Essay about Only Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen

Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s By: Frederick Lewis Allen  © 1931 The book Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s by Frederick Lewis Allen recounts all the events leading up to the stock market crash in 1929, beginning with the end of World War I in 1918. The story, told chronologically, contrasts the changing social and political views of the American people throughout the â€Å"Roaring Twenties,† as the time period came to be known. Allen makes history enjoyable, vividly describing the creases in Al Capon’s shirt and the painted faces of the young generation. By 1919, World War I was over, and the Kaiser of Germany (Hitler) had been successfully overthrown with the help of the United States. The jubilant†¦show more content†¦Although the roaring twenties are usually thought of as a time of universal prosperity, the reality is that unless one was Caucasian and well-to-do, society tended to shun the outliers (women, minorities, etc), propelling them out of political affairs and social scenes. Women rebelled, becoming increasingly promiscuous as the decade wore on. In 1920, it would have been unheard of to show an ankle, sport a bob haircut, or darken one’s eyes with what seemed like paint. By 1928, the younger generation was revealed as socially progressive, engaging in previously unthinkable behavior such as smoking, drinking in bars, and sex. Flappers became prevalent, with their flouncy skirts and short hair adorned with a jeweled headband. The decade earned its second nickname, â€Å"The Jazz Age†, from the inc redible musical talents that emerged out of Harlem and other areas of the United States, leading to a less â€Å"restrained† entertainment. As the United States began to withdraw from foreign affairs, it became evident that the booming of industry such as General Electric and Ford Motorcars, the soaring stock market prices, and the overall public sentiment surrounding the era would be short lived. Lying on the outskirts of town was pure poverty, resulting from the surplus of labor and the sudden migration from ruralShow MoreRelated Flappers and Mothers: New Women in the 1920s Essay1466 Words   |  6 PagesFlappers and Mothers: New Women in the 1920s Frederick Lewis Allen, in his famous chronicle of the 1920s Only Yesterday, contended that women’s â€Å"growing independence† had accelerated a â€Å"revolution in manners and morals† in American society (95). The 1920s did bring significant changes to the lives of American women. World War I, industrialization, suffrage, urbanization, and birth control increased women’s economic, political, and sexual freedom. However, with these advances cameRead MoreEconomics...In Real Life1567 Words   |  7 Pagesmassive unemployment, and despair and doubt for all of the people who lived through it. Frederick Lewis Allen’s book Since Yesterday: the 1930s in America gives a wonderful depiction of exactly what went on during this period of time in the United States, it explains what everyday life was like for the common people and gives the precise reasons for what started and ended the Great Depression. Since Yesterday is a marvelous book that describes what happened every step of the way during the depressionRead More F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Essay1211 Words   |  5 Pagesaspect of the American Dream. The Bull Market of 1919 signaled the initial increase of wealth per capita (Allen 7). A second bull market in 1927, 1928, and 1929 signaled a second major increase in wealth. Fitzgerald’s narrator, Nick Carraway, works in bonds (Fitzgerald 7). In The Great Gatsby, Nick mentions his own books on banking, credit, and investment, as the key to â€Å"shining secrets that only Midas, Morgan, and Maecenas knew† (8). Yet another characteristic of the American Dream was a return toRead MoreThe Great Gatsby Analysis1718 Words   |  7 Pagespeople need someone like Wilson again. On the other hand, it can be argued that Wilson’s goals were moral and sounded admirable, however they were simply an unreachable fantasy. In â€Å"Only Yesterday† b y Frederick Lewis Allen, Allen explains that Wilson’s pursuit of peace was driven by a dream, which consumed him (Allen, 20). 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(Allen) Both Hemingway, and Fitzgerald document the enormous economical and social changes which take place and introduce the reader to typical Flapper characters in their works; Lady Brett Ashley, Daisy Buchanan, and Jordan Baker representRead MoreHonorable Style in Dishonorable Times: American Gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s6221 Words   |  25 Pagesenemy (Ruth 63), and the image of the Prohibition-era gangster, rising through the criminal ranks in his three-piece suit, fedora, tie, overcoat, and polished shoes, has become ingrained in the collective American conscious. These hip fashions not only reflected the mood of urban America in the 1920s and early 1930s but also expressed gangsters anxieties and ambitions as they staked out their place in the countrys newly formed metropolitan society. Similar to the flappers short and unshapelyRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. 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