Together with the examples of deceit under Prohibition, Fitzgeralds novel was inspired by the corruption of certain Americans during the 1920s as reflected in the actions and deceit used by the major characters he created. The Buchanans exemplify this stereotype when, at the end of the novel, they simply move to a new house far away rather than condescend to attend Gatsbys funeral. One woman is not just adequate. They were careless people, Tom and Daisythey smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. After all, if even wealth on the scale of Gatsby's can't buy you entry into America's highest social class, what can? It was full of moneythat was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. However, even though Gatsby succeeds in acquiring wealth, he is never accepted by the upper class. American Culture in the Novel "The Great Gatsby". Being dishonest makes her (Jordan) incredibly uncomfortable with life. This situation created opportunities to satisfy the undying appetite for consumption, opulence, and immorality. Just as Americans have given America meaning through their dreams for their own lives, Gatsby instills Daisy with a kind of idealized perfection that she neither deserves nor possesses. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Great Gatsby, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars. Myrtle is obsessed with shows of wealth, from her outfits, to insisting on a specific cab, to her apartment's decoration, complete with scenes of Versailles on the overly-large furniture: "The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles" (2.51). For instance, rumors exist that Gatsby is involved in the importation and ferrying of illegal liquor amid the existing ban. Historical context: the giant arm propping up the baby that is your argument. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s as an era of decayed social and moral values, evidenced in its overarching cynicism, greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure. Building on the work of Miles Corak, Anders Bjrklund, Markus Jantti, and others, I proposed the "Great Gatsby Curve" in a speech in January 2012 . Past and Future. In Myrtle's eyes, money is an escape from life with her husband in the valley of ashes, something that brings status, and something that buys class. "They're such beautiful shirts," she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. The theme of The Great Gatsby is decadence and the decline of society. Gatsby's business partner Meyer Wolfshiem is a gangster who is affiliated with organized crime and is based on the real-life crime boss Arnold Rothstein, who was indeed responsible for fixing the World Series in 1919. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! What does this mean? "It makes me sad because I've never seen suchsuch beautiful shirts before." The Great Gatsby is a very accurate portrayal of the cultural and social changes during the 1920's. 1929, the 19th Amendment has been passed, era of the flapper was strong, Jazz was popularized, prohibition started, greed was more apparent, and morals were lost. Glittering with lyrical prose, F Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel tells the story of 1920s high society in Long Island, the golden age of excess before the Depression. Though all of its action takes place over a mere few months during the summer of 1922 and is set in a circumscribed geographical area in the vicinity of Long Island, New York, The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a whole, in particular the disintegration of the American dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess. In Nicks mind, the ability to create meaningful symbols constitutes a central component of the American dream, as early Americans invested their new nation with their own ideals and values. Renews March 11, 2023 For instance, East Egg depicts places where Buchanans live. Daisy Packs Her Bag. London Review of Books 22.18(2000): 13-15. The Great Gatsby. This is encapsulated in a phone call Nick describes, to a man who used to come to Gatsby's parties: "one gentleman to whom I telephoned implied that he had got what he deserved. These practices gave rise to a culture of immorality, which opposed the traditional moral and social norms of the past generations. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. "She's got an indiscreet voice," I remarked. Looking for other literary guides? We've compiled a list of 15 must-have items for fans of The Great Gatbsy book and movie adaptations. (7.103-106). But there are other themes at play here, too. Despite society's changing nature, the world still hasn't accepted Jordan as an independent person. This speaks to her materialism and how, in her world, a certain amount of wealth is a barrier to entry for a relationship (friendship or more). Gatsby's comment about Daisy's voice explicitly connects Daisy the character to the promise of wealth, old money, and even the American Dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald, though he didn't actually see any fighting during his time in the army, was a member of this generation. Jordan is incurably dishonest. When World War I ended in 1918, the generation of young Americans who had fought the war became intensely disillusioned, as the brutal carnage that they had just faced made the Victorian social morality of early-twentieth-century America seem like stuffy, empty hypocrisy. