LITERATURE
Literature has always been an effective means of reflection. There are many literary currents and they all provide lessons and reflections about life. The following literary masterpieces were produced by men and women of the highest vision and morale, which they intended to transmit to their audience through tales that are quick to captivate and influence readers through the amazing world of paper and ink.
1940's: Nazi Germany and war.
Published in 1941, this is a non-fictional, first-hand account of the rise and fall of the Third Reich and Nazi Germany (Jhons Hopkins University Press Books). Its author, journalist William L. Shirer, covered Germany as a CBS reporter, disguising the identities of his testimonies to deliver a first-hand account of bitter barbarie (Kansas City Public Library).
World War II dominated the 1940s and is still considered the worst crisis in human history. Mass genocide, strategic bombings, death by starvation....and this novel does a great job in showcasing first-hand the bitter reality of a world dominated by war and humans’ inclination towards showing their superiority.
1910's: Jane Addams: A literary social fighter
The transition between the 19th and 20th centuries was marked by the work of social fighters and reformers (History). One of them was Jane Addams. An important leader of social work and women’s reform movements, Addams founded Hull House in Chicago in 1889, one of America’s most famous settlement houses (National Women’s History Museum). This semi-biographical work demonstrates Addams’ commitment to hard work and social justice, and the new philosophical approach American literature was taking (University of Illinois Press).
Addams remains a role model to many middle-class women working to uplift their communities. Through her work, Addams raised questions about the human destiny, philosophy, and social justice. Twenty Years at Hull House remains an indispensable work of American intellectual and social history.
1950's: The Catcher in the Rye: The Rebellion of the New Generation
After World War II, young people struggled to find their place in society (History). Tired of conformity in a world filled with paranoia and political domination, youths formed groups to have a place to fit in society, they rebeled against authority and protested against the shallowness of the adult world. (OpenSIUC). This noncomformist, rebellious attitude is best emphasized in J.D. Salinger’s Nobel-winning masterpiece. The Catcher in the Rye, which was originally written for an adult audience, is know considered an adolescent work because of its themes of angst and alienation, and its critique on the superficiality of society (GoodReads).
The character of Holden Caulfield is considered a literary hero and teen role model. Other characters in the novel requently criticize him for his aimlessness and discontent with everything, but deep inside, he feels sad and lonely, and has trouble maturing. Many teenagers go through the same crisis, and that’s why this novel is so relatable to them.
1960's: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou’s autobiography details her early childhood surviving in a racist world. It is a heartwarming coming-of-age tale about how strength of character and penchant for knowledge can help overcome segregation and trauma (Wikipedia). In life, Angelou was a civil rights activist, one of the most respected writers of her generation who was able to turn a victim of racism into a full-pledged, self-possessed, dignified woman capable of making justice for herself.
The 1960s were dominated by many crises, including the civil rights movement. By the end of this decade, race tensions were smoothening, but the impact was still strongly present, as evidenced by this heartwarming tale which serves as a crtique to racism, a celebration of family, and a guide for all those seeking independence, personal dignity, and self-definition.
1920's: The Great Gatsby: Consumerism, excess, and the American Dream.
The Roaring Twenties. The decade succeeding the Great War and preceding the Great Depression. Jazz music, literary realism, flappers, weird fads...and consumerism (Lumen Learning). Among the many works detailing the consumerist philosophy of this decade, The Great Gatsby stands from the rest. Published in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s magnum opus follows a group of characters in 1922 New York City and their pursuit of the American Dream, motivated by individual goals. A pursuit which is as materialistic and futile as the lives these characters already lead (Little Green Schoolhouse Books).
In the end, the characters fail to achieve their goals, and their philosophy proves to be their downfall. The novel explores idealism, decadence, resistance to change, social upheaval, and the pursuit of happiness, which all dominated this decade. Throughout its multiple adaptations, this novel remains a good example of literary realism and one of the epitomes of American literature in general.