Art: Roaring Twenties vs Dirty Thirties

Perhaps one of the most well-known decades in U.S History may be the 1920s, commonly known as the Roaring Twenties. Many are already aware of the lively spirit that carried American people through this decade, giving it its powerful nickname. On the other hand, the next ten years following the twenties could not have been a more contradicting decade. The Dirty Thirties, as many have labeled it, is a perfect description of what this decade actually consisted of: living, eating (barely), and working (if you were lucky enough) among the dirt. Although apparent change in these decades could clearly be seen in the rapid economic depression, decline of living and working conditions, etc, there was a less known, unique way in which these unfortunate differences were depicted: art.

Roaring Twenties 

Correctly reflecting the bright and active mood of this decade, the twenties gave birth to some magnificent arts and artists. First of all, jazz music is the most notable type of art that made its debut through the Harlem Renaissance. It was composed of many instrumental solos, mostly the famous saxophone, performed by mostly black Americans. Jazz conveyed the wild and prideful vibe of the Roaring Twenties, as it gained more popularity in performances like night clubs. Another form of art that demonstrated these feelings of this decade was the tango and foxtrot dances. Tango was a friendly social dance that focused more on partnership than audience. Its colors and light footwork reflected the steps towards fast-paced modernism and innovation taking place during this time.

  


Dirty Thirties 

Compared to the works of the Roaring Twenties, the Dirty Thirties produced art that conveyed a hopeless, depressing tone. For example, one of America's most credited authors, John Steinbeck, published the Grapes of Wrath which illustrated the struggles of a poor family of sharecroppers moving from their home in Oklahoma to California, in search for a better life. Awarded with the Nobel Prize for literature and the Pulitzer Prize for this book, Steinbeck accurately reflected the upsetting mood of this decade in much of his other literature as well. In music, the song Strange Fruit sung by Billie Holiday was a particularly depressing song that faced many Americans, mostly blacks, with the reality of prevailing racism. Although racism obviously still existed in the twenties, this song shows how the American people were more focused on the negativity of social life than the positives like jazz music from the prior decade.

 


Comparing the art in these two decades, it tells us a lot about the characteristic changes that happened between them. Roaring Twenties was a symbol for patriotism and wild youthfulness where the Dirty Thirties was a period of nonstop downfall in most aspects of life. It is interesting to see the interconnection in the American economy, politics, and social life which influences each other in such a grand scale. This is not something that occurred solely in the twenties and thirties, but is constantly observed throughout our history. It may be a huge benefit to us if all is going well; however, it may also act as a Jenga tower in which the lack or failure of one part of the tower ( an aspect of American society), could result in the collapse of the entire contraption (the entire nation).



Sources
http://www.walternelson.com/dr/tango
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/20th-dustbowl.html