American Literature in Context after 1929

American Literature in Context after 1929 is the perfect companion for readers who want to familiarize themselves with the historical events and literary movements that shaped American literature from the Great Depression onward.

The book covers political ferment of the 1930s; post-World War II anti-Communism; post-war affluence; suburbanization and demographic change; juvenile delinquency, mental illness and the perception of the U.S. as a “sick” society; and post-1965 immigration. It draws on a range of sources, from magazine and newspaper accounts to government reports and important non-fiction, to show how writers engaged the issues and events of their times.

Includes a historical timeline, featuring key literary works, and historical events.

Timeline of Texts and Historical Events Introduction 1

1 The Depression and the Early 1940s 4

2 Anti-Communism 27

3 Bad and Mad 57

4 Places 94

5 Immigrant Destinies 120

Index 138

Philip R. Yannella is Professor of English and American Studies at Temple University, Philadelphia. He has taught courses on the full range of American literature as well as on history, culture, class, and radicalism. His previous publications include The Other Carl Sandburg (1996).

American Literature in Context after 1929 is the perfect companion for readers who want to familiarize themselves with the historical events and literary movements that shaped American literature from the Great Depression onward.

The book covers political ferment of the 1930s; post-World War II anti-Communism; post-war affluence; suburbanization and demographic change; juvenile delinquency, mental illness and the perception of the U.S. as a “sick” society; and post-1965 immigration. It draws on a range of sources, from magazine and newspaper accounts to government reports and important non-fiction, to show how writers engaged the issues and events of their times.

Includes a historical timeline, featuring key literary works, and historical events.