“I have been rich and I have been poor. it is better to be rich” -Gertrude Stein

Gertrude Stein was the mother of the Lost Generation. Every Saturday night, the best and the brightest would show up at her doorstep begging for her approval. An acclaimed art critic, she mentored Picasso, Hemingway, and Scott Fitzgerald. If not for her, many of the great works of the time never would have been completed. For instance, after the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald felt like his talents had been spent and much like his character longed to return to his past self. However, Gertude insisted he return home immediately and begin writing, resulting in his great novel Tender is the Night.

I compare Gertrude to a mother because as she nurtured its members, she literally created the term “Lost Generation”. While Hemingway swears that she declared his generation lost after the world, holding onto nothing, Gertrude Stein herself sings a different tune.She claims a mechanic had told her this very idea, since they came back from the war knowing nothing their knowledge of simple tasks lost, and she had simply reiterated  No one knows for sure what happened, since what had once been pleasant relation(resulting in Gertrude becoming Bumby’s godmother) turned into a bitter nuclear wasteland.  However, this is how Hemingway lived, and it was only a matter of time before an over emasculated woman clashed heads with him.

Gertrude had always known she was different, but it wasn’t until she entered medical school that she realized her true sexual orientation. She would struggle with her identity for years to come, often embracing gender stereotypes and branding herself more man than woman, which is exemplified by her making her wife chat with the other men’s wives and children while Gertrude and the men had “serious talk”.This of course, led to major issue in WWII, where being the most well known lesbian couple sent the nazis after them, itching to throw them into a camp.

However, Gertrude always stuck true to the things she knew for sure about herself. She published several books, such as Three Lives which was based on her sexual awakening and I am a Rose. She is perhaps most famous for her many quotes, including ” We are always the same age inside”,” There ain’t no answer. There ain’t gonna be any answer. There never has been an answer. That’s the answer”, and “A rose is a rose is a rose” to which Hemingway retorted “A bitch is a bitch is a bitch”. 

She paved the pathway for the Lost Generation’s style of writing, and while she may not be remembered for her own work, she will indeed be remembered for her thoughts, opinions, and actions.

Gertrude Stein

One thought on ““I have been rich and I have been poor. it is better to be rich” -Gertrude Stein

  1. Gertrude Stein is (was?) an incredibly interesting woman. It’s amazing to think how her encouragement/feedback helped contribute to some of the greatest American novels of all time.

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