How does "The Egg" correlate to World War I?

“The Egg” by Sherwood Anderson was published in 1920 following World War I. The story recounts the narrator’s childhood memories regarding his parents and their ambitions. He describes them as individuals searching for the American Dream. This was a common theme during this time period. During the war, industry boomed and the economy lifted. Men who were not fighting had ample opportunities for employment, along with women and African Americans. After the war ended, the...

“The Egg” by Sherwood Anderson was published in 1920 following World War I. The story recounts the narrator’s childhood memories regarding his parents and their ambitions. He describes them as individuals searching for the American Dream. This was a common theme during this time period. During the war, industry boomed and the economy lifted. Men who were not fighting had ample opportunities for employment, along with women and African Americans. After the war ended, the soldiers came home and the workforce was again flooded with seasoned employees. Unemployment rose, the economy began to struggle and later plummeted during the Great Depression. These struggles are reflected in the father’s journey to “move up in the world,” as described by the narrator. The narrator’s vision of the American Dream is broken, paralleling other American’s experiences during the time after WWI.