The term "lost generation," coined by Gertrude Stein, refers to a group of
writers, poets, and musicians active in Paris during the 1920s, who were often linked
by common themes in their work, such as disillusionment with post-World War I
society, loss of identity and tradition, and a sense of impending doom. Academic
sources, as well as the works of lost generation authors such as Gertrude Stein, Sylvia
Beach, Ezra Pound, T.S. Elliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway.
The term "Lost Generation" is used to describe men and women in their 20s
and 30s after World War I, and it refers to a lack of purpose or desire among young
people during that time as a result of the war's disillusionment. Many people have lost
trust in traditional values such as courage, patriotism, and strength as a result of their
experiences with evil, death, and destruction, especially on such a large scale.
Following the devastating conflict, a considerable percentage of people lost faith in the
idea of human development, and sentiments of despair impacted people all over the
world.
"The Lost Generation" mainly pertains to authors and poets of the 1920s. Their
works represent the feelings of the world during this time.
The themes in this period are Decadence, Gender roles, and Idealized past.
Because principles were so utterly shattered, the idea of hedonism, or the pursuit of
self-indulgences, arose in the aftermath of the war. Many people grew irresponsible,
splurging on expensive goods, binge drinking, and throwing parties. People in this time
live their life to the fullest. It is their coping mechanism from the trauma they have
experienced during the war. Following the war, writers showed the nature of the young
and independently wealthy's superficial, inconsequential existence. Due to the horrific
destruction they observed during the war, many young men lost their "masculinity."
For various causes, several people suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and relied on women in society (to nurse them back to health, or to work while
they recovered). This time, there was a reverse gender role. The loss of traditional
gender roles is just another issue the lost generation dealt with after World War I. Also,
during this time, some authors were fascinated by the idea of a past without the horrors
of war. Although this concept was impractical and unreachable, it was enjoyable to
fantasize about a joyful, simple life.
Although there were many famous authors of the Lost Generation, a few of the
most significant were Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, E. E. Cummings, and
John Dos Passos. They all met in Paris, and shared the same views of post-WWI
society.
Written in 1926, The Sun Also Rises. This is Ernest Hemingway's first major
success. The Lost Generation was defined by this book as a group of disillusioned
young people whose lives were impacted by the awful conflict. It is set in the 1920s
and follows a group of American and British expats as they journey from Paris to Spain.
Jake Barnes, a man who loses his masculinity after participating in the war, and his
love connection with Lady Brett Ashley are the focus of this novel. All of the characters
in Hemingway's novel share feelings of disillusionment, frustration, and angst, which
are typical of the Lost Generation.
In 1929, Farewell to Arms was published. It follows Frederic Henry, a wartime
ambulance driver, and his love affair with Catherine Barkley, a nurse who looks after
him while he is wounded. This is essentially a gloomy post-war drama, with Catherine
Barkley dying at the conclusion, leaving Frederic much more lost and disillusioned
than he was at the start. A Farewell to Arms, like many other Lost Generation stories,
deviates from typical male tropes of being heroic and macho, showing how men love,
struggle, hurt, and even break.
In 1922, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was published. It's about a man
named Benjamin Button who ages backwards in time. He was born as a 70-year-old
man, and as time passes, he gets younger and younger until he dies as a baby. This
short story has a major theme of social classes (paying special attention to the wealthy
and making fun of how they live extravagantly) and confusion of identity -(Benjamin
was lost because of his appearance, just as many post-war citizens were lost because
of the ordeal they experienced).
In 1925, The Great Gatsby was published. In the summer of 1922, this story
takes place in the imaginary village of West Egg (on Long Island). It depicts the opulent
lifestyle of young millionaire Jay Gatsby and his obsession with Daisy Buchanan. This
book delves into the concepts of idealistic living and indulgence. The story is about a
person's desire to start a new life (a common feeling following the war). Throughout
the narrative, there are lavish parties, materialistic objects, and drinking—all of which
were new after the war for people (especially the wealthy).
In 1922, The Enormous Room was published. It's an autobiographical novel
about Cummings' wartime incarceration. He spent more than four months in prison
and developed a deep aversion to officials and the government. Cummings, like many
other young men and women of the Lost Generation, felt disillusioned and disoriented
after being "released" from the war.
The 42nd Parallel (1930), 1919 (1932), and The Big Money (1933) are the three
novels that make up John Dos Passos' U.S. A Trilogy (1936). All of these books are
written in a narrative style, and they chronicle the lives of 12 characters as they try to
find their place in postwar American society. Dos Passos examines all of the
characters' social and economic motivations, expressing sympathy for those who are
victims of America's capitalist culture while satirizing those who are beyond wealthy
(theme-decadence!). This trilogy conveys the same emotions that the men and women
of the Lost Generation felt.
The Lost Generation is a period of great depression. The works of the Lost
Generation had an impact on society because they demonstrated the repercussions
of war on people. War was a dreadful thing that stripped men of their masculinity,
disillusioned the public, and made them yearn for a simpler, idealistic past. This
generation's writers exposed some of society's shortcomings, such as lavish spending
and excessive drinking, in their writings. The majority of persons touched by the war
and its destruction were lost souls, according to these works of literature. Furthermore,
several of these books have received widespread recognition and have been read for
decades, and are now regarded classics.