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he displays the corrupt moral values of the society and culture, also their assumptions, Jay Gatz is alienated because of his class he is killed as a result of alienation. The book will always be considered a great classic in American literature for its exceptional plot and the themes it conveys. Economically, there was an increase in working women. These comments might seem a bit odd, given that Nick admits to coming from money himself: "My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this middle-western city for three generations" (1.5). George Wilson, in contrast, is constrained by his lack of wealth. Meanwhile, Tom's mistress Myrtle, a car mechanic's wife, puts on airs and tries to pass as rich through her affair with Tom, but her involvement with the Buchanans gets her killed. Entire Document, Comparison: Great Gatsby and the American Dream, The Great Gatsby and the 'American Dream', The Great Gatsby: The Fall of the American Dream, Contradictions in the culture of the period, Flappers and self-made men as new people of the period, Prohibition of alcohol and Gatsby as a bootlegger, The price for reaching the American Dream, How the novel mirrors the corrupt mindset of the Roaring Twenties. Suddenly with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily. In contrast, the old aristocracy possesses grace, taste, subtlety, and elegance, epitomized by the Buchanans tasteful home and the flowing white dresses of Daisy and Jordan Baker. For this prompt, you can explore earlier examples of Tom's carelessness (breaking Myrtle's nose, his behavior in the hotel scene, letting Daisy and Gatsby drive back to Long Island after the fight in the hotel) as well as Daisy's (throwing a fit just before her wedding but going through with it, kissing Gatsby with her husband in the next room). Increased availability of products for purchasing in the free market led to the widening of the gaps between people of different social economic classes. Check out our articles onGatsbys title, its opening pages and epigraph, and itsfirst chapter. Print. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. In the time period immediately following the Civil War until the Great Depression, America experienced a period of rapid growth and fortune, especially located in this novels setting, New York (The Great Gatsby Novels 74). Gatsby, on the other hand, whose recent wealth derives from criminal activity, has a sincere and loyal heart, remaining outside Daisys window until four in the morning in Chapter 7 simply to make sure that Tom does not hurt her. (See our article on this novel's publication and reception history for more.). Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. But even Gatsby, who makes an incredible amount of money in a short time, is not allowed access into the upper echelon of society, and loses everything in trying to climb that final, precarious rung of the ladder, as represented by Daisy. It would help your argument to talk about the sudden skyrocketing prevalence of cars on the road in the 1920s, connecting them to increased danger, status symbol consumerism, and modern life. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? We will write a custom Term Paper on American Culture in the Novel The Great Gatsby specifically for you for only $11.00 $9.35/page. Understanding historical context helps you in all sorts of ways: Having a richer interpretation of symbols, motifs, and themes. Tracing historical development in the US, Scherer and Ross inform that only 16 percent of homes in America had electricity by 1912 (82). 1. The aim was to provide a vivid description of the rebelliousness that is associated with the youths of the time. Curious to see how much Daisy and Myrtle's struggle for more echoes the lives of real women? Unfortunately, with regard to The Great Gatsby, this dream dwindled, as materialism, consumerism, and the culture of loosening social morals became the order of the day in the 1920s America. The Great Gatsby portrays three different social classes: "old money" (Tom and Daisy Buchanan); "new money" (Gatsby); and a class that might be called "no money" (George and Myrtle Wilson). Cars are clearly used to display wealth and status - even Tom, normally secure in his superiority, wants to brag to George Wilson aboutthesuper-fancy Rolls Royce heborrows from Gatsby. Materialistic nature of the characters in the novel validates this claim. A+ Student Essay: The Automobile as a Symbol in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby Background. Show how each instance reveals Tom or Daisy's carelessness, and how those instances thus foreshadow the bigger tragedyMyrtle's death at Daisy's hands, followed by Tom's manipulation of George to kill Gatsby. Upon renouncing his parents, Gatsby is considered a child of a supernatural being (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli 98), with the only thing that he believes in being money. . It took him about two and a half years to write and edit it, in between a failed play production, financial struggles, and a move to France. This pessimism is also reflected in the fates of Myrtle and George, who are both trying to increase their wealth and status in America, but end up dead by the end of the novel. In addition, Gatsby himself also perfectly personifies one who represents all things pertaining to the American Dream: wealth, happiness, and prosperity; he is able to attain his success while chasing after his perfect girl, Daisy. This marked a shift both in how black culture was understood and appreciated by the rest of the country and in how womens rights were progressing, as well discuss in the next sections. Fitzgerald conveys a message warning against the perils of materialism during the course of the novel. Print. