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The 1920s the american dream
Social trends in the 1920s
Social trends in the 1920s
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Recommended: The 1920s the american dream
The ethos of 1920s America was characterized by the so-called “American Dream” - individuals that worked hard would bear the fruits of their hard work, regardless of one’s social status. This was a period sparked by mass production of products and technologies, hence making these coveted goods cheap to purchase. Consequently, this resulted in the emergence of a materialist society. The prolonged economic prosperity during the 1920s amalgamated with the advent of hedonism successfully laid out the foundations of a society crippled with a moral deficit; the prominence of illicit activities such as bootlegging as well as the excessive debauchery that was a result of the extreme wealth present during this time illustrates the sustained moral deficit
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.
As a nation coming out of a devastating war, America faced many changes in the 1920s. It was a decade of growth and improvements. It was also a decade of great economic and political confidence. However, with all the changes comes opposition. Social and cultural fears still caused dichotomous rifts in American society.
After World War I ,the generation of young Americans who had fought the war became intensely disillusioned, as the brutal carnage that had just faced made the Victorian social morality of early-twentieth-century America like stuffy. The dizzying rise of the social market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden, sustained increase in the national wealth and a newfound materialism, as people began to spend and consume at unprecedented levels. A person from any social background could, Potentially, make a fortune, but the American aristocracy-families with old wealth-scorned the newly rich industrialists and speculators. Additionally, the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919,which banned the sale of alcohol, created a thriving underworld designed to satisfy the massive demand of bootleg liquor among rich and poor alike.
When luxuriant lifestyles of the 1920s, commonly labeled the Roaring ‘20s, come about, morality and individual ethics go instantaneously out of style. Along with these poor morals, crass materialism becomes widespread among the fortunate, transforming noblesse oblige into an unpopular belief, and furthermore leaving those incapable of tremendous success back in the dust. The inevitable alterations in morality repeatedly occur as America continues to progress, and several traits similar to those of the 1920s are visible today. Fitzgerald’s use of The Great Gatsby for social commentary is parallel to today’s social atmosphere.
The 1920s was a time of conservatism and it was a time of great social change. From the world of fashion to the world of politics, forces clashed to produce the most explosive decade of the century. It was the age of prohibition, it was the age of prosperity, and it was the age of downfall.
In the late 1800's, American society began to burst with cultural activity. After the Civil War and the Reconstruction, Americans were eager to return to their normal lifestyles. The period that followed, however, was quite different from what the country was used to. During the war, many pushed hard for a rise in industry, leading to an explosive industrial revolution far beyond what people had expected. America's business and economy had boomed, and, as the new century approached, many had a new outlook on life. They were eager to escape the dull regiments of both the past Victorian era and the new urban lifestyle. This was easy for the upper and middle classes, both of which were growing due to the rapid increase in industry. It was great news for entrepreneurs and business people of the time, because there was money to be made in this desire for amusement. Of course, this was not the whole story of the new Gilded Age, but it was definitely an era of growing leisure time and the business that came along with it.
The 1920s changed many things from how people thought, acted, dressed, saw others, and it changed the way we see the American dream as. All this change did not all the sudden appear there was an event that caused this massive change in mentality and that was World war one. During the world war, the Americans bonded with each other, every American was on the same team ethnicity and class did not separate people from each other as much. “Americans all being on the same team, no matter economic class or ethnicity.[9] The World War I era was a time of strict moral codes with serious objectives to be accomplished, and, as any largely supported war time, produced huge economic success and prosperity, giving birth to the infamous Roaring Twenties.” (“The American Dream in the 1920s & 30s” Savannah Grantham). The strict morals and seriousness within the U.S. were a part of it too, everybody pitched in and everyone had their part. At the end of the World war there was a huge economic boom, financial success became a more reachable goal for everyone to grasp. A huge generation of men was wiped out during the war and the woman along with some men of the time just wanted to enjoy life, for many people that was expressed through reckless spending of money change of morals and way of thinking. Since the way of thinking changed so did the ideas but the main one was the American dream itself. “ From that point on, that very same idea of what it is to be an American could never be extinguished, but would instead endure and thrive into the renowned American Dream. American investors define the American Dream as ‘The belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone’ and believe that ‘The American dream is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking
Americans in the 1920s were fresh off of World War I and freshly into the Prohibition Era. The American Dream was well defined- a life of wealth, comfort, and exuberance. After a World War I victory, the Dream was thought to be in the near future for every American. The country was seen as a world superpower, wealthy after the devastation of a war fought entirely overseas and brimming with hope and possibility- at least on the surface. Despite the highs experienced by much of the country, it wasn't without its problems. Crime violence was benevolently running the streets and the Speakeasies beyond the reach of full Prohibition, the world was being set-up for The Great Depression, and America was brimming with members of the "Lost Generation." This generation and the hypocrisies and idiosyncracies of the "American Dream" inspired a rising and influential set of artists, poets and writers, and a list of best-selling books that both reflected and inspired the generation that devoured them. Authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Edith Wharton, Anita Loos, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Sinclair Lewis were some of the popular fiction authors of the 1920s who both entertained and delighted their readers, while also offering an intelligent reality check about the limits and realities of the American Dream.
