Similarities Between The 1920s And The Great Gatsby

If the American Dream is the hope of attaining success, Jay Gatsby of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby by all appearances achieved the American Dream. If success is equal to materialism, then Gatsby was indeed successful. He used his display of wealth and possessions to gain the approval of his true love Daisy Buchanan. Some would argue, however, that this does not represent the American Dream accurately, but is a warning of how materialism can lead to the downfall of individuals and societies. “The Great Gatsby proves to be of both literary and philosophical significance as it explores deep questions of both the 1920s United States and human beings as a whole.” (tycary, from website Teen Ink) In post WWI 1920s America, society was changing rapidly from its traditional Mid-western values to a more “Eastern,” modern and open-minded society due to “new economic prosperity and technological advances that led to an age of rationalism.” (tycary, from website Teen Ink) Women had been forced out of the home and into the work-place during the war and gained voting rights as well. They were moving toward equality and this freedom allowed them to enjoy activities that were once enjoyed only by men. Prohibition, originating from strict conservatives in the Western US, failed to reduce the crime rate and instead instigated the rise of bootleggers and speak easies. The wealthy spent their time impressing their friends with elaborate parties of drinking, smoking and dancing.

Many of the trends from the Roaring Twenties were set or seen at the parties thrown by the rich such as Gatsby did in the novel. Many of the trends were fashion, especially women, music, and dances. Fashion had changed a lot after and during the war. Dress making and custom styles were beginning to break out. New textures and patterns created the 1920’s style. For women many more options were now acceptable. A daring new style of skirts and dresses worn above the knee were popular. “1920's Dresses were lighter and brighter and shorter than ever before” (1920's Womens Fashion). Jewelry and many other embellishments were added now more than ever. “An increased sense of freedom was expressed in simple yet elegant designs, with carefully selected fabrics, and an intelligent use of color” (1920's Womens Fashion).

The Great Gatsby is based upon wealth in the “Roaring 20’s”. The novel itself contains not a single dull moment of the narrators experience in the East, as it reflects people’s aspirations corrupted by greed and money. In addition, the romance between characters can help relate the readers to the novel. The film does a great job capturing almost all the aspects of the novel; through colors and themes. It gives the viewer a clear understanding of how shallow characters get mixed up into complex

The USA in the 1920s is remembered as the ‘Roaring Twenties’, an age of new life, of hedonism and opportunity following the horrors the Great War. The decade is synonymous with wealth, materialism and unprecedented freedom. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby provides an insight into the exciting and prosperous lives of the American people as they embark on the limitless potential of the American Dream and therefore it conveys a picture of 1920s American society. With

Thesis Statement: Both Chicago and Gatsby show that, in the 1920s, society viewed women as a joke and they're better off being entertainers.

Have you ever had a best friend? Someone that was always there for you? Do you truly know how they felt about you? The Great Gatsby is about a young man named Jay Gatsby, a motivated bootlegger pursuing a grandeurous life that ends with a tragedy caused by betrayal. Of Mice and Men tells a story about two men who travel ranch to ranch together. They stumble upon a ranch that in the long run is the end of the road for them. The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men both portray two different stories in different time periods, yet both stories have strong resemblance. Both F.Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck exemplify through their characters that friendships are not always perceived the same between two individuals.

The 1920s are described as “roaring” because major social developments occurred during the 20s, as shown by the creation of a consumer culture. The Great Gatsby depicts the consumer society when Fitzgerald’s fictional character Daisy Buchanan bawls, “‘They're such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. ‘It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such-such beautiful shirts before,’” (Fitzgerald 99). Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the fictional character Daisy represents the consumer culture of the 1920s; Americans were obsessed with materialistic wealth. Also, during the 1920s, the economic wealth of America increased by twofold, granting many American families with a newfound disposable income.

Without using depth of thought, The Great Gatsby is essentially a love story of the impossible forbidden desire between a woman and a man. The primary theme of the novel, however, shows off a much larger, less romantic scope of the novel. Though most of its primary plot takes place over simply a few short months through 1922’s summer, and is set in a small area in relative proximity to Long Island, New York, The Great Gatsby is a a view on the 1920’s in America, and uses a lot of varied symbolism with it, in particular the loss and dismemberment of the American dream in an era literally named after the amount of wealth and industry it produced in material excess. Fitzgerald is able to showcase the 1920s as an era of dying social and moral values, evidenced in its overwhelming pessimism, desire, and unfulfilling pursuit of pleasure. The carelessness of the parties and celebrations that led to wild jazz music, exemplified in The Great Gatsby by the opulent parties that Gatsby throws every Saturday night, eventually was created, in the corruption of the American dream, as the rampant desire for wealth and pleasure surpassed more worthwhile ideals.

