Historical Approach to The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald considered as the defining work of the 1920’s. When The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, 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.
Also known as the Jazz Age, the American people felt they deserved to have some fun in order to forget the emotional toll and social scars left, due to the agony of battle. The Jazz Age was appropriately named, due to the illegal activities and good times; which also meant music, parties, and flapper girls. This was also a time of optimism and desire. Money was a major foundation of society in America. When the scandal of the fixed 1919 World Series, people head the idea became that money could buy anything, even love and happiness. People flocked from all over just for a taste of the American Dream.
The1920’s were also called the Prohibition Era, which meant that alcohol was illegal, and organized crime became a major part in rebelling. Seeing as the decade was fixated on beauty, power, and wealth; people felt they could forget about their pasts and could become anyone they wanted, as though they could become an elite member of economic or social power. Everyone wanted to be a part of this and most involved themselves in “get-rich-quick” schemes, which mostly included illegal activities such as gambling and bootlegging. Even the great Jay Gatsby made his money as a bootlegger.
However, all good things must come to an end. The 1929 Stock Market crash terminated the parties and forced the economy into a downward spiral. The crash sent the country into the Great Depression in the 1930’s, where poverty and hunger ran like wildfire. Millions of people lost their jobs and soon their homes, and eventually learned self-discipline and the value of being
Also known as the Jazz Age, the American people felt they deserved to have some fun in order to forget the emotional toll and social scars left, due to the agony of battle. The Jazz Age was appropriately named, due to the illegal activities and good times; which also meant music, parties, and flapper girls. This was also a time of optimism and desire. Money was a major foundation of society in America. When the scandal of the fixed 1919 World Series, people head the idea became that money could buy anything, even love and happiness. People flocked from all over just for a taste of the American Dream.
The1920’s were also called the Prohibition Era, which meant that alcohol was illegal, and organized crime became a major part in rebelling. Seeing as the decade was fixated on beauty, power, and wealth; people felt they could forget about their pasts and could become anyone they wanted, as though they could become an elite member of economic or social power. Everyone wanted to be a part of this and most involved themselves in “get-rich-quick” schemes, which mostly included illegal activities such as gambling and bootlegging. Even the great Jay Gatsby made his money as a bootlegger.
However, all good things must come to an end. The 1929 Stock Market crash terminated the parties and forced the economy into a downward spiral. The crash sent the country into the Great Depression in the 1930’s, where poverty and hunger ran like wildfire. Millions of people lost their jobs and soon their homes, and eventually learned self-discipline and the value of being