Great Gatsby: the Immoral 20s

For America, the 1920’s was a time of economic prosperity, and political and social changes. The growth of cities, consumer buying, and fashion changes were some of the key changes and developments during this time. Everyone wanted to achieve the American Dream. They were to achieve this dream no matter what they had to go through, whether it be illegal or not. The Temperance Movement took place during this era and many citizens were upset with the government and disagreed with the prohibition. The Temperance Movement was the prohibition of alcohol by the government. It banned the buying, selling and the consumption of any type of alcohol. Many women began to abandon the long and conservative dresses; They wore short, revealing dresses with long necklaces and they had the classic bobbed hairstyle. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about the relationships between the main characters: Nick Carraway, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, and Jay Gatsby. It is set in New York during the “Roaring 20s”. The Great Gatsby incorporated the aspects of the 1920s by including the effects of the idea of American Dream, the rich and careless lives of its citizens during the Temperance movements and the emergence of women’s more sexual and independent in society.

The Roaring Twenties were a time of leisure and parties. The media and events surrounding this time period greatly impacted the carefree, extravagant lifestyle. This era was one of the most dramatic and energetic times in American history. To many, the symbols of the roaring Twenties were F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, due to their tales of the young and the wealthy (Hanson 96). The Roaring Twenties influenced many literary works, throughout the 1920s such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise.

Many people in the 1920s lived very extravagant lives. The time of the “Jazz Age” or the “Roaring 20s” where girls were flappers and the men were bootleggers. People loved to have fun and be carefree. However, alcohol dependence was becoming a problem and many started realizing that. Taking action to stop this was the hard part. Alcohol was corrupting the 1920s even though some did not recognize it. In the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald displays the corruption during the 1902s through his main character, Jay Gatsby, and his illustration of prohibition.

The roaring 20’s was a time in history when jazz music was becoming popular, the flapper was the new definition of modern womanhood, art deco was at its high, and the crash of Wall street first occurred leading into the great depression. The roaring twenties was known as the aftermath of World War 1. The phase roaring twenties came about and was meant to accentuate period’s social, artistic, and cultural dynamism within that era. During this time is when literature had hit an all time high and writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald created some of their finest works. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s use of imagery in The Beautiful and Damned & The Great Gatsby emphasizes the human suffering caused by the chaos and disorder of America’s Roaring 20’s.

A man, who bases his future objectives on past experiences, will end up destroying their own dreams. The Roaring Twenties a time of partying, spending money, and lavish life where anybody and everybody was having the best time of their lives. An example of these extravagant times was in the the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Who shows that money can corrupt a person 's relationship with others. Set in Long Island a town called West Egg in the 1920s, the novel The Great Gatsby shows how relationships have a big meaning in what people 's lives are really about. It turns the characters into only caring about money and their social status. Money controls their every move, and with just a glimpse into the life of luxury they

During the roaring 20’s, throwing parties and having expensive cars was the way to live. Even though the wealthy had it all, they still wanted something a little more. In The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it describes many events that occurred to 8 people during the summer of 1922 in Long Island and New York City. Events occurred out of greed and selfishness because such was normal during this time period. This novel and the poem, “The Roaring 20’s” by Kenn Allan, go hand in hand in describing the lives of the people back then.

The 1920s was a time of dramatic change, innovations, and political revolutions, all which sparked an uprise in society. During this timeframe, the upper class continued to prosper, while the lower class remained poor. The “roaring twenties” took place between World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1930-1945) F. Scott Fitzgerald displays these unavoidable changes, such as the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment, Prohibition, younger people, such as main character, Jay Gatsby making “new money”, the passing of older money to younger generations, causing a gap between social classes and a break between the war period in his novel, The Great Gatsby.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, ‘’who was not only part of the irresponsible and extravagant life of The Roaring Twenties, but he also helped named this era, The Jazz Age with his novels.’’(Mescal Evler 587) The Roaring Twenties gave people the opportunity to become wealthy. Many people at the time of this era were making a lot of money and partying. Fitzgerald most well-known novel, The Great Gatsby, was based on The Roaring Twenties. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald makes us wonder and speculate whether the pursuit of wealth is a noble aspect of life or does it lead to corruption and shower greed upon an individual.