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. That was it. Jordan Baker is the best example of this kind of woman. The outcome of these cultures was the decaying American dream. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and first published in 1925, the setting of The Great Gatsby is an island, which is dominated by prosperous, wealthy, and poor communities of East Egg and West Egg. The Great Gatsby. Furthermore, the rest of that quote explicitly describes Daisy as "High in a white palace, the King's daughter, the golden girl" (7.106). Don't leave your college application to chance. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The novels narrator illustrates well the increased consumerist culture. Subscribe now. In fact, during Chapter 8 when we finally get a fuller recap of Daisy and Gatsby's early relationship, Nick notes that "It excited [Gatsby] too that many men had already loved Daisyit increased her value in his eyes" (8.10). No one comes due to close personal friendship with Jay. Gatsby's drive and perseverance in obtaining his goal is, in many senses, commendable. Gatsby, like a peacock showing off its many-colored tail, flaunts his wealth to Daisy by showing off his many-colored shirts. Clearly, having old money sets you far apart from everyone else in the world of the novel. If you're aware of the newness and attraction of cars, you'll notice that inThe Great Gatsby: Death machine, or no, you have to admit that's a pretty cool-looking car. Meyer Wolfsheim and Gatsbys fortune symbolize the rise of organized crime and bootlegging. Dont have an account? on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Gatsbyis now seen as both a product of and a record of the 1920s. "There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. 2013. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? In this context, The Great Gatsby, which is a novel about the 1920s lifestyles, portrays the American culture as one that eroded the traditional morals and social norms such as denouncing the moral responsibility to remain faithful in marriage. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. (9.146). Another social development wasthe new flapper style. Even though he wasn't able to inherit any part of Cody's fortune, he used what he learned of wealthy society to first charm Daisy before shipping out to WWI. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Colonizers arrived in the US with similar dreams of a healthier life for all people. At the same time, many of the social restrictions of the early 20th century were being rejected, and progressive movements of all kinds were flourishing. Leader, Zachary. A new version of the dream emerged. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Why does Gatsby arrange for Nick to have lunch with Jordan Baker? Additionally, the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, which banned the sale of alcohol, created a thriving underworld designed to satisfy the massive demand for bootleg liquor among rich and poor alike. The work examines the results of the Jazz Age generation's adherence to false material values. He also threw parties now and then, which were equally characterized by high consumptions. Scott Fitzgerald mentions in her novel an incident of prohibition of sale and the production of liquor to tame youths who had become overindulged in alcoholism. Gatsby never stands a chance of succeeding with his attempt to win back Daisy, who is a part of that society and of a different status. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor-boats slit the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam. Romer, Christina. Hardly anyone shows up to Gatsby's funeral since they were only attracted by his wealth and the parties, not the man himself. Unfortunately, the depression of 1929 led to a loss of such gains (Romer 598). This claim suggests that 1920s were marked by the coming out of an impatient society that was led by the adolescents who opposed honorable margins that were constant in the previous age group. However, the act was greatly ignored by Americans who continued to drink on a regular basis as shown in Gatsbys extravagant parties where alcohol is in abundance. Economic and social immoralities in The Great Gatsby reveal the lost American dream. On the one hand, it elevatedthe U.S. into a world super power and ushered in a decade-long economic boom. The Decline of the American Dream in the 1920s. The Great Gatsby is set against the backdrop of 1920s New York City, a period known as the "Roaring Twenties" for the exhilarating pace set by the rapidly evolving culture and technology. Some of the rumors swirling around Gatsby point to how fresh the war was in everyone's mind (that he was a German spy during the war, or that he is related to Kaiser Wilhelm, who ruled Germany during the war). After all, Tom's money secures her fancy apartment and allows her to lord it over her guests and play at sophistication, even while Nick looks down his nose at her. Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby in the Roaring Twenties, an era largely influenced by gaudiness, independence, and corruptness, which is immediately reflected in the central characters. Furthermore, she banks on her place as a wealthy woman to avoid any major scrutiny, despite her "incurable dishonesty": "Jordan Baker instinctively avoided clever shrewd men and now I saw that this was because she felt safer on a plane where any divergence from a code would be thought impossible. I also shared the assumptions of the stimulus materials that were common because of my cultural background. Nick's attentions again turn to Gatsby in Chapter 3. Gatsbys failure to attain the American Dream suggests the Dream is both an unattainable and unwise goal. As such, theGreat Gatsby era is theperiod in 20th century U.S. history nicknamed both the Roaring 20s and the "Jazz Age." Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. was a self-made man, Gatsby acquired a vast amount of wealth and fortune with perseverance and a fixed purpose in mind. The Great Gatsby. And on Mondays eight servants including an extra gardener toiled all day with mops and scrubbing-brushes and hammers and garden-shears, repairing the ravages of the night before." Sometimes it can end up there. Any time someone isdrinking alcohol in the novel, they are doing something illegal, and are clearly in the know about how to get this banned substance. let other people clean up the mess they had made.. Artists from that time include W.E.B. This happened because of advances in mass production due to the assembly line, and because of rising incomes due to the economic boom. Selling alcohol was accomplished in many ways, including throughspeakeasies - basically, underground social clubs. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. And since Gatsby doesn't give up his dream, even into death, we can see how fervently he desires money and status. Of course, this did little to actually stem the desire for alcoholic beverages, so a vast underground criminal empire was born to supply this demand. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: PrepScholar 2013-2018. Most suppliers of alcohol during Prohibition were highly esteemed since one who could live on the edge and without restraint was admired (The Great Gatsby Literature 151). In fact, Nick says. Ask questions; get answers. She was not able to endure being at a disadvantage, and given this unwillingness, supposedly she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was unusually young in order to keep that fresh insolent smile turned to the world, and yet satisfy the demands of her hard jaunty body (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli 63). The aggregate wages had also risen from $36.4 billion to the tunes of 51.5 billion (Woods 213). To get a really good sense of why characters in the novel do what they do, it's useful to know the specific historical circumstances they are dealing with. No people in The Great Gatsby get rich by working hard. However, the quest for contentment changed with time to become the search for wealth through excessive insatiability. F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Age of Excess. She fails to comprehend why East Eggs people live materially well while she, together with her husband, still remain engulfed in the valley of ashes (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli 76). It's not enough to "bounce high" for someone, to win them over with your charm. Nick's comments about money, especially in the first chapter, are mostly critical and cynical. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. This term paper on American Culture in the Novel The Great Gatsby was written and submitted by your fellow See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. F. Scott Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby, written in 1925, depicts a portion of Nick Carraway's life characterized by the time he is influenced by the mysterious Jay Gatsby and his extensive pursuit of his former flame and Nick's cousin, Daisy Buchanan. For example, it's all well and good to assume that Daisy should leave the boorish Tom, but divorce would have been way more complicated for a woman in the 1920s than it is today. Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air" (2.56). Myrtleboth working class and a womanis thus trapped between a rock (her gender) and a hard place (her lack of money), and perhaps for this reason receives the cruelest treatment of all. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education. According to Zeitz, 1920s marked an era in which Americans began to reap from the benefits of increased consumerism (21). . Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. If Nick were just a middle-class everyman, the story could not play out in the same way. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Great Gatsby! Therefore, it is not surprising that the consumerist culture, which Scott Fitzgerald criticizes, had emerged. Socially progressive activists in both the Democratic and Republican parties united to pressure the government to ban alcohol, which was blamed for all kinds of other social ills like gambling and drug abuse. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! The Great Gatsby takes place during a time that's now known as the Jazz Age or the Roaring 20s. He sarcastically describes the "consoling proximity of millionaires" on West Egg and wryly observes Tom and Daisy's restless entitlement on East Egg. She even adopts a different persona among her guests: "The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur. Nick, meanwhile, dates Jordan Baker throughout the book, and though their relationship has its moments of warmth and kindness, both parties generally seem lukewarm and emotionally distant. The post-war boom also had a positive effect on minorities in the U.S. One of the effects was thatJewish Americanswere atthe forefront of promoting such issues as workers rights, civil rights, woman's rights, and other progressive causes. Toms unethical conduct is further reflected in several other characters in The Great Gatsby who resort to lying in order to reach success, which ultimately leads to their demise. By Matthew Walther Mr. Walther is the editor of The Lamp, a Catholic literary journal, and a . Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/american-culture-in-the-novel-the-great-gatsby/. What is the importance of the character Owl Eyes? The book is narrated by Nick Carraway, who recounts the events of the summer of . You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you The main theme of the novel, however, encompasses a much larger, less romantic scope. Myrtles affair with Tom is her approach of taking advantage of him to reach an extravagant lifestyle, Daisy allows Gatsby to take the blame for Myrtles death without regret, and Gatsby changes his whole name and way of life in order to feel personally accomplished; all eventually realize that the happiness they expected to receive in the end resulted in misery, especially with the deaths of Myrtle and Gatsby. Jews also served in the American military during World War I in very high numbers. (See our brief biography of Fitzgerald to learn more.). The ideals of love and marriage are profoundly strained in The Great Gatsby, a book that centers on two loveless marriages: the union between Tom and Daisy Buchanan and between George and Myrtle Wilson. To Nick, the way that Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby line up morally correlates with their geographical choice of lifestyle (The Great Gatsby Novels 73); in other words, Nicks unsophistication and simplicity reflect his admiration for the Midwest just as Toms, Daisys and Gatsbys materialistic and immoral behaviors mirror their affinity for the fast-paced life of New York. His assumption of Gatsby's illegal activities notwithstanding, Nick has the same expectations of integrity from Gatsby and from other men as he does from himself. By continuing well assume you I wasnt actually in love, Nick recalls, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity. Such tender curiosity may be the closest thing to love in the entire novel. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. What trench warfare looked like. Alongside the juxtaposition of the Midwest and the East, Fitzgerald also reflects the culture of the 1920s with descriptions of Prohibition and the law breaking that came as a result. Nick and Gatsby live in this community. While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted highershirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange with monograms of Indian blue. However, Fitzgerald illustrates the price of prosperity as he portrays its negative effects such as the greed, lies, and deceit the characters possess in order to satirize the selfish way many were choosing to live. Central Idea Essay: What Does the Green Light Mean? Free trial is available to new customers only. He accurately describes and critiques this materialistic society in order to leave a lasting impact on the public to recognize the inevitable failure of their economy and success waiting. Let's explore. A mentionable character representing the American Dream was Jordan Baker and her representation of womens independence. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. She has it exceptionally clear in her mind that her success is not honestly acquired, and that it can depart from her any time. board with our, See She was incurably dishonest. This began during WWI as more women began to work to make up for the men fighting abroad, and as more professions opened up to them in the men's absence. The availability of mass-produced items among majority Americans led to the erosion of the existing mechanisms of differentiating people based on their social economic classes. She indeed admires East Eggs people with mega envy together with intense animosity. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Wed love to have you back! The various social climbers and ambitious speculators who attend Gatsbys parties evidence the greedy scramble for wealth. Fitzgerald incorporates the topics surrounding his era into this classic of the American Dream, the contrasting cultures of the Midwest and East, the struggles under Prohibition, and the immoral behaviors exemplified throughout the nation. ' The Great Gatsby' follows Nick Carraway, who meets the mysterious multimillionaire Jay Gatsby after moving to New York. A Comprehensive Guide. In 2013, a new movie adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel The Great Gatsby was released. . . (7.106). After all, "People were not invitedthey went there" (3.7). The sheer number of the party participants implies that the 1920s American culture was characterized by indiscriminate spending in an increasing number of products that were availed for sale by the rising manufacturing capacity of the nation. jazz music is a fixture of Gatsbys parties, and almost every song that Fitzgerald describes is a real life piece of music. Excited to dive in? One of the rumors about Gatsby is that he is involved in a bootlegging pipeline of alcohol from Canada - this is a reference to a real-life scandal about one of the places where illegal alcohol was coming from! (2022) 'American Culture in the Novel "The Great Gatsby"'. Ask below and we'll reply! Get the latest articles and test prep tips!
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