The Jazz Age Defined Essay Example

Additionally, he proposes that the loss of the Negro dialect will be regretted by white individuals. Furthermore, the song "St. James Infirmary Blues" underwent multiple versions during America's twenty-first century.

Gladys Bentley's rendition had a powerful Harlem blues influence, evoking such intense emotion that it brought tears to the listeners' eyes. Harold Jackman stated in "American Literature since the Civil War" (pg 219), "When Gladys sings 'St. James Infirmary,' it makes you weep your heart out." Bentley sang lyrics like "Put a jazz band on my hearse wagon," a verse that would not exist in any other version of the song if not for the influence of Jazz in Harlem.

During the Jazz Age in Harlem, there was a shift from conventional forms of entertainment to the rise of jazz and other black performances. This period was characterized by a lively and festive atmosphere. However, not all individuals in Harlem experienced positive outcomes as a result of these events. In his work titled "When the Negro Was in Vogue", Langston Hughes discusses how black individuals were seen as sources of entertainment for white individuals. Although many white individuals were attracted to Harlem, Hughes remained unimpressed by this phenomenon.

According to Hughes (Pg 216), I never had the chance to experience the Cotton Club, which was a Jim Crow club for gangsters and wealthy whites. Despite Harlem's predominantly black population, it was the black community that provided entertainment for white people. Unfortunately, Harlem night clubs made the unfortunate choice of excluding their own people. As Hughes explains, "We can't go downtown and sit and stare at you in your clubs. You won't even let us in your clubs" (Pg

216). Delving deeper into Harlem's Jazz age reveals that it was not a great time for the average black person; instead, it primarily catered to white individuals as a new form of entertainment. The Jazz Age, also known as the Roaring Twenties, came to an end with the devastating stock market crash of 1929.

In his story "Babylon Revisted," F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Charlie, the protagonist, as someone who fully embraced the vibrant ambiance of the 1920s by engaging in parties, drinking, and dancing. During this era, Charlie reveled in his wealth, describing it as a time of plenty where he and his friends felt like invincible royalty amidst an enchanting atmosphere.

According to Fitzgerald (Pg 228), Charlie regretfully reflects on the amount of money he spent during the enjoyable times of the 1920s. The Jazz Age and Harlem Renaissance came to a close after the 1929 Stock Market crash. Charlie explained how he was financially devastated by the crash, stating that "the market had cleaned me out" (Fitzgerald Pg 234). Fitzgerald used the term Jazz Age to portray how his character lived a luxurious lifestyle but was brought back down to reality due to the stock market crash and the end of the exuberant 1920s. The Jazz Age and Harlem Renaissance had a significant impact on African American storytellers and poets. From James Weldon Johnson's concern about losing the authenticity of the Negro dialect to Fitzgerald's depiction of how the prosperous times of the 1920s affected his characters, African American authors were influenced by the events in Harlem during the 1920s.

Although the Jazz Age and Harlem Renaissance may appear as a golden age, Langston Hughes demonstrated

that it was not so for the Negro community in Harlem.