Although the crisis of the post-world war context led to a decrease in cultural and artistic flare during the 1920s in Paris, the political, social and economic situation in France inspired the movement which was to be The Lost Generation (Les Années Folles) Although coined by Gertrude Stein,[1] it was Ernest Hemingway who promulgated this term.
Gertrude Stein grew to foster the creativity of the artists and writers of the Lost Generation, hosting frequent meetings of those who took part.
Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda moved to Paris in the attempt to escape the financial woes and burdens endowed to them by the extravagance of their lifestyle in the previous years.
This move proved to fuel Fitzgerald's literary prowess as he was bombarded with new ideas, cultural differences and a network of prominent artists.
The violence and trauma she endured as a child through instances such as rape and forcible marriage to her Father's mistress's brother, would go on to provide the impetus for inspiration and expression in her writing.
Kay Boyle was an American expatriate writer, novelist and activist who moved to Paris in 1923 following the devastation bought to her family during the interwar period.
Boyle was particularly acclaimed for her collection of Short Stories and referenced by film critic Ann Hornaday as a survivor of the "Halcon Days of Paris in the 1920s".
[5] The literary works of writers in the 1920s in Paris would go on to influence a contemporary audience and have proven to remain relevant despite a significant cultural shift.
[6] This novel re-evaluates themes such as the aimlessness of the Lost Generation, the concept of male insecurity, and, (as said by William Adair in his essay; "The Sun Also Rises; A Memory of War"), the destructiveness of sex.
It is a significant work which is devoted to the experiences of writers living in Paris in the 1920s, inspired by the loss of moral and cultural identity established by the backlash of World War One.
Like many works dedicated to Paris in the 1920s, this novel references Gertrude Stein's home at 27 Rue de Fleurs, the hub of literary collaboration and inspiration.
'A Moveable Feast' references the role Stein played as a mentor to Hemingway, a hugely influential entity to the artistic, particularly literary community within Paris in the 1920s.
The principles and key tenets first embodied by works of the Lost Generation in Paris in the 1920s included not only the expression of political disillusionment, but also a collective rejection of authoritarian values.
Such a concept inspired the "Beat Generation" of the 1950s and 1960s, as the post- World War II era led to the rejection of conventional societies on behalf of artists in this time.
It follows the life of writers in Paris in the 1920s, the close associates of the Fitzgeralds, and what it meant to experience the tensions of a War ridden society first-hand.