Usually as a kid you are taught not to lie but what if Lying would be the only way to actually make a living now that changes everything. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Film Chicago by Rob Marshall both take place in the 1920 's and have a very similar attitude towards lying. The Characters that tend to lie aren’t poor people no one knows about; they are popular,famous,and rich. In the novel The Great Gatsby and in the film Chicago, main characters, such as Gatsby and Roxie Lie because they are hiding something or they do it to achieve some sort of fame. Both Pieces take place in the 1920’s this goes to show that lies were necessary to become a known person

One of the most common ways people embraced the Roaring Twenties was to party. Jay Gatsby, one of the main characters in the book, had these amazing parties at his luxurious house. This showed off his wealth and popularity which were popular things to have back then. “Jay Gatsby’s party, in The Great Gatsby, has become the quintessential 1920s party” (Baughman and Bruccoli 94). It was fashionable for people to get away from their everyday lives. There was also a certain popularity contest in this decade. “F. Scott Fitzgerald’s characters were usually young and wealthy American men and women, many of whom possessed artistic leanings. Their tastes and styles reflected those of the Jazz age almost perfectly” (Weisbrod 13). Everybody was trying new and electrifying things. “During this time, young people seemed determined to break away from the mores and tastes of previous generations” (Weisbrod 7). This was specifically true throughout the 1920s.Strangers and

The materialistic nature during the twenties was everywhere. Some Americans embraced it and some attacked it. For President Calvin Coolidge and his followers it was embraced: “Sharing so visibly in the wealth of society, more and more Americans came to feel that the booming Coolidge economy was working for them”(Nash 379). The wealthy nation satisfied materialistic Americans and Coolidge became a prominent leader. For American writers, materialism was attacked and “they questioned the society that placed more importance on money and material goods…”(Nash 390). Leading to their fame in literature, the writers who were concerned with American materialism moved to Europe. Materialism lead to prominence in 1920s America just as it did in The Great Gatsby. Gatsby’s prominence is an aspect of how Americans used materialism in the 1920s. One way materialism is shown is through fashion.

Written during and regarding the 1920s, ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald is both a representation of this distinctive social and historical context, and a construction of the composer’s experience of this era. Beliefs and practises of the present also play a crucial role in shaping the text, in particular changing the way in which literary techniques are interpreted. The present-day responder is powerfully influenced by their personal experiences, some of which essentially strengthen Fitzgerald’s themes, while others compete, establishing contemporary interpretations of the novel.

Romance, love, and destiny. Connections are formed like bridges built of various things; love, trust, money, fate. Some bridges are stronger than others and some bridges connect people who perhaps shouldn’t be connected. The movie “The Great Gatsby” better expresses the romantic relationships and connections between characters. Between Tom and Daisy, whose relationship may have more to do with survival than love, with Myrtle and Tom, the bridge between them connecting two souls searching for something more in life. And then there are bridges like the one between Jordan and Nick, filled with lies and a bridge not often travelled, and if you’re lucky you come across a bridge like Gatsby and Daisy's, which is made of love but filled with obstacles. These bridges play a key part in the story and the movie most definitely does a better job at expressing these connections between characters.

Considered as the defining work of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925, when America was just coming out of one of the most violent wars in the nation’s history. World War 1 had taken the lives of many young people who fought and sacrificed for our country on another continent. The war left many families without fathers, sons, and husbands. The 1920s is an era filled with rich and dazzling history, where Americans experienced changes in lifestyle from music to rebellion against the United States government. Those that are born into that era grew up in a more carefree, extravagant environment that would affect their interactions with others as well as their attitudes about themselves and societal

To make this possible, Gatsby has to secure a high status in society to even be in the same circle as Daisy or even have contact with her. After this, he waits as week after week passes, “half expecting her to wander into one of his parties, some night” (79). Eventually this paid off because one night Tom and Daisy decide to attend one of Gatsby’s celebrations (104). Gatsby now has attained his status as part of his American dream through this, and, in his mind, is closer to achieving the other parts as well. Fitzgerald’s experience during the 1920’s was one of great influence on his life and writing. In relation to the novel, he led a life based on status and shallow relationships, and this was typical of the time period he lived in. The decade of the 1920’s changed the way the typical American’s priorities were ordered. Even Fitzgerald “relied on personality, which depended upon appearance, grooming, gesture” (Lehan 58). The fact that the author lived this kind of lifestyle shows how it influenced his writing including The Great Gatsby. The disillusionment of Gatsby’s dream in the story is caused by these choices and changes that Fitzgerald experienced throughout the 1920’s. In addition, Fitzgerald shared a similar routine as Gatsby as he was a frequent partier and drinker (Brackett 58). This most likely produced the leading role that the image of parties played in the story. Fitzgerald’s