ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

20th century in literature

Okay kiddo, let's talk about literature in the 20th century. This is the time period between 1900 and 2000 when many amazing writers wrote books, poems, and stories that we still enjoy today.

During this time, the world underwent many changes like the invention of cars, planes, and computers. This led to a lot of new ideas and ways of thinking which writers used to create their works.

Some famous writers from this time include Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, and Maya Angelou. They wrote about different things like war, love, racism, and the struggle for freedom.

One of the biggest literary movements of the 20th century was called Modernism, which was all about experimenting with new writing techniques and styles. This made for some very interesting books that were sometimes hard to understand, but also very beautiful and unique.

Another important literary movement was the Harlem Renaissance which celebrated African American culture and produced many great writers and artists.

Overall, the 20th century was a really exciting time for literature and produced some of the most impactful works we’ve seen in history.