TOPIC 55: The Lost Generation: S. Fitzgerald, J. Steinbeck and E. Hemingway. The narrative of W. Faulkner.

(Introduction) These four iconic writers (S. Fitzgeral, J. Steinbeck, E. Hemingway, W. Faulkner), contemporaries of the Lost Generation,

used the American novel to convey their vision of reality.

(Introduction) World War I

had a profound impact on them, shaping their work.

(Introduction) Their innovations challenged traditional writing conventions and

paved the way for future generations of writers.

(Introduction) Aside from this, they shared common features such as winning the Nobel Prize for Literature,

(Steinbeck, Hemingway and Faulkner)

(Introduction) using new realism techniques like stream of consciousness and common themes in their writings such as the

post-war years and the tragic nature of man.

(Introduction) Aside from this, they shared common features such as winning the Nobel Prize for Literature (Steinbeck, Hemingway and Faulkner),

using new realism techniques like stream of consciousness and common themes in their writings such as the post-war years and the tragic nature of man.

(The lost Generation) Lost Generation refers to

a group of U. S. writers who came of age around WWI and wrote primarily in the 1920s.

(The lost Generation) Disillusioned by the war and its aftermath, they

rejected traditional values and questioned the ideals of American society.

(The lost Generation) Their works often reflected themes of

• Alienation

• Existential uncertainty

• and the loss of meaning in a rapidly changing world.

(The lost Generation) This period was marked by Nihilism,

there was a belief that nothing had meaning.

(The lost Generation) Artists felt isolated from society,

despite receiving public recognition.

(The lost Generation) Notable Lost Generation writers include

• Ernest Hemingway

• F. Scott Fitzgerald

• and Gertrude Stein.

(The lost Generation) Many of these writers moved to Europe, particularly Paris,

seeking artistic and intellectual freedom.

(The lost Generation) The term “Lost Generation” was coined by

Gertrude Stein.

(The lost Generation) The post-war generation, as Fitzgerald stated in This Side of Paradise, was disillusioned by

the loss of faith in religion, war and humanity, facing a new reality dominated by the fear of poverty and a worship of success.

(The lost Generation) The power of money became

a significant theme.

(The lost Generation) The slogans for this period were

the search for self-identity and the cry for liberty.

(The lost Generation) During this period

sex took precedence over marriage.

(Francis Scott Fitzgerald) Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, popularly known as F. Scott Fitzgerald,

was a short story writer and novelist best known for his third book, The Great Gatsby, which gained enormous posthumous success.

(Francis Scott Fitzgerald) It is considered the quintessential American novel as well as

a social history of the Jazz Age. In fact, it has become required reading for virtually every American high school student.

(Francis Scott Fitzgerald) Fitzgerald’s fame began at 24 with the success of his first novel,

This Side of Paradise.

(Francis Scott Fitzgerald) Shortly after, he married

Zelda Sayre, his muse.

(Francis Scott Fitzgerald)However, by the end of the 1920s,

Fitzgerald descended into drinking and Zelda had a mental breakdown.

(Francis Scott Fitzgerald) After the failure of Tender Is the Night,

Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood to work as a scriptwriter.

(Francis Scott Fitzgerald) He died of a heart attack in 1940,

leaving his final novel incomplete.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) Jazz music became wildly popular in the “Roaring Twenties”,

a decade that witnessed:

• unprecedented economic growth

• and prosperity in the United States.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) Consumer culture flourished and the achievement of material affluence

became a goal for many US citizens as well as an object of satire for the writers of the Lost Generation.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) What was both a goal for many US citizens as well as an object of satire for the writers of the Lost Generation?

