Lost Generation

The Lost Generation refers to a cohort of American writers who came of age during and shortly after World War I, establishing their literary reputations in the 1920s. This term not only denotes these writers but also broadly characterizes the disillusionment felt by their entire generation in the wake of the war's devastation. The phrase "lost" captures their feelings of aimlessness and disorientation, stemming from the war's horrors, and the subsequent rejection of the conservative values upheld by their parents.

Key figures of this movement include Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, E.E. Cummings, and Gertrude Stein, among others. They often congregated in Paris, which became a hub for their literary activities. The term was coined by Stein, who reportedly overheard a garage owner refer to young people as a “génération perdue.” Hemingway popularized it, using it as an epigraph in his novel The Sun Also Rises (1926), which reflects the lives of disillusioned expatriates.

The Lost Generation's literature often critiques the materialism and emotional barrenness of post-war America, particularly under President Warren G. Harding’s “back to normalcy” policy. This sentiment is vividly expressed in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, where the pursuit of wealth is depicted as hollow and corrupting, contrasting sharply with the traditional American Dream that promised prosperity through hard work.

Common themes among Lost Generation writers include:

• Disillusionment: Many rejected traditional ideals, feeling that the values they had inherited were no longer relevant.

• Decadence: Their works frequently portray lavish lifestyles marked by hedonism and excess.

• Aimlessness: Characters often exhibit reckless behavior, reflecting their struggle to find meaning in a world that seemed devoid of purpose.

As they moved into the 1930s, these writers began to diverge in style and focus, with notable later works including Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night (1934) and Dos Passos’s The Big Money (1936). Ultimately, while they were never a formal literary school, the Lost Generation remains a significant cultural marker, capturing a profound sense of loss and existential questioning in American literature.

Citations: 

1, “Lost Generation.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 17 Sept. 2024, www.britannica.com/topic/Lost-Generation.  

2, “READ: A Lost Generation.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-1750/xcabef9ed3fc7da7b:unit-6-world-war-i/xcabef9ed3fc7da7b:6-2-experiences-and-outcomes/a/a-lost-generation-beta. Accessed 18 Oct. 2024.  

3, “Lost Generation.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Aug. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Generation#:~:text=The Lost Generation is the,mature in the 20th century.  

4, Longley, Robert. “Who Was the Lost Generation?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 22 Aug. 2024, www.thoughtco.com/the-lost-generation-4159302.

Author of the page: Jolana Radová 537612