Naive Enthusiasm Judged Attribute Of '20's Writing

Perry Miller, professor of American Literature, last night applauded writers of the 1920's for trying to destroy the "pompous formalities" of American life which had been causing intellectual stagnation.

Speaking at a Leverett House Forum. "The Literature of the Twenties," moderated by Theodore Morrison, lecturer on English, Miller called the literature of the decade "a great creative member in Western history" because of its vitality.

Joining him on the panel was Frederic Hoffman. Visiting professor of English Hoffman attacked a aviate peculiar to the twenties alone as the period's greatest fault, but said that the resulting "fearless investigation" had a purgative influence on American thought.

Hoffman suggested that in retrospect some of the decade's values appear stereotyped. He presented as examples the "Fohemian" search for liberation and the Marxist view of life as a surrender of self-fulfillment to the demands of capitalism.

Miller countered by repeating the post five values which the decade did possess Although the twenties felt their history to be nothing but that of a group of the late individuals the despite new appears as the culmination of a tread of independent rebellion which began in the 18th century.

Both speakers questioned the larch of individual, independent productivity of the present generation as evidenced by the fact that the new critics" rein the output of the twenties for subject matter.