Historical Context

Children's Literature Before and During the 1920s

Written in 1924, Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story was published during a time when many social

Figure 2
(Image from graphicsfairy.com)

changes were taking place and, therefore, the view of childhood was much more progressive than in previous time periods. The enlightened period of the 17th century was full of didactic children's literature advising children how to be better citizens. In the 1800s to the early 1900s, came the Victorian, or the Golden Age, of children's literature which featured an idealized view of childhood with saint-like child characters (see Figure 2).

Figure 3
(Image from Amazon.com)

The 1920s brought a wealth of books created simply for entertainment including Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne (see Figure 3) and Dr. Doolittle (see Figure 4) by Hugh Lofting. These books were written about imaginative and sometimes strange characters on enjoyable adventures (Tomeo, 2014) with little moral lesson.  Moore's Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story bears these qualities. Nicholas, the main character, is actually an eight inch Dutch wooden doll who the world already seems to know and love as people call his name and say hello to him everywhere he goes. Stranger yet, the doll embarks on a journey in which he takes a tour of New York City.

Figure 4
(Image from pauahtun.org)

The Roaring Twenties

The freedom and progressiveness present in children's literature during the 1920s reflected those same qualities present  in 1920s American society.  Often referred to as the roaring twenties, 1920s America was a time of widespread growth and economic prosperity. Driven by a recovery from wartime economics, the United States was suddenly booming financially and industrially and it was at this time that the U.S. first took its place as richest country in the world (Soule, 1947).

Women in the 1920s

During World War I, many women took on dangerous and "masculine" jobs while men were overseas. After the war ended and men returned home, many women, now having experienced the workforce, continued to see out work rather than return to housewifery. However, since men had returned to the manual labor jobs, woman were taking on different type of work now including secretarial, teaching, and nursing positions. This shift in the workforce, with women now able to make their own income, paved the way for more independence and freer way of life for woman in general. The lifestyle of many women in the 1920s changed dramatically; they now felt free to smoke, drink, date and dance at their leisure. The changes to the fashion and hairstyles of the time were also dramatic; they now were both shorter and less constricted.

Figure 5
(Image from vintageperiods.com)

Suffrage 

While the role of woman changed dramatically both socially and culturally, their role in politics changed as well. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed which allowed woman the right to vote (see Figure 5). Then, In 1923, many woman fought for even more rights for woman by introducing the Equal Rights Amendment which would allows for less discrimination of women in other areas aside from voting. These woman were quite head of their time as this amendment would unfortunately not go on to be passed by congress until the 1970s (Woloch, 2002). Anne Carroll Moore's life of continuing education and strong leadership roles reflects the progressive stance woman were taking during the 1920s in America.

Prohibition

From 1920 to 1933, the "sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcoholic beverages" was banned in the United States via the Eighteenth Amendment (see Figure 6). This movement was led by pietistic Protestants, social progressives and the Anti-Saloon League. However, in 1933, the twenty-first Amendment repealed the eighteenth Amendment and nationwide prohibition ended. 

Figure 6
(Image from Getty Images)

Harlem Renaissance

During the 1920s, African Americans in urban areas, such as Harlem, began their own socially progressive movement known as the "New Negro Movement" which resulted in one of the most influential times in African American culture. Participants in the Harlem Renaissance, as it was called, sought to reconceptualize the idea of the black American apart from the stereotypes pushed upon them by whites which had influenced how blacks interacted with one another and their past. Black Americans involved with this movement also wished to break away from the Puritan morals and shame used by whites to reinforce racist beliefs. During this time, literature, music, and many other forms of creative expression and intellect were at an all time high for black Americans and this cultural awakening set the stage for future black empowerment movements. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014)

Other major social movements happening during the 1920s in the United states include the art-deco movement, expressionism, and surrealism. All of these movements reflect the spirit of progressivism that was in the air and this enthusiasm produced "a climate for reform" (Gerster & Cords, 1977) which lasted well beyond the 1920s.