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Eliot.There also were important changes in American painting during the 1920s. Probably the most famous work was "The Waste Land," a poem of sadness by the writer T. Some of his best known plays were "Mourning Becomes Electra," "The Iceman Cometh" and "A Long Day's Journey into Night."Ī number of American writers also produced great poetry during the 1920s. But they carried an emotional power never before seen in the American theater. His plays used new theatrical methods and ways of presenting ideas. O'Neill was an Irish-American with a dark and violent view of human nature. Some of Faulkner's best books were "The Sound and The Fury," "As I Lay Dying" and "Absalom, Absalom." Like Hemingway, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature.The 1920s also produced the greatest writer of theater plays in American history, Eugene O'Neill. His books explored the emotional tension in a society still suffering from the loss of the Civil War sixty years before. His book "The Great Gatsby" is considered today to be one of the greatest works in the history of American writing.Ī third great writer of the 1920s was William Faulkner.įaulkner wrote about the special problems and ways of life in the American south. His books were filled with people who rejected traditional beliefs. Fitzgerald wrote especially about rich Americans searching for happiness and new values. And his strong views about life set him apart from most other Americans.Īnother major writer was F. His style was sharper and different from traditional American writing. Hemingway wrote about love, war, sports, and other subjects. One of the greatest writers of these years was Ernest Hemingway. But the period did produce some truly great writing.
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But many young people thought Mencken was a hero whose only crime was writing the truth.The work of Lewis, Mencken, and a number of other writers of the 1920s has been forgotten by many Americans as the years have passed. For example, some religious and business leaders attacked Mencken as a dangerous person whose words were treason against the United States. Of course, many traditional Americans reacted strongly to such criticism. Mencken considered most Americans to be stupid and violent fools. Mencken, from the eastern city of Baltimore. Social criticism also was central to the writing of the newspaper writer H. In his famous book "Main Street," Lewis joked about and criticized small-town business owners. Many of the people in his books were foolish men and women with empty values. Lewis wrote about Americans living in the towns and villages in the central part of the United States. One such writer was Sinclair Lewis. He was the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Many of the greatest writers of this period hated the new business culture. They felt a need to protest the way the world was changing around them.The spirit of protest was especially strong in serious American writing during the 1920s. These artists had little faith in the political leaders who came to power after the war. Many of them believed that the first world war in Europe had been a terrible mistake. And they also questioned the value of politics. These artists rejected the new business society. They believed that Americans had become too interested in money and wealth. They were troubled deeply by the changes they saw. However, many of the nation's serious artists had a different and darker view of society. And they had great faith in the country's business leaders and economic system. They supported the conservative Republican policies of President Calvin Coolidge. Today, we will take a look at American arts during this exciting period.Most Americans approved strongly of the economic growth and improved living conditions during the 1920s. Writers, painters, and other artists produced some of the greatest work in the nation's history. However, the 1920s also was one of the most active and important periods in the more serious arts. Radio and films brought them exciting news of court trials, sports heroes, and wild parties. People of all kinds became very interested in the new popular culture. They experimented with new ideas and ways of living. There were many changes in the social customs and day-to-day life of millions of Americans during the administration of President Calvin Coolidge.Īs we saw in our last program, many young people began to challenge the traditions of their parents and grandparents. THE MAKING OF A NATION – a program in Special English by the Voice of America. In the 1920s, a Burst of American Art and Expression Takes Formĭownload MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)