The Impacts of World War II in the 1950s
HIST 3051 - World War II
University of Cincinnati
After the Second World War at 1945, Churchill Stated that “America
at this moment, stands at the summit of the world.” The status of
America during the 1950s is proof for what Churchill said. America
was at his best after WWII, though it caused so many destruction and
mass killings, Americans believed that after the war there would be
prosperity. And there was; The economic status, the political status,
the progress in science and technology, and the population growth due
to fertility and immigration. Nevertheless, there was some great
conflicts in the society of opposing ideas, such as the emergence of
the civil rights movement, censorship in literature and their
involvement in the Korean War and last but not the least the Cold
War.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
What has happened was the postwar booms. Deluding themselves by
the durability of peace, Americans were eager to have children. They
were somehow correct. The government spent so much on
establishing schools, highways, and corporations, invested in military
alongside the new technologies of computers, and manufacturing cars,
and airplanes, all provided the ground of economic growth, therefore,
the rates of unemployment and inflation had decreased. Economically
everything was going as planned, the products’ prices were low, the
wages were high. People could spend so much money on the diverse
products that were available. However, people of America were
striving for whatever they had lost or could not have during the World
War II. American people avidly were looking forward to the new
goods and materials which would show off their wealth, and to make
up for what they had lost or never had. After overcoming their goals,
the results were different. There were people who were satisfied by
what they had. On the other hand, there were people who got stuck in
the routine of a “faceless, suit-wearing businessman” who became a
societal stereotype of the 1950s. These people suffered from
loneliness and purposelessness in their lives as a living dead in a
corporate society. Such characters can be found in the work of Vance
Packard “The Status Seeker” (1959) and David Riseman “The Lonely
Crowd” (1950).
The growth of the population resulted in the great expansion of
churches and schools. Church attendance during the 50s increased
from almost 50 percent to approximately 70 percent of the nation. The
buildings, of course, were mirroring the characteristics of the decade’s
religious life. This decade can be named as one of the most religious
times for the United States. There are some very religious novels with
Christian themes such as “The Robe” (1942) by Liyod Douglas, “The
Silver Chalice” (1952) by Thomas Costain, or “The Cardinal” (1950)
by Henry Morton Robinson.
Furthermore, the American society was in disagreement of whatever
was known as a Taboo. So, many authors gave in to the religious
restrictions, and some were compelled to obey this traditional
censorship of their books, for the people to embrace and accept them.
Some other group of the artists of the 1950s could not submit to these
convictions. These artists were not content of what has happened
during the first half of the 20th C and didn’t want to surrender to the
conservative society of America. Cold War which was also one of the
defining elements of the 50s, was another reason of tension and
anxiety of people and artists. Accordingly, there were new voices after
WWII, Beat Generation or Beat movement were the artists who were
against the religious conviction and the censors which were employed
on their works of Art. Their fashions and manners were borrowed
from jazz musicians. The drug, jazz, sex, and the instructions of
Buddhism considered by these artists that would help them to attain
the purification and inspiration through the heightened awareness.
They would also release their personal feelings in their works. Their
vindication was the joylessness and the aimlessness of modern
society. Some of the well-known authors of Beat generation are Allen
Ginsberg whom his poem “Howl” (1956) is one of the best examples
of this movement and Jack Kerouac's “On The Road” (1957) which
has influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc. Its fame is
due to its expression of freedom and the energy for being adventurous.
In the continuation of living in the postwar world, one of the sequels
was the attendance of more teens in schools, and the decrease of
working children which surely is a good happening. However, it also
caused the depression of them due to the thinking of their
individuality, their existence, and their future. One of the masterpieces
which exactly is a manifestation of a teen in that decade is “The
Catcher in The Rye” (1951) by J. D. Salinger. Alongside the teens,
there was the identity crisis after WWII. They would not value the
individuality, so it made the majority of people to be very anxious,
dubious of the values of American society, and the fear of constantly
proving themselves. In order to soothe the people, authors attempted
to write motivational novels. For example, Norman Vincent Peale's
“The Power of the Positive Thinking” (1952) and Fulton J. sheen's
“Life is Worth Living” (1952). Such writers implied the bright future
and the ability of people to be in control of their lives in order to
achieve whatever they want in their lives.
