The modern era started in 1913 and ended in 1945. It was largely started by WWI and ended by WWII. Like the Realism era, in the modern era, writers were concerned in exposing the truth and reality, however they wanted change, and acted on issues. One example of acting on issues during the Modern Era was participating in strikes.

The Roaring 20’s was a time of prosperity and economic change. Women broke tradition and wore tight, short skirts. With the innovation of up-tempo jazz music, dancing starts to become very popular. With huge icons such as Elvis Presley, wary parents started seeing the moves, as provocative and inappropriate. 

People started exploring sexuality and the science behind it, trying to figure out why people were straight, bisexual, etc. Women even started using birth control.

Another big issue in this era was soldiers coming home with shellshock, which makes people feel deflated and hate war. Scientist started figuring out the science behind things, such as mental illness. People began to rely on science and started using education. People were optimistic and hoped that times would change but WWII hit. 

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Three novels from this period is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Two poems was “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg and ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost. One short story was ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber.

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