Fitzgerald places American society at the end of the era and shows his view of the American dream in The Great Gatsby, This Side of Paradise, and Tender is the Night. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald describes the 1920’s as an era full of greed, corruption, and never ending social activities. He uses symbols to depict the 1920’s, such as the valley of ashes symbolizing how the poor were affected by the new way of life. Through his novel, Fitzgerald shows the dramatic change in social behavior occurring during this era. He again uses high society families to show changes occurring in society through two other novels, This Side of Paradise and Tender Is the Night.
This first novel captured a mood of spiritual desolation in the aftermath of World War I and a growing, devil-may-care pursuit of pleasure among the American upper classes. The book was a commercial and critical success. His instant success enabled Fitzgerald and Zelda to be married a week later. Afterwards, Fitzgerald regularly contributed short stories to different periodicals like the high-tone Scribner's Magazine and the Saturday Evening Post. He wrote about cosmopolitan life in New York City during Prohibition.
The Roaring Twenties, characterized by excess, luxury, and sumptuousness can easily be mistaken for a time period full of happiness and elation but after looking closer, it becomes evident that many people who were spoiled with material items were hiding their unhappiness behind their large amounts of money. In chapter three of his acclaimed novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald describes a lavish party scene with detailed imagery and heightened senses in order to display the excessive grandeur of the Roaring Twenties, the hidden imperfection behind the affectation of happiness, and the normalcy of this two-faced lifestyle. Nick closely notes the visual aesthetics and appeal of the party, heavily contrasting luxury with his mundane and dull middle-class living. Throughout the party scene, he notices the abundance of rich colors such as the “dark gold” (44) turkey and “gas blue with lavender beads” (44). The presence of these colors emphasizes the high class luxuries that come along with the people at Gatsby’s party.
A dream residing in a triad of deceit. Corruption, pursuit of wealth and lost hope is all that is promised by the elusive American dream writes Tahnea Blackman The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a post WWI novel. Set in the wild time of the roaring 20’s, where the prohibition of alcohol created opportunities for anybody with the right ambition to get rich. The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, became endlessly wealthy due to the prohibition, but not necessarily for selfish reasons. Love, though it is a noble cause, can blind people.
Analysis of the excluded classes in The Great Gatsby United states in the twenties was known as the country of the excesses, the prohibition of alcohol increased its consuming rate, making alcohol smugglers billionaires and changing completely the economy of the country. The Great Gatsby, one of the most famous novels written by F Scott Fitzgerald took place in that time period focusing in all the excesses of the New York’s elite society. The story is told by a young man called Nick Caraway, who’s cousin Daisy Buchanan was one of the most prestige woman at the time. How ever the novel also mentioned a town called valley of ashes, which represented the low society and the repercussions that excesses had. In the novel the middle class
Michael D’Angelo D’Angelo 1 Mr. Villeneuve ENG3U1 June 4th, 2012 They are known as the “Roaring Twenties”. The decade of the Model – T, prohibition, the first flight of planes, the first silent movies, things that revolutionized the way we live our lives today. Times were the economy was at an all time high, yet so was crime. These times had some of the most famous individuals that are still are and will be talked about through the ages. Have you ever wanted to be a rule breaker to some degree?
The story takes place during the 1920’s, an era of “unprecedented prosperity and material success.” (Sparknotes) This era directly followed the end of World War I. After the war, Americans became “extremely disillusioned, as the brutal carnage that they had just faced made the Victorian social morality of early-twentieth-century seem like stuffy, empty hypocrisy.” (Sparknotes) This also created a society of corrupted morals, ripe with “decadence and reckless jubilee”. (Sparknotes) Also contributing to this was the institution of Prohibition, the banning of the manufacture and sale of alcohol. This allowed illegal, underground organizations to arise, profiting from the sale of bootlegged liquor and the people’s desire for alcohol. The people’s newfound abhorrence
Nick does not like New York, which is apparent when he says, “So when the blue smoke of brittle leaves was in the air and the wind blew the laundry stiff on the line I decided to come back home” (176). Gatsby has everything except what he most desires, Daisy. He buys many things just to impress her and prove to her that he really is wealthy. He has a big car, a mansion, and lots of clothes. Nick comments on Gatsby’s car, "...and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hatboxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes...Sitting down behind many layers of glass in a sort of leather conservatory we started towards town" (68).
To the point that the person may not love you if they were aware of your bank account and social status. A very superfitial time period to say the least. Once again, the money comes into play about how daisy should leave tom so myrtle can have him all to herself. Nick is witnessing what the roaring 20’s for most were about which was extravagant parties and who better to throw these parties than Gatsby himself. “Everybody wanted enough money to buy fancy cars and enough whisky to
The novel seems to be celebrating the energy of those looking for the American dream in the person of the main protagonist, Jay Gatsby. The novel is set in the post First World War period; a time in which Americans reflected back to their old European roots, as did Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. This time of change shows the decline of the American dream. Corruption seems to pervade both the old and the new worlds of America’s east coast. However, The Great Gatsby seems to be celebrating the energy of those seeking the American dream in the person of the main protagonist; the romantic and wealthy, but vulgar and criminal Jay Gatsby.