Values and Beliefs
The values and beliefs of the 20th century began to shift as America entered the 1920's. The morals were looser as women's clothing grew more revealing. Women during the twenties became known as 'Flappers' and were characterized by their short dresses, short hair, and bound breasts. The period immediately after WWI was characterized by prosperity for America because of all the business Americans had done in the war effort as well as other factors. The 20th century also saw a shift away from God and an increase in atheism as a side effect of the horrors of WWI. Prohibition's intended effect was to decrease crime and make life for children better, however, it led to an increase in crime rates. Smuggling alcohol became a regular practice and many Americans went to speakeasies to drink alcohol which was banned at the time. The dates of the Modernist period are a little vague, and are widely argued. Most agree that Modernism was over by 1950, but as to when it specifically ended is where the lines get blurry. Some say 1945 because that is when WWII ended, and subsequently ended a period of fragmentation that defined Modernism, however many argue that Modernism ended in 1939. 1939 was the beginning of WWII and some believe that the beginning, rather than the end, of the war was the true end of Modernism. The height of modernist literature was also published in 1939, James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. Many believed that the period was over after this work was published.