Contemporary Period

Did you know that you are living in the Contemporary Era of American Literature? It started in 1945 – and goes to present day. Many wars have happened throughout this time including Vietnam War, the Cold War, The Korean War, and The Persian Gulf Wars. War is madness. War related novels and short stories were starting to be written more. The Women’s Rights Movement and Civil Rights Movement are taking place people want the rights of women to be the same as men. Also, they want the rights of African Americas and people of different ethnicities to have the same rights as a white man or white women. During this era people started becoming more excepting of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, and cross dressers. The Internet and Social Media has become a big part of the world and this era today. Some books that were written during this era are: “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker, which is about, a poor, uneducated, fourteen-year-old black girl living in rural Georgia. Celie starts writing letters to God because her father, Alphonso, beats and rapes her. He has already got her pregnant once. Another book is “The Help” written by Kathryn Stockett, in 2009, about African Americans working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi, during the early 1960s. “The Bell Jar” written by Sylvia Plath, in 1963, this novel told the details about the life of Esther Greenwood, a college student who dreams of becoming a poet. She is selected for a month-long summer internship as a guest editor of Ladies’ Day magazine, but her time in New York City is unfulfilling as she struggles with issues of identity and societal norms. Many poems have been written a couple of examples would be, “Green Eggs and Ham” by Doctor Seuss, in 1960. Another poem is, “Calendars” by Annie Finch, in 2003. Many short stories have also been written during this era an example of one is, “Skeleton Crew” by Stephen King, written in 1985. Many people do not know that they are living in a period of American Literature.