English IV
As any cultural aspect, advertisement and the perception of sexuality have evolved constantly
through time according to each cultures context. In the case of the American society, during the
early part of the twentieth century, these two elements suffered great and important changes in the
eyes of the public. This was due to the new environmentproduct of enhanced industrialization
that innovated the way in which persuasion and genders were conceived. Even though
advertisement and sexuality may seem unrelated, they actually played an important role in the
development of literature.
During the 1920s and 30s, the United States experienced quick shifts, from consolidating
itself as the economic nucleus of the world, to the Black Tuesday in 1929. Amid the times of
prosperity and those of war, advertisement was used as a remarkable strategy both to enhance the
American way of life and the patriotic sense of people. For many, it was seen as a civilizing and
modernizing force (Marchand 8) and it provided an apparent friendly hand which gave advice
over the impersonal judgments of the modern world (14). It is important to notice that this form
of communication also helped people adapt to the quick pace that modernity was creating (xii). In
this vein, the culture of consumption transformed the role of women within American society.
Reyes 2
interactions between men and women became freer regarding their intimacy and sexuality.
Although the acceptance of kissing games, the system of treating, and even premarital sex was
not generalized, it is noticeable that this behavior began a revolutionary interaction between
genders and it portrayed as well how women demanded greater independence in the realm of
But how does all this relate to literature? As parts of society, advertisement and the
people regarding many issues. These novel realities and attitudes can be found in the works of
various famous writers from that period. Examples of this are Scott Fitzgerald who depicted the
new culture of excess from the 1920s, and John Steinbeck who explored the lives of laborers
during the Great Depression. In this manner, we can see that it is true that if society changes,
literature changes along with it, providing a way to expose, analyze, and assimilate the historical