Consumer culture and the achievement of material affluence.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) It was a time when young people embraced new lifestyles

that broke away from the more conservative, Victorian ideals, of the previous generation.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) This was exemplified by flappers,

a rebellious group of young women who challenged traditional gender roles and societal expectations.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) They were a symbol of the changing times, and

the new freedoms women experienced after WWI such as:

• Dancing

• Smoking

• Drinking,

• and having short hair.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) Alongside them, a group of fashionable young men named

Sheiks emerged, they were also a symbol of the youth culture of the 1920s.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age (1922) captures the spirit and energy of the 1920s, focusing on

the pursuit of wealth, disillusionment and search for identity.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) Fitzgerald’s early financial success enabled him to

experience the extravagance and excesses of the time.

(Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age) Through this work, Fitzgerald

popularised the term “Jazz Age.”

(This Side of Paradise, 1920) This Side of Paradise, Fitzgerald’s debut novel, tells

the semi-autobiographical story of a young man named Armory Blaine.

(This Side of Paradise, 1920) Armory Blaine, like Fitzgerald himself, goes to

Princeton where he becomes a member of a literary group.

(This Side of Paradise, 1920) He also serves in the Great War and

lives the Jazz Age with the flappers and sheiks.

(This Side of Paradise, 1920) The novel was regarded as

a rare glimpse into the morality and immorality of America’s youth.

(This Side of Paradise, 1920) Fitzgerald explores the emptiness of the American dream

through Armory pursuit of wealth, success and love which he ultimately finds out of reach.

This Side of Paradise YEAR

1920

The Great Gatsby YEAR

1925

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) Like This Side of Paradise,

The Great Gatsby is a depiction of the Jazz Age.

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) This novel tells the tragic story of Jay Gatsby,

a self-made millionaire and his pursuit of Daisy, a wealthy young woman who he loved in his youth.

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) The 18^th Amendment to the American Constitution prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol in America and

bootleggers, like Jay Gatsby, became wealthy through illegal liquor trade.

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) What did the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution do, and how did it lead to the rise of figures like Jay Gatsby?

The 18th Amendment prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol in America, leading to Prohibition. During this time, bootleggers like Jay Gatsby became wealthy through the illegal liquor trade.

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) What profession was Jay Gatsby that allowed him become rich through illegal liquor trade?

Bottlegger

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) The novel critiques the idea of the American dream; that is,

the idea that wealth and success lead to happiness.

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) It also contrasts old aristocratic rich families (East Egg)

with the newly rich (West Egg), highlighting the divide between inherited privilege and self-made wealth.

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) Old aristocratic rich families

East Egg

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) The New Rich

West Egg

What is the significance of East Egg and West Egg in The Great Gatsby?

East Egg represents old, inherited aristocratic wealth, while West Egg symbolises the newly rich. The contrast highlights the social divide between established privilege and self-made wealth.

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) The 1920s are depicted as

an era of moral decline where wealth replace values, leading to selfishness.

(The Great Gatsby, 1925) Nick Carraway, the narrator,

assumes a secondary role in the story, he functions as Fitzgerald’s voice.

Francis Scott Fitzgerald works

• This Side of Paradise (1920): debut novel

• Tales of the Jazz Age (1922)

• The Great Gatsby (1925)

• Tender is the Night

Flappers

a rebellious group of young women who challenged traditional gender roles and societal expectations.They were a symbol of the changing times, and the new freedoms women experienced after WWI such as dancing, smoking, drinking, and having short hair.

Sheiks

A group of fashionable young men, a symbol of the youth culture of the 1920s.

Francis Scot Fitzgerald YEARS

1896-1940

John Steinbeck YEARS

1902-1968

Ernest M. Hemingway YEARS

1898-1961

William Faulkner YEARS

1897-1962

(John Steinbeck) John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. was an American author

who won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature for his realistic and imaginative writings.

(John Steinbeck) Many of his works are considered

classics of Western literature.

(John Steinbeck) His experience as a manual labourer

lent authenticity to his depiction of the lives of the workers.

(John Steinbeck) He was a prolific writer,

publishing 33 books, including 16 novels.

(John Steinbeck) Most of Steinbeck’s work is set in central California, particularly in

• the Salinas Valley

• and the California Coast Ranges region.

