Creativity, literature and varied ethnicities throughout the 20th century made a huge impact on what defined “American culture.” America emerged as the dominant global power as the war ravaged through the world at the start of the 1900s. Following the war was a time of peace, which is also known as the “Roarin’ Twenties.” During this period, art and culture flourished, new artists and art forms emerged and new economic practices developed. After an era of peace, the nation fell into a Great Depression and all business growth fell to wayside. In the 30’s and 40’s, another world war broke out and demoralized the citizens of America. Although victorious, the US needed to rebuild in order to thrive once more. America was, and still is, known as …show more content…
“the land of opportunity” and “the country of the free,” titles that were welcoming to immigrants from around the world.
With the international immigration and wide variety of art forms, it is truly a wonder how we came to intertwine international practices and call them our own. Beginning with the 20th century, artists and their creations generated thoughts and feelings that contributed to shaping and developing what we know today as “American culture,” consisting of a combination of various ethnical cultures and art pieces made from artists around the world. Historical events, along with the feelings and expressions of regular humans sculpted the “American culture At the turn of the century, artists and art forms emerged as a new source of entertainment and joy for the demoralized and war torn citizens of America. When the First World War broke out, families were disheartened as fathers, sons and husbands shipped out to help in the war effort. Following World War I, the Roarin …show more content…
Twenties World War II broke out in 1939 with the Americans joining at the end of 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Citizens were demoralized as their husbands, brothers, and fathers shipped out to aid the war effort. Nightly reports of human losses and destruction were devastating. Many artists around the world used the destruction and effects of the war as a muse, an inspiration for their art, creating pieces that brought joy and entertainment to the demoralized citizens. According to Gale Student Resources in Context, “The paintings and drawings he left have appreciated considerably in that time and are now among the most valuable and popular in the world. The unmistakable intensity of his work—his color sense, use of pigments, and above all, his emotional expression—has influenced many of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.” Vincent Van Gogh was a talented artist who wanted to express his thoughts to the world through creative pieces of work. Another renowned artist, Pablo Picasso, was famous for painting the scene of Guernica, as a reaction to the Spanish Civil War. Art helped citizens cope with the effects of the war, through both the first and the second. Different pieces of art generated different emotions in each citizen, helping the people keep up the morals at home. However, art was not the only form of creativity that helped citizens deal with the devastation of both wars. Literature was also a form of imagination that helped citizens manage their stress and emotions of the wars.
American literature was not always a prized subject of discussion or education. Literature began to take precedence in the school curricula, but was short on supply. Prior to the 1870s, American literature had no importance to the students’ education. As the war was ravaging through Europe, citizens were alarmed and disheartened when their relatives shipped out for the war. Women took men's jobs and children stopped schooling to support their families. Most Americans had lost their spirit. Writers took their chance to create works and books that lifted the spirits of the entire nation, bringing joy and happiness back to American lives. According to the Gale Student Resources in Context, “As the Civil War changed the face of the United States and dealt a blow to the American spirit, so too the First World War swept the landscape of Europe, Paris, and other major cultural centers were besieged. Many of Europe’s writers fought in conflicts or wrote about the battles as correspondents and were greatly affected by the war.” Not only were European writers great influences on literature, American authors, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, E.E. Cummings, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and many more had their influence on American literature as well, helping citizens bear the pain and suffering of the war. Literature was another one of many creative forces that assisted in bringing
liveliness back to the citizens of America. Each literary work brought out different reactions and perspectives in every citizen. Not only did literature contribute to shaping 20th century culture, immigration from around the world added to the melting pot of cultures in America. “American culture” is comprised of hundreds of other cultures from the various cultures within the borders of the U.S. Before the war, there were various ethnic groups within the borders of America. Several thousands of people came to the U.S. seeking a greater economic opportunity, a chance at a better life and an escape from their home countries. During the war, all Americans worked together in fighting the Axis powers, encouraging the cooperation of different cultures. From then on, inter-racial marriages became more popular, contributing to the creation of an “American” culture. According to an article titled, “American Culture: Traditions and Customs of the United States,” the “U.S. culture has also been shaped by the cultures of Native Americans, Latin Americans, Africans and Asians.” With all the immigration and the inter-racial marriages, America’s culture is a melting pot of various cultures from different countries. Immigration was a major part in shaping American culture due to the diversity of the population and the assortment of cultures throughout the nation. The melting pot of diverse ethnic cultures has formed the true definition of “American culture.” With all these cultures coming together as one, the definition of “American culture” is all for one. American culture is comprised of the art and literary forms of countries from around the world, as well as the melting pot of ethnic groups spread through the country. What we know to be as the “American culture” is shaped by various events in the past, from wars to economic downturns. Art and literature have contributed to fostering prized American ideals while the cultural melting pot has made its fair share of shaping the American culture. Art and culture through the 20th century was important because it molded and shaped the American culture. Without these events, there would be no explicit “American culture.” As for what comes next, after the formation of “American culture,” comes the construction of American character; who we are as a nation.
In Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939: Decades of Promise and Pain, author David E. Kyvig, creates historical account of the Great Depression, and the events leading up to it. Kyvig’s goal in writing this book was to show how Americans had to change their daily life in order to cope with the changing times. Kyvig utilizes historical evidence and inferences from these events and developments to strengthen his point. The book is organized chronologically, recounting events and their effects on American culture. Each chapter of the book tackles a various point in American history between 1920 and1939 and events are used to comment on American life at the time. While Kyvig does not exactly have a “thesis” per se, his main point is to examine American life under a microscope, seeing how people either reacted, or were forced to react due to a wide range of specific events or developments in history, be it Prohibition, the KKK, or women’s suffrage.
American literature reflects society by displaying the positive and negative sides to our country’s history. Throughout the year we have been shown all sides of the story, not just one side. We understand the situation more if we take into account the other stories that nobody ever hears about. American Literature deals with the topics of identity/memory, conformity and rebellion, society and struggle, and war. By taking a look at the 9/11 pictures as well as the memorial statue, The Crucible,The Harlem Renaissance, The Great Gatsby, and The Things They Carried, it is easy to see that all aspects of American Literature directly reflect society in many ways.
Folklores are stories that have been through many time periods. Folklore include Legends, Myths, and Fairy Tales. Legends are traditional tales handed down from earlier times and believed to have a historical basis. Myths are ancient stories dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes. Fairy Tales are fantasy tales with legendary being and creators.
As World War Two came to a close, a new American culture was developing all across the United States. Families were moving away from crowded cities into spacious suburban towns to help create a better life for them during and after the baby boom of the post-war era. Teenagers were starting to become independent by listing to their own music and not wearing the same style of clothing as their parents. Aside from the progress of society that was made during this time period, many people still did not discuss controversial issues such as divorce and sexual relations between young people. While many historians regard the 1950s as a time of true conservatism at its finest, it could really be considered a time of true progression in the American way of life.
In the text, “The American Cultural Configuration” the authors express the desire of anthropologists to study their own culture despite the difficulty that one faces attempting to subjectively analyze their own society. Holmes and Holmes (2002), use the adage “not being able to see the forest through the trees” (p. 5) to refer to how hard it is for someone to study something they have largely taken for granted. The Holmes' article focuses predominately on paradoxes within our own culture, many of which we don't notice. In a paradox, two contradicting statements can appear to be true at the same time. This essay looks at two paradoxes commonly found in everyday life: the individual versus the family and religion.
The 1920’s played a tremendous role in forming the lifestyle of our present day generation. The Roaring Twenties refers to a time period between 1920 and 1929 in which America celebrated youth and optimism . This optimism and overall good spirit led to new inventions and technological advances, predominately in the entertainment industry. In today’s society, the use of mass production, advertising and consumption have become a common practice, however these practices were during the early stages of the 1920’s. Culture played an important role in shaping this era – America observed social, cultural and artistic changes in their generation. While few may see the 1920’s as the birth of an overpopulated, “baby boom” generation, the majority of the general public view the 1920’s as a decade of social change that could potentially shape future generations to come.
