The 1920 America was a decade of rebellion, reform and reaction as a traditional Victorian values under attack from all sides. If different groups of intellectuals, blacks, feminists, and discontent with economic and political groups attacked Victorian.
Through a descriptive writing style, Stanley Coben passes through the reasons of the enormous cultural changes in 1920 and explains them historically. He begins with the Victorian concept of "character", theis a concept familiar to Americans from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. A character that defined themselves as Coben was dominated reliable, punctual, orderly, diligent, devoted move, conscientious, sober, respectful of other Victorian property rights, ready for instant gratification for long-term goals, a usually friendly God, a believer the truth of the strongly oriented toward home and family, honorable in relations with other Victorian BibleFear for self-improvement in a way that may seem obsessive to modern observers, and patriotic.
In subsequent chapters we show how intelligence is developed, such as intellectual values' have changed over time and how inevitably brought them into conflict, and he vividly describes the events that supports the growth of these intellectual subculture. Making it easier to understand the events that puts it in a framework of four in particular those following.
The bookpays particular attention to cultural issues, showing how art forms such as jazz of the '20s or the novels of Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, and were part of the rebellion. He devotes an entire chapter to describe how the constant flow of immigrants blacks to the north caused by demographic change, and suggested ways around them to improve their status and their enforcement activities. And jazz was considered one of the most destructive of blacks then, as Leopold Stokowski, conductor of the stayPhiladelphia Orchestra, said in 1924:
"Jazz came to stay ... and it is useless to fight it. Even his strength, his vitality began to emerge.
The Negro musicians of America has an important role in this process of change. ... They are not hampered by traditions or conventions, to flow with their new ideas, their constant attempts, are something new blood in the veins of music. In America, I think, is perhaps the greatest hope of all the musicalWorld. "
If by feminist movements and changes in the economic and political development of the country that prepare the ground for the rebellion, at the end there is a fascinating chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, the Klan shows that as a visible and powerful guardian during the 1920 Victorian.
What makes the whole is more reflective is the new perspective that brings Coben, to show how the contradictions that were the trigger for the rebellion in 1920 still exist, which,which brought together workers, farmers, socialists, ethnic groups, intellectuals, feminists and many leading blacks.
Coben study is especially valuable for its historical analysis perfect. In fact, it has a pleasant change from most history books boring. Representation of the relationship between culture and politics, the process of describing a phenomenon in the history of a country like America is successful, gives the reader a real example, taken into account and that cancompared with similar problems. The process that leads the reader through Coben to draw some conclusions and reflect on the problems now is cleverly designed and the way in which he turns to the existing problems through violence is palpable. But it would be better if the idea proposed at the end, was developed to provide additional evidence for the reader's judge best. But the rebellion against Victorian certainly receive attention fromScientists and students interested in the intersections between culture and politics, and the biggest concern for similar problems today. It can also be a good supplementary text for use in undergraduate courses in the 20 century American history or American studies courses focusing on twentieth century cultural development. And 'bad if not cause or contribute to a discussion on the actual role of the cultural changes in politics and examining the sameProblems in society today.
Stanley Coben, rebellion against Victorian impulse to cultural change in America in 1920. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. 242 p.
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