Alyssa Moss

Literary Analysis
#1

That is what you are. Thats what you all are all of you young people who served in
the war. You are a lost generation (Gertrude Stein). What does Stein mean by this? Well, the
Lost Generation was the generation that came after WW1. The word lost can be interpreted in
many different ways. This generation could have been lost in means of death, they could have
been lost in terms of their youth and innocence, and even lost in the simple fact that they could
not live a normal life. Though the lost generation was broken they all held onto one thing this
being hope.
A Very Short Story by Ernest Hemingway was published in about 1924. This being 6
years after WW1 ended. It is a tragic love story between a nurse , named Luz, and her wounded
patient. It is unknown what war her patient (never named; he) fought in, but it is assumed he is
a soldier since she wrote him letters which he never received until after the armistice, after war.
Since they met he had hopes of marrying Luz as she had hopes of marrying him. They had
hopes of creating a new life before marriage, but things did not turn out as planned. While he
created a new life, Luz met an Italian and fell in love once again but not with him. Luz
explained, Theirs had only been a girl and boy affair(Hemingway 1). She had now hoped to
marry the Italian. After the war, the soldier had hopes of living a normal life. Although he had
seemed to be set, he had once again lost something this being his love.
The Epic of America by James Truslow Adams (written in 1931) describes the
American Dream. The American Dream is hopes of equality and opportunity despite gender or
circumstance. Adams states it is a dream of social order in which each man and each woman
shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized
by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position" (1).
The Lost Generation values this because they too have hope of fulfilling the American Dream
which can also be viewed as a normal life. For they are fighting in hopes America can fulfill this
dream as well. The dream not only gives hope to the Lost Generation but to America as a whole
being that everyone is accepted no matter what. This is significant because a short time prior to
this being written women experienced inequality and struggle for opportunities such as work. In
this, the Lost Generation values the American Dream because they hope to be normal, equal,
and accepted.
The End of Something by Ernest Hemingway is a short story about a breakup. Nick
and Marjorie loved to fish, in fact, Nick was the one who taught Marjorie how to fish. Just as her
love for fishing grew so did theirs. Until one day they were fishing and they began to argue and
Nick broke it off. He states, It isnt fun any more (Hemingway 3). He had hoped to love again
and enjoy it but that was not the case. He had lost feeling. One can tell he wanted to love her but
couldnt because even he wasnt taking the break up well. When Bill asks how he feels Nick
replies with, Oh, go away Bill! Go away for a while (Hemingway 4). He had lost feeling and
now his love. The feeling remained of hoping to love and feel again.
 In conclusion, the Lost Generation had hope throughout their loss. For example, Nick and
him with their hopes to love and feel again. As well as the Lost Generation as a whole hoping
to experience the American Dream or a normal life, but not only hopes for them to experience
this but America as a whole. Yes, their hopes were tested and crushed, but throughout what
theyve experienced they held onto a sense of hope and never gave up as demonstrated through
most of Hemingways short stories and his Iceberg Theory. The Lost Generation portrayed one
trait: Hope.