The Roaring 20's was a transitional period for the United States: New ideas, technologies, and taste caused an immense shift in popular culture. The brassy flappers came into play and fueled society's obsession with social class. Big businesses were bringing in money that fed the nation's greed, and the combination of obsession with social class and greed unfortunately led to corruption in the nation. In The Great Gatsby, a tragic love story, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses historical allusions to depict the greed, obsession with social class, and the corruption that erected during the 1920's.

The 1920s was a memorable period in history because numerous notable events were occurring. Throughout the 1920s, commonly referred to as the “Roaring Twenties”, were the Women’s Rights Movement, Prohibition, and The Great War, among other events. Fitzgerald grew up during this era, which he described in his novel The Great Gatsby as a time when much sinfulness and immorality was occurring. Excessive drinking, extravagant parties, organized crime, and gambling were all major social issues throughout the “Roaring Twenties.” Fitzgerald struggled with alcoholism (Baughman, et al.), which was more than likely a result of the constant availability of alcohol. Alcoholism led to Prohibition being passed, but Prohibition was a failure, and, in the end, led to an increase in organized crime and bootlegging. In Fitzgerald’s novel, Jay Gatsby and Meyer Wolfsheim were partners in organized crime. Fitzgerald conveys the empty and shallow lifestyle that comes with the pursuit of wealth, and demonstrates in his novel that wealth does not necessarily guarantee happiness.

The Roaring Twenties is an age of creative ideas and music in the United States, and it is in this age in when Jay Gatsby reached his prime years. In the book The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby is a notorious partier in West Egg who hopes for love of Daisy. Gatsby throws multiple parties to impress Daisy, but does not win her heart. Daisy married Tom Buchanan for his wealth, even though she is not satisfied with their her marriage. Fitzgerald conveys how greed for money and a high social class can ultimately ruin one’s happiness.

The roaring twenties was a time of economic growth and cultural prosperity. The roaring twenties left an impact on authors similar to F. Scott Fitzgerald to write novels based on this era. The novel The Great Gatsby was based on the era of 1920s presenting several themes influenced by the change in culture and economy. The revolving theme presented in the Great Gatsby is the idea of old money vs new money. The effect of new money coming into power made an impact on society and this was showcased in the novel.

The Roaring Twenties have come to describe America during the time of the Prohibition. In the early 1920’s, when the book is set, World War I had just come to an end. Many people flocked toward the bigger cities from their original small towns. They viewed the big cities as an opportunity to search for excitement and a more modern way of living. Alcohol flowed like rivers in many new American homes and drunkards occupied many prisons and poorhouses. A group of activists made a valiant effort to eliminate alcohol in and attempt to help the country return to the simpler lifestyle. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the corruption of the 1920s through his character Jay Gatsby and his illustration of the evils of prohibition.

The time period between the first World War and the Great Depression, otherwise known as the “Roaring Twenties” was the age of a consumer society due to the increase in economic growth across the nation. The increase in economic growth led to many Americans living a careless lifestyle where social status and wealth were the main concern. F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the lavish “Roaring Twenties” lifestyle in his famous novel, The Great Gatsby through a select group of characters and examines their idea of the American Dream where it was believed that if an individual worked hard and were determined then they would become successful. The Great Gatsby is a perfect example of the American Dream and the issues that were raised from the lifestyle choices Americans were making during the 1920s. The main issue raised from The Great Gatsby is based on poor morals and values that come from living a materialistic, wealthy lifestyle.

The 1920’s is regarded as a time of prosperity, flappers and fun parties. People remember a fun and carefree time but that was only what was on the surface. The decade was filled with murder, crimes, and discrimination. These situations are depicted in literature from the 1920’s such as The Great Gatsby, by Scott Fitzgerald and Harlem Renaissance poems. While the 1920’s is known for being the Roaring Twenties, it was in fact a time of hardship because of common racism, a weak economy, and frequent gender discrimination.