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Intermission #2 - "1920s Literature"

Nicotine

on Dec. 13, 2010

This intermission concerns 1920's literature :D. But first, and explanation of the above drawing.

I drew that portrait when I was a sophomore in high school (in 2006, sometime in the beginning of that year). Most of my English class that year was dedicated to the Holocaust and literature from that time, so one day I decided to be controversial and I drew a portrait of Hitler (no, I do not support his ideology, but he certainly was very interesting). The quote comes from the poem "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath (not a 1920's writer though). You can read "Daddy" here.

The 1920's was a time of major advancements in technology, especially compared to decades before it. Cars were becoming more popular, and people liked to go on joyrides. The radio was something many families gathered around in the evening to listen to news, dramas, and jazz music (The first American radio station began in Pittsburg in 1920). People also enjoyed going to the cinema to watch silent films and later "talkies". But people then also enjoyed a good book, and of course, they still do now. I love a good book too when I have time for pleasure reading.

So, here is a list of 5 pieces of 1920's literature that you should all check out when you have time. (Christmas break is approaching for a lot of us, so this might give you something to do then, right? :D). In chronological order:

The Wasteland by T. S. Elliot (1922) - T. S. Elliot is known for his criticism of the world and Western-style materialism, odd for a 1920's writer. "The Wasteland" mirrors similar criticisms. Honestly, when I first read this poem I was really annoyed; it has many, many layers to it, is sort of confusing at first, and changes tense and direction very often xD. But after reading it several times, I've learned to appreciate the many layers to it; this piece has a very strange beauty about it from the occasional changes of language to the references to religion. This poem serves as a sort of "prediction" of what will happen if the world continues on its course of waste and unnecessary extravagance. (The Burial of the Dead and the Fire Sermon are my favorite parts :D)

You can read it here.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) - F. Scott Fitzgerald was quite prolific, but honestly failed to produce as many books as he could have due to his extreme alcoholism and partying ^^;. Thankfully however, before he died at just 44-years-old, he wrote this wonderful book. In a lot of ways, it mirrors his life, and it certainly shows the times of the Roaring Twenties. The descriptions of Jay Gatsby's parties are interesting and exciting, but theres a haunting sadness and vileness when the Buchanans' shallowness and disillusionment due to the times is seen. In the middle of it all is Jay Gatsby, an odd, mystery of a man chasing the American Dream. Such a good book!

You can watch the 1974 version the "The Great Gatsby" movie here. You can also view a good documentary about F. Scott Fitzgerald's wild life here.

Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (1925) - No, I am not a Hitler supporter or into Nazism, like I stated before xD. But, as a Political Science major, this book is a sort of "gem" because it gives people to chance to see what was inside Hitler's head as he was developing his ideology. To be frank, this book can be rambling at times and does drag at some points, but its semi-autobiographical, semi-political manifesto style is intriguing. Though his actions left an indelible mark on the world, it's interesting to see how well-structured his plans and thinking were. Unfortunately, he didn't use his genius in a proper way, right? :/

You can view an interesting documentary about Hitler here.

Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (1926)- Who doesn't like Winnie the Pooh?! Such a cute story with cute characters (raise you hand if you watch the cartoons when you were little :D). Milne actually modeled all the characters in the story after his son's stuffed animals, and Christopher Robin is named after his son (aww, so sweet). Here, I'm referring to the first of multiple books related to Pooh and the others. Sure, it's a book geared toward children, but the stories are still interesting and its quite popular today still. At the library I work at, I see it checked out very, very often. :D

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1927) - It's quite elementary, honestly, why everyone should like Sherlock Holmes (buddump-whoosh xD). There are many other Sherlock Holmes novels and works that are great, but this one is too. Seeing as "The Rose Killer" is a mystery comic, it's clear that I must love mysteries, right? Haha, I really do, and Sherlock Holmes stories are some of my favorite. I think anyone who loves a good mystery would love these shorts.
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Also, I apologize for the lack of updates. I've been busy with school as usual, so I haven't had time for drawing. But! My semester ends this week (yaaay!). So, there will be a pages again starting next week for sure. Once again, thanks for stickin' around xD