New World Coming: The 1920s and the Making of Modern America

Essay Response

Kyle Wilson Professor Sharpless March 6, 2009

Option 2: Miller argues that the 1920s were a turning point in American society and that the society that we know is recognizable in that period. In what respects are the 1920s like or unlike the current period? Choose three (3) topics covered in New World Coming and compare and contrast them with the current day.
Nathan Millers New World Coming is a clear symbol of the metamorphosis that America underwent during the 1920s. By means of his novel, Miller essentially labels the decade of the 1920s as the beginning of modern society, which can be proven by the historical information and evidence that he provides to the reader. Miller accurately describes many aspects during this time period that brought about triumph, as well as conflict, for this changing American society. Among the aspects that sparked these changes are those such as the Scopes trial, the introduction and role of the flapper, and the biography of Al Capone.

A major topic discussed by Miller in his novel is the Scopes trial, or The Monkey Trial as nicknamed by some. This trial came about after the teaching of evolution in school by Dayton High School teacher John T. Scopes. The controversy was stirred up when parents, administration, and other citizens of the nation discovered that the students were being taught evolution theories, such as humans being descended from monkeys. This of course goes against creationism, the teachings in the Bible about how human beings came to exist. This incident outraged many anti-evolutionists, and eventually resulted in a fine for John Scopes. Miller proves to the reader that this event during the same 1920 decade in history had a long lasting effect on society, as he states that the trial casts a long shadow on American society, on page 250. This trial has become a symbol of academic freedom, as it has stretched the boundaries by which teachers can teach, serving them more freedom to discuss probable theories. I believe that this also opened up an opportunity for others to see that new, different ideas may be

discovered, no matter what the subject or issue, and one may use their own knowledge to develop ideas and opinions. To me, this event is sort of like enlightenment, where it opens the eyes of people nationwide, showing them that there are different, probable perspectives when looking at issues. In the same paragraph, Miller makes a very influential statement when he says Eighty years after Scopes, the battle between Darwinism and creationism continues to rage, which I believe to be very true. Of course, at the time of this incident this issue was a big deal, but who would have thought that its impact would still be seen eighty years later? It is obvious to anyone that this topic is still a huge controversy in todays society, as it comes up all the time in classrooms all across our nation, as well as in church. What should one believe; science or faith? For as long as humans walk this Earth they will wonder what really happened and how their species came to exist. Miller shows the reader this in ending chapter eleven with the quote from a creationist member from the Kansas board of education, This issue is not going away.

The flapper, emerging in 1926, refers to the nickname given to the changing women of this decade. During this time period, women began to become more pretty and impudent, as labeled by Miller. The females of this time period started going against the norm, letting their hair down, showing more skin, and even having sex. Chapter twelve of New World Coming, Runnin Wild, describes the introduction of the flapper and what this label stood for in American society. At the very beginning of this chapter, Miller recounts the characteristics of Louise Brooks, a name that symbolized the meaning of the term flapper. Some of the terms that Miller uses to describe Louise Brooks are radiant, energetic outspoken and most potent of all, rebellious. Miller portrays Brooks as the typical flapper role model of the time period, informing the reader that young women did their best not only to look

like Louise Brooks but to act like her. Brooks, as well as her many followers, would bob her hair up, wear vibrant makeup, and dress herself in short, revealing skirts. These rebellious ladies openly drank in speakeasies, smoked cigarettes, and flirted freely with men in which they were interested. This new becoming of women is compared by Miller to the vision of the Gibson Girl, the ideal young lady, with her abundant hair piled up on her head, had the posture of a West Point cadet and wore a neat shirtwaist tucked into a nearly floor-length straight skirt. There was a definite transformation occurring, and Miller pinpoints it out for the reader to clearly see. I believe that this revolution in lifestyle for the American women came as a result of the post-war times and how change was felt as essential to their happiness and survival. The war took the lives of many young American men; many of these American men, who were once desired by the women as potential husbands and fathers, were now deceased, making a good man sparser to find than before the war. Therefore, these women took it upon themselves to become more proactive in creating a fulfilling life for themselves, leading to their change in appearance and lifestyle. Instead of sitting back, being a sweet, innocent young lady waiting for Mr. Right to come along and sweep her off of her feet, women now made themselves more desirable looking and more readily available to men. In doing so, the everyday female hoped to find a man that could support her, as well as a family, during these rough times. Sex, the greater product of these changes, became a more casually talked about topic during this time period. Women even became more open to casual sex with men, rather than a more pure way of life as seen before. This alone can be seen as a huge turning point in American society, where the old-fashioned ways of life mutated into what we have today. In todays world, women are seen more equal to men when it comes to the topic of sex. Most females of todays world have just as many partners as men do, as modern birth control gives proof to. This present-

day medical convenience is a result of the times of the flapper, as the boundaries of precedences were then stretched into the lifestyle seen by women today. The influence of these changes can be seen chiefly in the modern fashion industry, as well as the celebrity world. Clothing is becoming skimpier and more revealing day-to-day and the celebrities are now showing more skin than ever. Furthermore, this impact can be seen in movies. Each year a PG-13 movie becomes more like a rated R movie from the year before, and many rated R movies nowadays should be rated X. The guidelines are becoming broader and movies as a whole are becoming more open to violence and sex- and lots of it. I remember when ten years ago it was rare to hear the word hell or damn on television, and now you can hear the whole alphabet of curse words on cable television. Even TV-14 cable television shows can be seen with sex scenes and sex-centered plots in todays world. I believe that this road filled with sex, drugs, violence, and an overall freedom of lifestyle was paved by the ways of the decade described by Miller in New World Coming, and therefore can clearly be seen as a spark to the fire of modern society.

Another interesting topic that Miller discusses throughout New World Coming is the biography of the roughneck Al Capone. Capone is best known as a gang member, and was associated with many of the illegal activities which occurred during this lawless decade of the 1920s. Miller states that Capone emerged from the conference as the supreme ruler of the Chicago underworld (page 309), showing just how high of a status Capone held during these violent times. He was a mobster, a criminal and a thief, wreaking havoc on this growing decade. In my eyes, Al Capone can be seen as the symbol of todays growing crime, as he acted as the catalyst in organized crime during the 1920s. Capones extent of violence can be seen in his own quote that Miller provides the reader: Ive been accused of every death except the causality list of the World

War. Much of the crime and mischief that occurs in todays world can similarly be seen for the first time back in the 1920s, a great number of which were led by criminals like Al Scarface Capone. Al Capone severely introduced Americas society to organized crime, and our nation has never been the same since.

From just these three topics alone discussed throughout Nathan Millers New World Coming, is it apparent that the unstable times of the 1920s shaped the American society voluminously. This decade is known as The Roaring Twenties, and for a completely legitimate reason. There were many positive, as well as a strikingly great number of negative, aspects that played a role in the American people discovering what their nation represented. The new woman, movies and radio, the golden age of sports, the KKK, Al Capone, speakeasies, bootleggers, birth control, talkies, jazz music, and the stock market crash are all events which played a part in developing this altering time period. If it was not for these happenings that set the framework for modern society, our nation would not be the way it is today. Maybe without Al Capones existence in the 1920s there would not be any crime in present day America. Maybe without Louise Brooks and the creation of the flapper, teen pregnancy rates would not be as high as they are today. Also, maybe without the Scopes trial, Darwins theories of evolution would now be nonexistent, and not a probable course of human becoming. Because of these, as well as the extensive list of other aspects that took part in the 1920s, this decade can be proven as the beginning of modern society.