1920s: The Roaring Twenties in America was a time of prosperity and pleasure seeking, as people sought to recover from the changes wrought by World War I.

Today: Seeking to recover from a terrorist attack on New York City, Americans flaunt their patriotism and temper their spending. Millions of American flags are sold across the country.

1920s: Though some schools teach poetry and fiction writing, no one American college or university offers a degree in creative writing.

Today: Hundreds of American colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in creative writing. Many people holding these degrees take jobs teaching in universities.

1920s: The 19th Amendment gives American women the right to vote.

Today: Though women are better represented in industry and government than eighty years ago, they are still paid less than men in similar jobs.

1920s: There is a small boom in...