Topic 59: Political, economic and social development in the United States since 1945. Its importance in international affairs. Current literary panorama in the United States.

(Introduction) A truly comprehensive study of this topic is challenging, due to the fact that

the changes in society from 1945 to the present time have been so vast.

(Introduction) The world and its borders have been completely transformed, as has the United States, which emerged as

a mighty economic and military giant after the Second World War.

(Introduction) Similarly, the literature of the period is eclectic,

reflecting an enormous variety of themes and styles.

(Introduction) Therefore, as it would be impossible to cover every single important author,

we must make a selection, focussing on some of the most important American writers.

(The USA since 1945) After the war the USA and the Soviet Union emerged as two superpowers that would compete to control the world,

each one with its own very specific ideology.

(The USA since 1945) At the same time (USA and the Soviet Union were competing), American society began a period of

growing economic prosperity and social improvement.

The demographic landscape of the United States

has undergone significant changes since 1945.

The U.S. population has grown from about 140 million in 1945

to about 347 million in 2025.

What was the U.S. population in 1945?

140 million

What is the U.S. population in 2025?

347 million

In spite of increasingly strict immigration laws, including those under President Trump,

the country remains extremely multicultural.

U. S. extremely multicultural country

• White Americans are the majority

• with African Americans comprising 12.7% of the population

• and Hispanic and Latino Americans an estimated 17.8%.

What percentage of the U. S. population do African Americans comprise?

12.7% of the population

What percentage of the U. S. population do Hispanic and Latino Americans comprise?

An estimated 17.8%

The most important reform to date was the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986,

which enforced employee immigration status verification and prohibited hiring undocumented immigrants.

The most important reform to date was

the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

Immigration Reform and Control Act YEAR

1986

The post-war period was seen as the start of the Society of Plenty

with abundant employment opportunities. However, the differences between the rich and the poor became wider.

The post-war period was seen as the start of

the Society of Plenty

This period (post WWII) was characterised by

the growth of social activity, with various movements denouncing the corruption of their society and proposed alternative models of social organisation.

Various movements

• denounced the corruption of their society

• proposed alternative models of social organisation

Other groups, such as the Hippies and the Yuppies, focused on

protesting against the social order.

The Hippies

was a movement that sought a new world based on love, peace and self-discovery, influenced by Eastern philosophy. Known for their distinctive appearance and use of psychedelic drugs.  

The Yuppies

were a generation of conservative and academic youth who represented the success of the American dream. However, most of them came from high social status.

The hippies were influenced by

Eastern philosophy

The hippies were known for

their distinctive appearance and use of psychedelic drugs

The yuppies represented

the success of the American Dream. However, most of them came from high social status.

The post-World War II economic expansion, also known as the golden age of capitalism, was a period of

global economic growth that lasted until the 1973-1975 recession.

The post-World War II economic expansion was also known as

the golden age of capitalism

The creation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

symbolised USA economic power. Its main aim was to provide support for countries in need.

What was the main aim of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?

to provide support for countries in need

Now, the USA has the most technologically powerful economy in the world,

leading in sectors such as:

• Computers

• Pharmaceuticals

• and military equipment.

The U.S. dollar is

the currency most used in international transactions.

However, The U.S. economy experienced a serious economic downturn during

the Great Recession (2007-2009), yet it recovered more quickly than Europe.

The post-war period was characterised by

• the consolidation of the U.S. Federal policy

• and the alternation of the two main political parties, i.e. Republicans and Democrats.

During the post-war period, two new States joined the Union

1. Alaska

2. Hawaii

The threat of communism was highlighted by

Senator McCarthy

Patriotic feeling fostered a public atmosphere of ‘denunciation’,

affecting artists especially writers and film directors.It also affected international politics as there was an interest in helping other countries to fight Communism.

During this period, several prominent political figures and leaders were assassinated, including

1. President J. F. Kennedy in 1963

2. Senator Robert Kennedy,

3. Malcolm X, the chief spokesman of Black Muslims in 1965

4. and the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, which temporarily halted the Black movement.

When was President J. F. Kennedy assassinated?

1963

Who was Malcolm X?

the chief spokesman of Black Muslims

Who was Robert Kennedy?

A Senator

When did Malcolm X die?

In 1965

Who was Martin Luther King Jr. ?

A civil rights leader, his death in 1968 temporarily halted the Black movement

When did Martin Luther King Jr. die?

1968

There were also several scandals

• The unclear circumstances of J. K. Kennedy’s assassination

• The Watergate Scandal (1972)

• The Lewinsky Scandal (1996)

The Watergate Scandal YEAR

1972

The Lewinsky Scandal YEAR

1996

The Watergate Scandal (1972)

President Nixon was forced to resign after it was revealed that his administration had covered up the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex.

What did President Nixon cover up?

The break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex

The Lewinsky Scandal (1996)

President Bill Clinton faced impeachment charges for perjury and obstruction of justice after a sexual affair with a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky.

What did Bill Clinton face in the Lewinsky Scandal (1996)?

Bill Clinton faced impeachment charges for perjury and obstruction of justice

Since the end of the war, there have been various Democrat and Republican presidents

maintaining a two-party system in the USA.

Donald Trump, the 45^th president of the United States,

assumed office in 2017.

His first term (Donald Trump) ended controversially with his second impeachment,

making him the first U.S. president to be impeached twice, after inciting a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Biden served one term in office, but Trump was re-elected in 2024, defeating the democrat Kamala Harris, and began his second term

On 20^th January 2025.