In the 1920s, the cities were the place to be and between 1922 and 1929 nearly 2 million people were leaving their farms and small towns per year. Life in the cities were vastly different than life on the farm and due to this it was hard for a lot of people to accept the changing values of the 1920s. People in the cities were more tolerant of drinking, gambling and casual drinking – actions that were considered shocking and sinful in small towns. (Danzer 641) One aggressive clash between small-town and big-city Americans began in January 1920, when the Eighteenth Amendment, or Prohibition, went into effect. Prohibition halted the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages because it was made legally prohibited. (Danzer 642) Therefore, because of the provisions of the Prohibition movement, organized crime escalated dramatically in the United States during the 1920s.
The Roaring Twenties is considered a time of mass corruption and excessive absurdity. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses his novel, The Great Gatsby, to criticize the American society and its values in this era. This criticism is best shown in the behaviour of the people who go to Gatsby's parties; they are careless, rude and only looking out for themselves. It is also shown in the corruption of the police, who are easily paid to look the other way. It is finally apparent in the corruption of friendship and love, the truth being that there is none. This society and its values are self-centered and materialistic, caring very little for consequences and others. Fitzgerald's message is delivered magnificently and causes one to be appalled by the behaviour of the people during this time in history.
Gatsby, unsatisfied with his humble origins, wanted a life of sumptuous parties, fancy clothing, and the woman of his dreams. This led him to the corrupt underground world of illegal operations, especially the smuggling of alcohol. The 1920’s marked a decade of loose moral and social values. People were engaged in an era of consumerism as displayed by Gatsby’s parties. This hindered the pursuit of more righteous goals which in turn led to the rejection of the American ideals.
...1920’s, in which he examines the evils of the time; he recognizes the consequences that accompany the actions of the characters who act on such vices, and wrote about them. This is a novel about what happens to the American dream in the 1920’s, a period when the old values that give substance to the dream are corrupted by the vulgar pursuit of wealth. The very definition of materialism implies unhappiness because without spiritual values there cannot be true and lasting fulfillment.
During the 1920s, F. Scott Fitzgerald conveyed his disdain for the corruption within the American dream by depicting the immoral actions of society in his literature with a disapproving tone. Even though the country was economically prosperous, people increasingly lost much needed morals on their journey of the American Dream. Affairs and other sins took place with little guilt. People got caught up in the corruption around them in order to try to get their piece of the growing wealth. Without making some changes, society could have been on its way to self-devastation.
In the 1920s, America underwent a period of economic prosperity and growth often referred to as the Roaring Twenties. In this era, the country saw a boom in technological advancements, culture, and modernization, illustrating a common feeling of happiness and progress. In reality, however, corruption and greed hid within the prospering cities, and the supposed American Dream becomes corrupted in empty pursuit for money and wealth. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Gatsby, a man who throws extravagant parties in his attempts to win over his past lover, is caught by corruption and his past. Because of his social standing and his illicit ties with bootlegging, he ultimately becomes unable to pursue his love, Daisy, as she pursues a member
It was widely known that “drunkenness, and the related loss of self-control, was associated with the lower classes” and therefore had negative connotations (Harding Victorians and Alcohol). Spirits, a popular hard liquor, “had become the everyday drink for less wealthy people” and “laborers commonly used spirits to flee from their desolate everyday lives” (Harding Victorians and Alcohol). The awful working and living conditions of the working class contributed to their “hard, controlled, and monotonous life, [leading] to excessive drinking of hard liquor” (Harding Victorians and Alcohol). This excessive drinking would sometimes result in public intoxication which was “regarded as anti-s...