In the American Grain Historical Context

In the American Grain Historical Context

A number of time periods clash in In the American Grain, which is only natural for a work that spans many centuries of history. The subject matter of the books reaches from the voyages of Eric the Red in the late tenth century to the presidency of Lincoln in the nineteenth. However, another time period that barely appears in the book nonetheless has a great bearing on the composition of the book and on our understanding of what the book is meant to be. That period is the 1920s, the age of the so-called "Lost Generation" of American writers and artists who lived in Europe during that time.

Williams was not a member of this "Lost Generation." So why is this group of people so important to this book? Because it is largely in response to their attitude toward America that Williams formulated his theories about American history and,...
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