Brief survey of the American literature in 20th century
Lost Generation
After the First World War a group of writers known as the ‘Lost Generation’ entered the literature. The ‘Lost Generation’ is the term for a group of writers, who were influenced by the First World War and who lost their illusions after the war events. The most important representatives of this group were Ernest Hemingway and Francis Scott Fitzgerald.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1954 for his famous book The Old Man and the Sea. In this short novel he describes the eternal fight between nature and man. The novel is about an old Cuban fisherman who struggles to catch a big fish, but finally loses it, because the sea tests his courage and strength.
His book A Farewell to Arms is one of the best novels about the World War I. It is a love story of an American soldier in the Italian Ambulance Service and an English nurse. Next famous novels are For Whom the Bells Tolls and Fiesta.
FRANCIS SCOTT FITZERALD is connected with the Jazz Age of the 20s. His best-known novel is The Great Gatsby. It is about a very rich man who earns all his money by smuggling. He is doing this because he wants to be on the same level as Daisy, his former lover who had always been rich.
Beat generation
Next very important generation of 20th century was Beat generation. Beat generation is a term for group of American writers and artist. The members of the Beat Generation are called Beatniks. The main representatives are Allan Gingsberg, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, Charles Bukowski and others. They practised free life and behaviour. Their life was nonconforming. They were opposed to traditional literature. They searched own style. Beatniks often described their facts of life – tramping, happenings, drugs, alcohol, sex etc. Authors were influenced by the philosophy, especially by Zen Buddhism. The adjective beat means “tired“ and “down and out“, but also “positive“ and “beatific“. Beat was about freedom and living.
My favourite Beatniks are Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowski.
JACK KEROUAC wrote the Bible of Beat Group, names On the Road. It is autobiographical work based on the spontaneous road trips. His novel The Dharma Bums influenced many young people, including also Hippies.
CHARLES BUKOWSKI was poet and novelist. His writing style is very gross. He hated people and Beatniks and he loved alcohol, bitches, racing and classic music. I think that his best book is All the Assholes in the World and Mine.
Others…
Other important writers of this period are John Steinbeck, William Saroyan, Joseph Heller, and Kurt Vonnegut.
JOHN STEINBECK excels in describing the lives of poor Americans. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. The Grapes of Wrath is saga of an emigrant farming family during the deep depression which was in 30s. His novel Of Mice and Men is one of the most important pieces of 20th century. There are two main characters – clever George and stupid Lennie.
WILLIAM SAROYAN was an Armenian origin. His family was very poor and he had the financial problem all his life. He wrote Tracy´s Tiger. It is a fairy tale for adults. Tiger is a symbol of energy, youth and vitality.
JOSEPH HELLER is worldwide thanks to his novel Catch-22. It is war and satiric novel. But this novel isn´t specialized against Germany, but against American Bureaucracy.
My favourite author is KURT VONNEGUT. His books are full of satire, black humour and elements of sci-fi. His best-know novel is war novel Slaughter-house Five. Kurt Vonnegut was very favourite author of the university students. I like his novel Slapstick and Timequake.
WILLIAM FAULKNER excellent, but very difficult stories. He won a Nobel Prize. He wrote The Sound and the Fury.
Poetry
CARL SANDBURG was a poet and singer of folk songs. His poems are about ordinary life – Smoke and Steel and Good Morning, America.
ALLAN GINSBERG was a representative of Beat generation. He supported drugs and the rights of homosexuals. And he also protested against Vietnam War. His famous piece is Howl and Kaddish and other poems.
Theatre
The centre of theatres became Broadway – few blocks in New York.
EUGENE O´NEIL contributed a lot to the birth of modern American drama. He even won a Nobel Prize. His best-know play is Mourning Becomes Electra inspirited by Sophocles´s drama Elektra.
The most famous drama of ARTHUR MILLER is Death of a Salesman. He wrote also screenplay for his wife Marilyn Monroe.