The Lost Generation vs. Generation Me

Back in middle school, my friends and I used to talk extensively about which generation we wish we had been born in. Naturally everyone chose the 20s, 60s, or 80s. Each of these generations have their own sort of ‘myth’. A stereotype that follows them; an over-romanticization of how the youth experienced this time including the, as Marc Dolan believes, ‘disillusionment’ of the generation; disillusioned in an unfamiliar post-world war. 

The end of the war created the general celebratory feel of the 'lost generation.' It was a relief. The war was over and now was a time for celebration; a time to live again. At that same time, soldiers returned finding that no one truly understood what they had experienced. This feeling of being misunderstood, possibly fueled this generation’s “need to create,” and appeal to excess. 

Stanley Bernshaw describes this time as, “Freedom, liberation, and do whatever you want. Find yourself. And nobody will get in your way. You’ll be respected for whatever you do or you won’t be chided. And this, in America was quite a change.” This gave the writers of this grouping an opportunity to create new styles, experiment, and just generally explore in a way they hadn’t necessarily done prior. 

It’s ironic that me and my friends were searching to get out of our generation, considering our generation has its own ‘lost’ quality, creating a clear divide between the young and the old. I guess, with the introduction of terrorism, we too are (in a way) experiencing an unfamiliar world. 

Dolan states, “If we examine the historical record, we see that the sense of common identity they [the 'lost generation'] discovered in age sprang from their demographic uniqueness. As Paula Fass has demonstrated, the years from 1870 to 1930 showed a steady decline in the national birth rate and consequently in the size of the family unit.” 

A definite decline in the family unit has occurred recently, the divorce rate being at over 50%. It’s no coincidence that my generation has embodied elements extremely similar to those of the 'lost generation's.' We both have experienced isolation in one way or another, creating our own culture out of necessity; to create something in which we are attached to; can feel connected to. 

The 'lost generation' created their own culture because they had to. They were under-represented, and due to that, isolated. They felt that they were different, living in a world that was different. They felt they didn’t ‘fit in’ to the culture around them, but they also didn’t have a culture of their own. So they created one. 

This included new fashion trends, excessive drinking, a newfound promiscuity-a rebellious streak, separating them from the generations previous to them. The 'lost generation' became a fetish of sorts, “ crazy—young men tried to get as imperturbably drunk as the hero, young women of good families took a succession of lovers in the same heartbroken fashion.” The youth generation were seen as losing their “moral bearings.” But in reality, they were creating their own moral bearings that were devoid that of the older generation’s. 

My own generation has created a new ‘raunchy’ style, including crop tops and short shorts. We too, like the 'lost generation' have this image of getting ‘imperturbably drunk’, young women going to clubs and taking a ‘succession of lovers’. 

Even through music, a correlation can be found, the ‘lost’ youth clinging to jazz-something older generations hadn’t fully discovered. But, “though the Jazz Age continued, it became less and less an affair of youth…like a children’s party taken over by the elders.” This same trend is seen in my own generation through electric dance music. Starting out as ‘just noise’ it kept growing and growing, becoming something that one’s parents didn’t know about; something that one’s parents didn’t enjoy; something that was strictly the youth generation’s. EDM has come to represent a new sort of culture, one intrigued by dancing, sex, and of course music. The EDM scene even created PLUR, a bracelet exchange standing for Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. Fitzgerald describes jazz in a similar fashion: “The word jazz in its progress toward respectability has meant first sex, then dancing, then music. It is associated with a state of nervous stimulation.” Coincidentally, EDM has been infiltrated by ‘elders’ just as the jazz scene was, popular DJs such as Carl Cox and Pete Tong being in their fifties. 

The appeal in this culture of the youth is that it’s new-unknown. It’s not understood because it’s still being created. The youth enjoy it because they are finally connected to something. Older generations look down on it because it’s not their own culture, yet they stay interested in it for it’s what the kids are doing; what’s ‘cool.’ 

Dolan summarizes how the lost generation was seen, stating, “The mythic narrative of the Lost Generation: from sex to dancing to music and on; from youthful exuberance to group activity to public performance and stylization.” It’s easy to find fun/interest in these things. These elements are easily over-romanticized. They look like more fun than they probably are, creating this overly intense image; this ‘myth’. Considering that America had the prohibition at this time too, the image of drinking-breaking the law-was considered extremely scandalous. 

This ‘myth’ was then broadcasted through film, music, and TV. We see this happening for my generation as well through shows like Skins or The OC. Even through films like Springbreakers, portraying girls in this over-sexualized light, listening to EDM, etc. 

By grouping these writers together as part of the 'lost generation' a genre of its own is created; something that one can expect; anticipate. A change in both form and content occurred. Famous writers of the 'lost generation' including Hemingway and Fitzgerald both had been in the army themselves, including elements of this in their writing, but further including a general sense of excess.

Hemingway describes his experience with gambling on horses as, “I was going to races alone more now and I was involved in them and getting too mixed up with them.” Here we see an example of this irresponsible behavior. 

Life after the war had become about excess, possibly as a coping mechanism, or just a newfound freedom. Further, these writers challenged pre-conceived notions of what the ‘norm’ was. They rejected previously accepted standards, for they were focused on forming their own culture; their own identity. 

Essentially, these writers portrayed the lifestyle and mentality of the generation. By grouping these writers together, a general face/persona was put to the term ‘lost generation,’ these writers becoming a representation for their generation and the culture that surrounded them. Gertrude Stein even said to Hemingway, “All of you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation.” 

This came after a man had failed to speedily repair Ms. Stein’s car, Ms. Stein overhearing a patron use the term, but essentially this was meant as a comment on the generation’s work ethic. We can further see how Stein saw Hemingway and his ‘lost generation,’ telling him that he was reading ‘trash’ and giving him her own book suggestions. She even states, “You have no respect for anything. You drink yourselves to death.” 

Ms. Stein may have meant ‘lost’ to be slightly different from how it was portrayed by the patron, however, we can see a parallel in the view of the work ethic of those belonging to the ‘lost generation’ and how the older generations view my generation’s work ethic, referring to us as 'generation me,' wanting only what’s most convenient for ourselves. 

Maybe this is why all these writers went to other countries in an attempt to find their artistic voices. They were lost, trying to find something that was missing. They were creating a new style. Hemingway referred to the Old Testament, others referred to older English writings. They were looking for guidance; looking for something. But we also can observe that the war directly affected these writers, and the generation as a whole, fueling their feeling of being misunderstood; isolated.

There are clear correlations between the ‘lost generation’ and my own generation. We both formed our own culture, which arguably every group of youths do, however we did it out of necessity. Isolated and disillusioned by a world no one really understands, we try to make a world of our own; a world in which we understand, but more importantly, a world that no one can take away from us.