A great mass of American citizens who were not satisfied with the
flow of schools and societal laws were African-Americans or in
general black people. They rose to the government and against the
inequalities, which begot the emergence of the Civil war. Black
Americans spoke of the laws which were not based on justice or
equality. Earlier in the 20th C, they had to fight for the abolishment of
slavery. While in the mid-20th C, they had to battle for their primary
rights. Their main battle was on the segregation in every public place
such as buses or schools and racist treatment of whites. In the 1950s,
by the emergence of the Civil Right movement, some laws were about
to shift in favor of black people of America. Undoubtedly, this
movement and the racial discrimination had its own effects on authors
of the time, especially the black authors. One of the most important
works of this period is “Invisible Man” (1952) by Ralph Ellison. It is
narrated by an unnamed man who gets no attention in the society. He
demonstrates the conditions of an African-American whom the
treatments of society are hostile toward him. There’s also another
famous work which helped people to get more familiar with the
culture of African people, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) by Chinua
Achebe.
The authors of the time were highly influenced by all the economic,
political, social, cultural shifts, movements or conflicts. They would
mirror all these matters in their works by using “black humor and
absurdist fantasy”. Here I’m going to mention some authors of the
1950s and their works that had impacts on the society, people, and
influential to the artists of the next generation. “A highly self-
conscious fiction emerged in the 50s, laying bare its own literary
devices, questioning the nature of representation, and often imitating
or parodying earlier fiction rather than social reality. Russian-born
Vladimir Nabokov and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were
strong influences on this new “metafiction.” Some of Nabokov’s
works are “Lolita” (1955), “Pnin” (1957). James Baldwin and Ralph
Ellison both were the writers who tried to illustrate the black life’s
complications in America. Baldwin’s best novel “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” (1953) portrays the artist’s adolescent religious
experiences in the Harlem world. Ayan Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
(1957) criticizes the corruption in the government’s system, it has
negative view on government and is a supporter of capitalism.
“Fahrenheit 451” (1953) was written by Ray Bradbury which is a
famous work even today, is exhibiting a disturbing view of America
which books are banned and burned. In a world which due to the
censorship of the government, and the ruling of Television-which he
believed would make our minds to rot- people don’t have any interest
of reading books.
The 1950s just like other decades in America underwent so many
predicaments, conflicts, and changes, though some believed that this
decade was the inauguration of the developing power in America
which was right. In this decade, many events had an impact on the
American literature, most importantly on the later works of African-
American literature. Most of the great novels, poems, Children's
stories, and plays have been written by authors who were influenced
by the circumstances and incidents of that time.
Works Cited:
'1950 To 2000 - Books That Shaped America | Exhibitions - Library
of Congress'. Loc.Gov, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/books-that-
shaped-america/1950-to-2000.html. Accessed 7 Jan 2020
'American Literature in The 50S'. Infograph.Venngage.Com,
https://infograph.venngage.com/p/99522/americanliterature-in-the-
50s. Accessed 7 Jan 2020.
'American Literature - The Novel and Short Story. Encyclopedia
Britannica, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/art/American-
literature/The-novel-and-short-story. Accessed 7 Jan 2020.
Beat Movement | History, Characteristics, Writers, & Facts'.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/art/Beat-
movement. Accessed 7 Jan 2020.
'The 1950S'. HISTORY, 2019, https://www.history.com/topics/cold-
war/1950s. Accessed 7 Jan 2020.
Moussa, Robin. “1950’s Themes in Literature.” Prezi.Com, 29 Jan.
2013, prezi.com/c5mtlkju3yp-/1950s-themes-inliterature/.
Temple, Emily. “A Century of Reading: The 10 Books That Defined
the 1950s.” Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2018, lithub.com/acentury-of-
reading-the-10-books-that-defined-the-1950s/.
Tucker, Carol. “The 1950s – Powerful Years for Religion.” USC
News, 16 June 1997, news.usc.edu/25835/The-1950sPowerful-Years-
for-Religion/.