After the 1940 surrender of Paris, which many Americans viewed as the fall of culture due to Paris’ status as the international mecca for the arts, it was evident that the world required a new and superior cultural hub. Throughout the 1940s American artists, with the influence of European Modern and Surrealist painters, were able to elevate New York City to the center of the art world by implementing a “new, strong, and original” artistic style that simultaneously fought fascist ideology: Abstract Expressionism (Guilbault 65). After the war, galleries throughout Europe exhibited American Abstract art, Rothko’s in particular, to prove that American art, once thought tasteless, possessed artistic depth and merit (“Mark Rothko”). Therefore, Abstract Expression had a major role in making New York City the worldwide cultural metropolis that it is today. In terms of shifts in worldview, Abstract Expressionism placed a great importance on intense emotion and spirituality in a society where religiousness was, and continues to be, replaced by other, often self-centered or materialistic, pursuits. The movement allowed and encouraged the public to explore their darkest fears and woes, which, in the wake of the Second World War and, later on, during the Cold War was likely therapeutic. Above all else, it made society recognize that art should no longer be viewed with suspicion; instead, it should be accepted as an integral element of culture
Art is an artefact of the time or place as it is able to tell us about the people and the events that influenced the artists. These influences can be social, economic and cultural which is evident in two works of art from the period of post-WWII boom. These works are Richard Hamilton’s ‘Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?’ and Jasper Johns’ ‘Flag’.
“The real war will never get in the books” Walt Whitman, who had volunteered as a nurse in army hospitals, famously claimed in Specimen Days (1892) (Whitman). The American Civil War represents a decisive and far-reaching turning point in the development of the United States as a nation. But how much of the “real war” can actually be conveyed via literary narrative? The gruesome experiences of the soldiers and the aftermath of battle? What about the establishment of a national identity and the transformation or disintegration of national ideals and ideology? Writers such as Ambrose Bierce, Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, Francis Lieber, or Henry W. Bellows did attempt to provide representations of war experiences and provide interpretations of the conflict. Mid 19th-century American nationalism tended to employ literature as a means of sustaining national ideals, evoke patriotic feeling and provide meaning in the face of unprecedented human tragedies. A comparison between two essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne that appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862 can provide an assessment of the role of literature during the war. These texts have been chosen not as a comprehensive representation of political, social or perhaps aesthetic attitudes regarding the Civil War and its meanings, but rather as an indication of the various, often contradictory, responses the war provoked. A close reading of the essays will enhance our understanding not only of public interpretations of the Northern war aims, but also the conflicting views on national promise and idealized hopes for the future along with the notion of national crisis – or a possible crisis in art and representation.
The 1920s was seen as a turning point in American history in terms of literature, art, and music. Also known as the Jazz Age, the era brought new highly visible social and cultural trends. My research question asks not only how did the writers reflect their views, but how the historical context of that time period affected the minds of the intellectuals. I am interested in this topic because I wanted to investigate the reasoning behind modern literature, and arguably the first real American style, leaving behind the romantic 19th century British influenced writing and conservatism.
John Higham's essay "The Reorientation of American Culture in the 1890s" discusses the 1890s and how it was a series of turning points and crises for American society. Higham utilizes the idea of turning points and crises to discuss the 1890s rather than the idea of the 1890s as a watershed moment, often propagated by scholars of earlier decades, because each decade experienced social changes. The title of the essay suggest that the culture of the 1890s was reoriented or took a new direction. The American people, under various circumstances, reinvented their culture to represent the needs of American society. American society in the 1890s was affected by an economic crisis, industrial strife and political unrest. Although these economic and
American literature plays an important role in how our country develops, and its values contribute to society 's standards. Literature progresses in a series of religious, artistic, and philosophical movements.The writing of a movement greatly influences its time period and defines its era’s traits. Each movement responds to preceding ideas and challenges its beliefs.
In order to see how cultural and historical situations affect literature throughout history, it is important to get a brief history on each era discussed in this paper. The first era we will be reviewing will be writings from 1865-1914. The Civil War was just ending in 1865. America lost over a half of million Americans in the war. The nation was in a state of disorder and the south was devastated. Nevertheless, the country prospered. America became industrialized and saw innovations such as; the railroads, telegraph, telephone, and electricity. The population of the United States had also started to increase due to immigration.
Kaplan, Wendy. The Art That Is Life: The Arts & Crafts Movement in America, 1875-
The post World War II period had an enormous impact on American society and literature. Many important events occurred and affected directly 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, an anti-war perspective and explored the true meaning of “war hero”.