The Roaring Twenties FRQ
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1. Who were the prominent American writers in the 1920s? Why did a number of these writers express negative views of society? (628 - 631) Comparison
2. Compare the political philosophies of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson with those of Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. (Ch. 20, 636 - 637) Comparison
3. Describe the many factors that resulted in America becoming more of a consumer society during the 1920s. (616 - 622) Cause
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1) _____ Write Question (3 pts)
a) _____ name (3 pts)
b) _____ date (3 pts)
c) _____ grammar (3 pts)
d) _____ 800 - 1000 words (3 pts)
2) _____Thesis – 1st paragraph (3 pts)
a) _____Supporting Argument #1 (3 pts)
b) _____Supporting Argument #2 (3 pts)
3) _____Supporting Argument #1 – 2nd paragraph (3 pts)
a) _____ Describe/Explain Historical Thinking Skill. (3 pts)
b) _____ Elaborate about the time period and/or argument. (3 pts)
c) _____Names OR Events OR Vocabulary AND why they are important. (3 pts)
d) _____Names OR Events OR Vocabulary AND why they are important. (3 pts)
e) _____Names OR Events OR Vocabulary AND why they are important. (3 pts)
f) _____Historical Accuracy (are your historical facts correct) (3 pts)
g) _____The Argument answers the question (3 pts)
4) _____Supporting Argument #2 – 3rd paragraph (3 pts)
a) _____ Describe/Explain Historical Thinking Skill. (3 pts)
b) _____ Elaborate about the time period and/or argument. (3 pts)
c) _____Names OR Events OR Vocabulary AND why they are important. (3 pts)
d) _____Names OR Events OR Vocabulary AND why they are important. (3 pts)
e) _____Names OR Events OR Vocabulary AND why they are important. (3 pts)
f) _____Historical Accuracy (are your historical facts correct) (3 pts)
g) _____The Argument answers the question (3 pts)
5) _____Contextualization (Summarize the time period) – 4th paragraph (3 pts)
a) _____ What was occurring? (3 pts)
b) _____ Where were the events occurring at? (3 pts)
c) _____ Why were these events occurring? (3 pts)
d) _____ How were these events occurring? (3 pts)
e) _____ Who was involved and in what ways? (3 pts)
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Date of writing: 10/3/2025
Time limit: 45 minutes
Preparation time: 4 days
Chosen prompt: Who were the prominent American writers in the 1920s? Why did a number of these writers express negative views of society? (628 - 631) Comparison
Word count: 978
Grade: 100%
In America during the 1920s, prominent writers included Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude McKay, all of which expressed negative views of society largely in part of their own experience with disillusionment following World War I and the rise of the Harlem Renaissance. Ernest Heminway and F. Scott Fitzgerald---and their books "A Farewell to Arms" and "The Great Gatsby" respectively---illustrated their postwar trauma, rejection of the American Dream, and opposition to materialism, a general representation of their disillusionment. On the other hand, Zora Neale Hurston and Claude McKay---and their books "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and "If We Must Die"---outlined their desire for African American equality, the necessity for stopping anti-African American sentiment, and the rise of African American cultural presence.
Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald were just a couple of many major literary figures in the roaring twenties, both of which wrote about topics relating to the aftermath of the First World War and disillusionment. Upon comparing writers such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald to the common movements and beliefs of the time, it's a justifiable statement to claim that they were similar in both intention and nature; literature conveyed the beliefs of the many people who were disillusioned and opposed materialism. For context, following the conclusion of Wordld War I, the United States experienced a significant boost in economic productivity, a rapid increase in development, and most importantly, a growing influence of disillusion. Hemingway was a soldier who served in World War I, was injured in combat, and thus held the belief that the idea of chasing wealth and personal success is trivial to the loss that occured during the First World War. Hemingway's book "A Farewell to Arms" told a story similar to his, conveying his ideologies and beliefs of how America should be conducted---a tragic work of American literature that highlights why Hemingway so strongly holds a negative view on American society. Similarly, Fitzgerald was an American writer who dislike the idea of chasing wealth and commonly wrote about his distain for the image of the "American Dream", the idea of how one's riches and glamorous assets will bring about happiness. This is shown in his book "The Great Gatsby" where he tells a story of the wealthy elite an their disconnect from society, some happy, but most unsatisified---a story illustrating Fitzgerald's negative view on American ideals and the value placed on being among the richer upper class. Furthermore, such opposing ideas are expressed in a portion of the American population as a whole in the form of anti-materialism. Materialism is a general concept that in a way reflects America's cultural obssession with wealth. Similar to Hemingway's thoughts on materialism, many believed that an asset, wealth-based life was insignificant compared to the losses that occured during the war---the notion that materialism is a relatively insensitive mindset. This opposition of materialism is another reason why many writers held negative views on American society.
Zora Neale Hurston and Claud McKay---along with their books, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and "If We Must Die"---were authors that rose to prominence during the Harlem Renaissance and expressed their negative views on American society due to more racial-based reasons. Upon comparing Hurston, McKay, and their works to the African American justice movements that occurred during their time, similarities can be seen in their movties, however, the nature of their conduction is what separated them from one another---physical protest versus literary protest. For context, the protest literature of Hurston and McKay alongside the African American movements they sparked primarily arose during the Harlem Renaissance, a period of time in which African American culture was proliferating and becoming more significant in American society. Hurston was an African American writer who, instead of promoting the idea of active and direct protest, tried to justify why African Americans deserved a more significant role in society. This is seen in her book "Their Eyes Were Watching God" where she emphasized the complexity and capability of the African American race, not only sharing her more personal beliefs on racial injustice, but also highlighting the sheer inequality present in American society, displaying her reasons for having a negative view on American society. Likewise, McKay was a Jamaican writer who frequently advocated for protest and the necessity for African Americans to fight for justice instead of wait for it. In McKay's book, "If We Must Die", he outlines this by emphasizing his desire for protest and African American movement, illustrating his strong sense for equality and distaste of American society. These writers and their works were not alone in their efforts, as events such as the Great Migration---in which countless African Americans moved across American in search for racial equality, better job opportunities, and ethnic groupings---platformed literary figures such as McKay and Hurston. The Great Migration was just another contributing factor that elevated the voices of many African Americans and their disagreements with American society's racial injustices.
The preceeding events could not be understood without setting it within the broader national context of the United States that is the Roarding Twenties. During this period of time, the rise of disillusionment, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Great Migration took place. Such events and their effects unfolded across the United States within the minds and actions of numerous people. The engenderment of protests, opposition of matierialism, and general disillusionment all originated from American protest literature that pointed out the flaws and injustices of American society. Such notions and events came in the form of speeches, diffusing ideals, and even more literary works reiterating previous writings. The primary figures involved included Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, American writers who conveyed their thoughts and desires through literature.
