people can admire and relate to Princess Diana.
Each morning I stuck my key into a small gold key hole into the back entrance of her residence. The residence was absolutely stunning. There were flowers with the most exquisite scent. The landscaping was ridiculous, it was sheer perfection. The grass was always trimmed to perfection as well. There was never a weed in between the cracks of the cement. The palace was extravagant. The whole palace was made of the finest materials, it was beautiful. The roof was even made of gold. Despite the royal family’s golden exterior with love for one another and their children, I saw the real Prince and Princess of Wales. I often had time to talk to Princess Diana, although she preferred when I called her Di ( Tompson 1). While Diana’s life was cut too short, every minute that she was alive was exciting, the outfits, the press, and the charities. People could not get enough of her life and sometimes it was too much for her even though you could never tell through the smile she constantly sported.