The Roaring Twenties was a flamboyant and decadent decade, filled with supercilious and ostentatious aristocrats exploiting the end of World War I, but also a period that gave birth to great literature. Listed below are four essential reads from the period to fuel a love for American literature—or if you find the genre too intimidating to spontaneously delve into, to gain a better understanding of the postbellum decade. Ultimately, fantasies of grandeur are shot down by the antithetical reality behind the facade, through the novels’ portrayal of lavish living of often aloof personalities.
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925
One of the most famous 20th-century American novels for a reason. Fitzgerald encapsulates society’s desperate attempt to recover from the war’s aftermath and era of Prohibition, through an overwhelmingly opulent and excessive lifestyle that proves futile. The protagonist is a seemingly flawless millionaire, obsessed with one elusive dream; Daisy. The story is seen through the eyes of Nick, a judgmental narrator whose journey to endless parties and juxtaposing neighbourhoods convey the decade’s overall grotesque overconsumption.
Passing, Nella Larsen, 1929
A semi-autobiographical novella that candidly deals with race, class and gender divisions during this period. The characters are problematic and borderline unlikeable. However, typical to this genre, they essentially act as tools to uncover the normalised immorality and unfairness of American society, elements which were swept under the carpet during a reign of white supremacy.
A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway, 1929
Loosely based on Hemingway’s own experience fighting in the war, his novel depicts the cruelness of war and yet the need to remain hopeful for the future. A subtle love story that surpasses war ties the story together. While his writing style may not be everybody’s cup of tea, the love is nevertheless beautifully sustained, whether through friendship, or Henry and Catherine’s relationship. His prose maintains its wit, all the while portraying a harsh and insightful experience of war.
The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton, 1920
Although set in 1870 New York, the story remains relevant to the period in which the author was writing. It delineates America on the cusp of modernisation, yet simultaneously taking three steps backwards every time an upper-class character utters their stereotypical views. They believe to be “the Pharisaic voice of a society wholly absorbed in barricading itself from the unpleasant.” A thoroughly enjoyable classic filled with half-witted gossip and scandalous liaisons which act to reveal the hypocritically corrupted world of glorified glamour.
“Roaring Twenties” by ElizabethHudy is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.