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The Lost Generation

Delve into the disillusioned postwar era with the Lost Generation writers, analyzing themes, symbolism, and influences from Europe. Discover the impact of war on American literature in the early 1900s.

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The Lost Generation

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  1. The Lost Generation An Introduction to the Movement Medford High School English Department For use by all teachers May 2012

  2. The Lost Generation • “That is what you are. That’s what you all are…all of you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation.” - Gertrude Stein • “Who is calling who a lost generation?” - Ernest Hemingway Pictured: Gertrude Stein with Ernest Hemingway’s son, Jack

  3. Essential Questions for the Unit • How do writers employ tone, symbolism, and other literary techniques to convey a theme in American literature of the early 1900s? • How does this literature reflect the American experience after World War I?

  4. The Lost Generation • Term used to describe the generation of writers active immediately after World War I (post 1920s) • Gertrude Stein became famous for the using the phrase, borrowed from a car mechanic’s criticism of twenty-year-old slackers • The phrase signifies a disillusioned postwar generation characterized by… • Lost values • Lost belief in the idea of human progress • A mood of futility and despair leading to hedonism

  5. What else makes something a “Lost Generation” story? • Economy of Language • Presence of War (overt or implied) • “Iceberg Theory” • You have to make inferences • Symbolism – colors, nature, etc. • Alcohol • Jazz • Influence of European culture, art, etc. • Rejection of Victorian era style

  6. Famous Writers of the Movement • The Lost Generation mostly includes expatriate writers who left the United States for Europe after WWI: • Ernest Hemingway • F. Scott Fitzgerald • T.S. Eliot • Ezra Pound • You could also include writers who were heavily influenced by these writers and/or WWI: • William Carlos Williams • Wilfred Owen

  7. In a Station of the Metro What does this imagery suggest?

  8. Landscape with the Fall of Icarus How prominent is Icarus in this painting? What is the message that is conveyed?

  9. Generations • What defines our generation? • Music genres • The quintessential writers • Life-altering events • Developments in technology • Human rights

  10. Tonight’s Homework • Do a little internet research on the Lost Generation. • Write a side-by-side bullet point comparison of the Lost Generation and our generation. • Shoot for at least ten points, and try to have each column correspond with the other. • Cite your sources.

  11. Sources • Information from www.pbs.org and www.poetsorg was used in the creation of this website.

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