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Writers in Paris in the 1920s

The Political, Social and Economic landscape of France in the 1920s:

Although security was France’s main incentive for initiating the Treaty of Versailles on the 28th of June 1919, the realities of the post-war context led France to experience an intense political, social and economic isolation within the 1920s. French civilians suffered heavy taxes due to the allies’ compromise for reparations to be set at $6600 million. In June 1920, the cost of living within France increased, leading to the disillusionment of the working class. Contrary to that of the pre-war economic landscape, the 1920s proved that agricultural and industrial production had fallen off greatly within France. Country wide, the social, political and economic spheres within France meant that it’s capital, Paris, was at the forefront of such cultural impediments.

The Lost Generation:

Although the crisis of the post-world war context, led to the decrease in cultural and artistic flare during the 1920s in Paris, the political, social and economic burdens within France provided the impetus for expression, and inspired the movement which was to be The Lost Generation (les Années Folles) Although coined by Gertrude Stein, it was Ernest Hemingway who promulgated this term. The Lost Generation was essentially a collectivised recognition of the aimlessness, confusion and grief experienced by the survivors and civilians of the war. In particular, the Lost Generation encompassed American expatriate writers living in Paris within the 1920s. During the 1920s, Paris became the epicentre of culture, embracing extravagance, diversity and creativity. Artists such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, flocked from all over the world towards Paris, by this time the hotspot of expression and instrument of artistic direction. The Lost Generation all shared the post-war griefs of losing their loved ones, innocence and sense of pride. However, one thing that was most certainly not lost but in fact learned, was the sense of artistic expression characterised by the disillusionment and pessimism of the end of the First World War. Numerous Individuals became part of the Lost Generation without any recognition. However, the Lost Generation of the 1920s produced some of the most famous writers to date. Gertrude Stein grew to foster the creativity of the artists and writers of the Lost Generation, hosting frequent meetings of those who took part. Not only were writers such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald a part of this, but also world-renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Mattisse.

Key writers of The Lost Generation in Paris in the 1920s.

Writers within Paris in the 1920s created works that transcended temporal boundaries, influencing the global literary landscape to date.

Ernest Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961)

Ernest Hemingway, although an American-born writer, moved to Paris on the 22nd of December 1921. He embodied the experiences, cultural influences and literary styles and techniques of writers in the 1920s. Belonging to The Lost Generation,’ Hemingway contributed to some of the most important works of the 20th century. This would not have been possible without surrounding artists of the Lost Generation, such as Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Pablo Picasso, who proved to be central to his career. Within four years, Hemingway went from being an unknown individual to one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.

Gertrude Stein (3 February 1874- 27 July 1946)

Gertrude Stein was an extremely influential member of the French society in the 1920s. Having been an ambulance driver for the French during the first world war, her experiences characterised her artistic prowess and inspired her passion for self-expression. Stein established an artistic salon in her Paris apartment in which she would often host prominent artists and writers of Paris. Stein had a reciprocal relationship with those she was surrounded by. Such was exhibited in her adoption of the styles of Cubism and abstraction within her writing, techniques derived from Pablo Picasso.

F, Scott Fitzgerald (24 September 1896- 21 December 1940)

One of the most prominent figures of ‘The Lost Generation,’ Scott Fitzgerald is contemporarily referred to as one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda moved to Paris in the attempt to escape the financial woes and burdens endowed to them by the extravagance of their lifestyle in the previous years. This move proved to fuel Fitzgerald’s literary prowess as he was bombarded with new ideas, cultural differences and a network of prominent artists.

Literary works that capture Paris within the 1920s.

The literary works of writers in the 1920s in Paris would go on to influence a contemporary audience and have proven to remain relevant despite a significant cultural shift.

The Sun Also Rises (1926)

Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises” (1926) summated Paris, and, life for writers in Paris throughout the 1920s. This novel re-evaluates themes such as the aimlessness of the Lost Generation, the concept of male insecurity, and, as put forth by William Adair in his essay; “The Sun Also Rises; A Memory of War,” the destructiveness of sex. the ideas in this novel are so profound and provocative that it was banned in cities in the United States, as well as Nazi Germany for “being a monument of modern decadence.”

'The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas' (1933)

Gertrude Stein’s work, “'The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas' (1933)” is rather an analysis of herself than the suggested subject, her partner Alice B.Toklas. It summarises her life before and during her move to Paris and the effects this had on her identity, writing and relationships. In particular, it is a comparison of life in pre-war California and post-war Paris in the 1920s. although published in 1933, it contextualises Paris in the 1920s, the commonly shared experience of an American expatriate within this time and the influences of 1920 Paris on not only her own but the art of all those who surrounded her, particularly members of “The Lost Generation.”.