The Essence Of The 1920s In The Great Gatsby

The “Roaring Twenties” or the 1920’s was a period of change, success, and cultural/traditional change. This time was also known by the “Jazz Age”, a time when youth, wealth and freedom were enjoyed. People discarded trad during this period. This decade of changes saw people abandon traditional values and become more relaxed. The 1920s also saw the American Dream, which is how you can achieve great success by working hard, become relevant in the US. That was followed by prohibition, the illegal sale of alcohol and its distribution. Because capitalism impacted the living, bootlegging was the most common way that people became rich. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby captures the essence and spirit of 1920s America by showing how people were carefree and exuberant and refuse traditional standards. He also shows how bootlegging was used to illegally earn money and how it affected those in the “Jazz Age”.

The Great Gatsby is the first book that captures the essence and spirit of 1920s society. It uses scenes of alcohol consumption, romance, and partying to show the joys and sorrows of life. In chapter 1, readers meet Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby hosted parties every weekend at his New York mansion. People would come to have fun and party at the mansion. Nick believes these people are there to have fun and not care about the host. Nick said, “People weren’t invited. They went there. . . . They sometimes came and went without ever meeting Gatsby. Others came to the party with simplicity of heart, which was its own admission ticket. The 1920s were known as “Jazz Age” and it was common for people to party due to the rejection of traditional morals in society and the rise of new styles and music. “Social change was not restricted to the young. Most Americans have attained a moderate level of comfort due to productivity gains. Britannica 1 reported that people were working less and earning more than ever before. These people were more happy and exuberant because they had less work. However, this also led to their carelessness. This party was not only a demonstration of people’s exuberance and carelessness, but it was also a way to show people’s true intentions. The wealth of the wealthy, or the gap between poor and rich, was the source of this carelessness. Wilson and Tom have some similarities. Wilson is a college-educated, wealthy businessman with a large home, and Tom is a wealth graduate. Wilson lives in a poor, dusty part of the Valley Of Ashes. Tom felt that money was his strength because he was rich. He also had Myrtle Wilson, his mistress, while Daisy was married. This could indicate that he was using Daisy to his advantage. Both of them were from wealthy families and had high educations so it was a good idea for them to remain together. According to Fitzgerald 191, “they were careless people. Tom and Daisy smashed up creatures and things, then they went back to their money or their great carelessness and let other people clean up their mess.” (Fitzgerald 191). The images of Daisy and Tom smashing objects show their recklessness and how willing others are to help them. It is clear that money can influence people to be reckless and uninformed. Nick makes a scathing attack on the people who were merely there to have fun and are wealthy and do not care about the welfare of others. Many people were able to acquire money easily, showing that money was valuable. People wanted to thrive and grow during this time. However, their carelessness was evident when they began to buy stocks without much attention. Stocks were overpriced to make business owners richer. Through characters like Daisy, Tom and others, the book portrays how these people were less carefree in this era. They also used bootlegging to make a lot of money through illegal businesses that also bought and distributed alcohol.

The book also explains how bootlegging played a role in 1920s Prohibition era, when people would profit from illegal alcohol sales and distribution. Gastby has already been told that it was not easy to make a living working hard. He was an illegal bootlegging network member, from which he received a lot. Tom and Nick quickly had a conversation about bootlegging. ” ‘Who is that Gatsby?’ Tom demanded suddenly. ‘Some big bootlegger? ‘Where did that sound? I asked. It was not there. It was what I had in my head. It is obvious that many of these newly wealth people are only big bootleggers. ‘Not Gatsby,’ I said shortly” (Fitzgerald 115). Tom accuses Gatsby that he was involved in illegal bootlegging. This is because his fortune was derived from the sale of illegal alcohol. People who illegally sold and distributed alcohol to others were called bootleggers. “After Eighteenth Amendment became effective, bootlegging, also known as the illegal production and sale of alcoholic drinks, became more widespread.” Khan 2 Gatsby was also seen with Meyer Wolfsheim who assisted him in illegal alcohol sales. Meyer Wolfsheim is a character in The Great Gatsby. Wolfsheim is a member of the organised crime network that runs bootlegging. Wolfshiem might be similar to Al Capone. Al Capone was a well-known gangster that made a fortune off of illegal alcohol sales. This contrasts with the 1920s. It is later stated that Wolfshiem thought he would suggest a “gon-negtion” but he just nodded and shook hands (Fitzgerald, 183). This could be a sign that Wolfshiem belongs to a gang. It is possible that he was there to help Gatsby, which would make others and readers wonder why he has all the money. Bootlegging was a very real problem and extremely dangerous in the 1920s as well as the Great Gatsby. The “American Dream”, as it was known in the book, and in real life in the United States at that time, was very relevant and visible.

The book also explains the effects of capitalism and the idea behind the “American Dream” on people living in the 1920s. It uses a fictional character to do so. Jay Gatsby’s “American Dream” had a significant influence on him and Daisy played a greater role in his pursuit of his dream. Nick said that “… distinguishes nothing but a single green signal, minute by minute. . . . Gatsby disappeared when I went to look for him (Fitzgerald, 24 ). Nick imagines Gatsby reaching toward the dock and asking for the green sign. Two interpretations could be given to what the green light means. This green light can be used to signify Gatsby’s love for Daisy. In 1920s America, the American Dream was that people could make a lot of money by working hard at what they loved. This is exactly what Gatsby did, but it’s also something different. Even though he’s super wealthy and throws extravagant parties, his dream is Daisy. Gatsby was able to get Daisy his dream because of Tom’s affair. Gatsby is killed in the final chapter. His American Dream is not destroyed by this. He loved Daisy deeply and lost sight of the basic principles of life. “The eyes, dimmed a bit by many paintless day under the sun, rain, brood over the solemn dump ground” (Fitzgerald 26) is an interpretation of Gatsby’s inability to see the world. The American Dream seems to not be willing to work hard, but instead they are buying stocks to obtain that money. They just want the status and money. Jay Gatsby feels the American Dream negatively, much like capitalism does. People will find other ways of achieving the status and money that they desire.

The Great Gatsby book by Scott Fitzgerald captures what the 1920s were like. There are many scenes of partying, carelessness, and descriptions characters doing bootlegging for personal gain. The American Dream is also reflected in the book. The similarities between the 1920s and the American Dream can be seen. These scenes can be used to draw comparisons between the book and the real 1920s.

Although these scenes don’t necessarily depict what happened in 1920s era, Fitzgerald’s experiences in that era were his inspiration in writing the book. His book provides more information on the Jazz Age as well as the events of the 1920s. It also gives an interesting explanation of how people lived their lives and provides background information on the characters. People will not learn much about the Great Depression because of the way people behaved in that decade.