(John Steinbeck) He often explores themes of fate and injustice. He is widely known for:

• The comic novels

  • Tortilla Flat (1935)

  • and Cannery Row (1945)

• The multi-generation epic

  • East of Eden (1952)

• and the novellas

  • Of Mice and Men (1937)

  • and The Red Pony (1937).

• The Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939)

(John Steinbeck: Of Mice and Men) Of Mice and Men is considered Steinbeck’s first major achievement as an author. The title is derived from

Burns’ poem “To a Mouse”, which reflects on the fragility of dreams and plans.

(John Steinbeck: Of Mice and Men) The story centres on two friends, George and Lennie,

who share the dream of owning a land during the Great Depression.

(John Steinbeck: Of Mice and Men) The novella explores

the failure of the American Dream and the struggles of the working class.

(John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath) The title comes from

The Battle Hymn of the Republic, which itself is inspired by the Bible.

(John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath) The story is based on Steinbeck’s observations of

squatters and migrant workers in the Salinas Area and Central California.

(John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath) It tells the story of the Joad family, a group of tenant farmers

who are driven off their land during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.

(John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath) They embark on a journey to California, hoping to find a better life,

but instead they encounter hardship and exploitation.

(John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath) Many critics consider the novel

a document rather than a novel.

(John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath) The central theme is

human co-operation, as the Joads rely on each other for support and strength.

(John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath) It depicts the exploitation of migrant workers and

the social and economic inequalities of the Great Depression.

(John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath) Additionally, it explores the broken promises of the American dreams,

as the Joads’ hopes for a better life in California are shattered by harsh realities.

John Steinbeck comic novels

• Tortilla Flat (1935)

• Cannery Row (1945)

John Steinbeck multi-generation epic

• East of Eden (1952)

John Steinbeck novellas

• Of Mice and Men (1937)

• The Red Pony (1937)

John Steinbeck pulitzer-prize winning

• The Grapes of Wrath (1939): Steinbeck’s masterpiece

Tortilla Flat YEAR

1935

Cannery Row YEAR

1945

East of Eden YEAR

1952

Of Mice and Men & The Red Pony YEAR

1937

The Grapes of Wrath YEAR

1939

(Ernest M. Hemingway) Ernest Miller Hemingway was

an American journalist, novelist, short-story writer, and sportsman, known for his economical writing style, which he termed the iceberg theory.

(Ernest M. Hemingway) What was Hemingway known for?

For his economical writing style, which he termed the iceberg theory.

(Ernest M. Hemingway) Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s,

winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

(Ernest M. Hemingway) He fought in the Great War,

serving on the Italian front, this inspired the plot of A Farewell to Arms (1929).

(Ernest M. Hemingway) Nihilism, a common feature of the Lost Generation writers,

plays a key role in Hemingway’s work, reflecting the mood of war and the post-war years.

(Ernest M. Hemingway) Hemingway was influenced by Gertrude Stein, as exemplified by his

• Focus on technique

• Careful selection of words

• and simple prose.

(Ernest M. Hemingway) Both writers (Hemingway & Gertrude Stein) belonged to

the same circle of writers in Paris.

(Ernest M. Hemingway) The use of myth in his novels may indicate deeper meanings such as:

• a protest against society

• and the idea that the only thing left is temporal pleasure.

(Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises) The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway’s first major novel, captures

the moods, feelings and attitudes of a disillusioned group of expatriates in post-war France and Spain, reflecting the aimlessness of the Lost Generation.

(Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises) No longer able to rely on the traditional beliefs that gave life meaning, the people who experienced the war

became psychologically and morally lost.

(Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises) It captures the moods, feelings and attitudes of a disillusioned group of expatriates in post-war France and Spain,

reflecting the aimlessness of the Lost Generation

(Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises) Although they seek distractions through drinking, dancing and other hedonistic pleasures,

their lives remain empty.

(Hemingway: For Whom the Bell Tolls) For Whom the Bell Tolls is set during

the Spanish civil War, specifically in the Sierra de Guadarrama near Segovia, Spain.