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The Jazz Age

The Jazz Age is synonymous with the period from 1918 to 1929, which saw a huge revamp in traditional values and an immense upsurge in the American stock market. In the history of events, the jazz age coincided with the period after the World War I and the beginning of the Great Depression.

Characteristics of Jazz Age: Jazz history includes the origin of a different style of music and literature. This period also saw a tremendous surge in acceptance of modernist ideas and trends. The Jazz age largely coincides with technological progress in the form of invention of cars, telephone, and air travel. Art Deco design and architecture are also characteristic of the jazz age. This period after the world war also saw growth of the ideology of individualism and hedonism.

Literature of Jazz Age: The literature of every age reflects its ideas and pursuits. By far, American Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald produced the most representative works of the jazz age. The Jazz in 1920’s saw the release of some of his most sensational works, such as the Great Gatsby and the beautiful and the Damned. Both these works talk about the decadence and wide scale public embrace of hedonistic way of living.

The term “jazz”: While nothing can be said with certainty about the origin of this term, it is believed to have its roots in American slang. F. Scott Fitzgerald is largely credited for coining this term and using it generously in his works, especially in the Tales of the Jazz Age.

Other Jazz Literature: The jazz age is marked with the popularity of other literary works, such as “Of Time and the River”. This book by Thomas Wolfe talks about its protagonist's journey from Carolinas, to Harvard, and finally to New York. Another work by Wolfe, namely “You can’t Go home Again” captures the party scene and stock market crash of the 1920s. Other works of literature, which talk about the degrading values of the jazz age include, “Twilight Sleep” by Edith Wharton and The Rosy Crucifixion of Henry Miller.

The jazz age is therefore characterized by technological advancements and societal change sin the form of embrace of hedonism. All this is reflected in the literature and music of this period.