Who did Trump defeat in 2024?

Kamala Harris

The USA predominance in International Affairs was reinforced by

its military and economic power, with the Soviet Union being its only equal competitor. This rilvary led to the Cold War (1947-1991)

The Cold War YEARS

1947-1991

The Cold War (1947-1991), characterised by

no direct declaration of war but intense competition.

The Cold War led to the nuclear arms race and a balanced distribution of allied forces in the world,

contributing to local conflicts, e.g.

• the Korean War (1950-53)

• and the Vietnam War (1955-75).

The cold War officially ended in 1989

with Gorbachev and George Bush declaring it over.

The USSR collapsed in 1991

after a failed coup.

When did the Cold war end?

In 1989 with Gorbachev and George Bush but the URSS collapsed in 1991 after a failed coup

The Korean War YEARS

1950-1953

The Vietnam War YEARS

1955-1975

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the U.S. launched

the war on terror, an international military campaign targeting Islamist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

What was the war on terror?

It was an international military campaign (U. S.) targeting Islamic groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Which islamic groups did the war on terror target?

Al-Qaeda and ISIS

In 2013, President Barack Obama announced that

the Global War on Terror was over, ending combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014.

When was the Globar War on Terror over?

In 2013, President Barack Obama announced that it was over, ending combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014.

However, the war on terror faced criticism for

being used by governments to pursue policy or military objectives and violate human rights.

Why did the war on terror face criticism ?

For being used by governments:

• to pursue policy or military objectives

• violate human rights

The post-war period, known as an ‘age of great anxiety’, was defined by

fears of nuclear war due to the Cold War and nuclear weapons development, alongside the threat of Communism, which prompted government control over mass media and fostered unity against the “red conspiracy.”

The post-war period, known as an

‘age of great anxiety’

The age of great anxiety was defined by:

• fears of nuclear war

• alongside the threat of Communism

During the age of great anxiety, there were fears of nuclear war due to

the Cold War and nuclear weapons development

During the age of great anxiety, the threat of Communism, prompted

• Government control over mass media

• Fostered unity against the “red conspiracy”

Psychological problems caused by two world wars also contributed to

raising the level of stress and anxiety.

The central themes of the artistic production of this time were

• loneliness

• apathy

• self-discovery

• and freedom.

After World War II, modernism evolved into post-modernism, with some authors

using new ways of expression and experimental techniques.

American writers

1. Saul Bellow

2. Jerome David Salinger

3. Joseph Heller

4. Kurt Vonnegut

5. Norman Mailer

6. Jack Kerouac

7. Allen Ginsberg

8. Arthur Miller

9. Edward Albee

10. Tennessee Williams

11. Toni Morrison

12. Harper Lee

13. Alice Walker

14. Bret Easton Ellis

Modernims and post-modernism authors

1. Saul Bellow: The Dangling Man and Herzog (1964)

2. Jerome David Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

The Nihilist Tradition authors

1. Joseph Heller: Catch-22 (1961)

2. Kurt Vonnegut: Slaughterhouse-five (1969)

3. Norman Mailer: An American Dream and the Naked and the Dead.

The Beat Generation authors

1. Jack Kerouac: On the Road (1957)

2. Allen Ginsberg: Howl (1956)

American Drama Authors

1. Arthur Miller: All My Sons, A View from the Bridge, the Crucible and Death of a Salesman.

2. Edward Albee: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962)

3. Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire (1947)

Contemporary novel authors

1. Toni Morrison: Beloved (1987)

2. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)

3. Alice Walker: The Color Purple (1982)

4. Bret Easton Ellis: Less than Zero and American Psycho

Saul Bellow

a Nobel Prize-winning American novelist (1976), with his novels The Dangling Man and Herzog (1964) is regarded as one of the most important Jewish American novelists, becoming a model for many writers in the 50s.

Saul Bellow WORKS

• The Dangling Man

• Herzog (1964)

Herzog YEAR

1964

Saul Bellow created the Bellow hero who searches for answers in his mind rather than in the outside world.

On the other hand, his descriptive style makes his outside world very real.

The Bellow Hero (Saul Bellow)

searches for answers in his mind rather than in the outside world.

Jerome David Salinger

The early postwar sense of alienation and disengagement was captured in J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye (1951).

The Catcher in the Rye (1951) by Salinger

It captured the early postwar sense of alienation and disengagement. This novel won critical acclaim and was highly admired by the post-WWII generation.

It was originally intended for adults but is often read by adolescents, its protagonist Holden Caulfield has become an icon for teenage rebellion.

For which people was The Catcher in the Rye (1951) by Salinger intended to?

It was originally intended for adults but it is often read by adolescents. Its protagonist Holden Caulfield has become an icon for teenage rebellion.

The protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

Holden Caulfield has become an icon for teenage rebellion

The Nihilist tradition

adopts a 'black humour' approach. The lively narrative hides a pessimistic view of human nature with a feeling of general disillusionment. This is present in the works of Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer.

The Nihilist tradition adopts a

‘black humour’ approach

(The Nihilist tradition) The lively narrative hides a

pessimistic view of human nature with a feeling of general disillusionment.

Joseph Heller

was an American writer best known for his satirical novel Catch-22 (1961). This significant work of protest literature gained widespread popularity and was later adapted into a film.