English The Great Gatsby Project

The Great Gatsby: Analysis

The 1920’s were a period of American prosperity. After winning World War I, many Americans lost their identity and misunderstood the American Dream. During the 1920’s people were more tend to extra money and went on spending sprees. They took less responsibility for their future plan. The U.S. experienced a sudden economic boom, which created a social class called “new money”. People began to spend more money to boast about their social status and tried to reach their own “American Dream”. Also women gained many new freedoms to express themselves and become more independent, such as smoking, drinking, and voting. Due to these changes in the culture, the author F. Scott Fitzgerald describes the alteration in the American Dream and the confusion in Gatsby’s characters.
Although women were still treated as inferior to men in the 1920s, before the World War I in 1914, the trend for women was to be judged by their beauty rather than their ability. When Daisy is talking about her daughter she says, “the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool”(Fitzgerald 21). Women cannot be as successful as men, even during the 1920’s. Mainly, their duties are consisted of cleaning and cooking and look after kids. Although women were paid small amount when they were employed in factories, they had more independence outside of their homes than ever before. After men returned from their duty fighting for their country, women had more opportunity and confidence in their abilities. “The twenties were marked by highly active lifestyles, ideal conditions for prosperity, and the social emancipation of women” (Lemons 3). Because of this drastic change, modern women such as Jordan Baker greatly influenced this time period. Jordan Baker is an example of the more accomplished, strong women after the war. Like some modern women, Jordan Baker earns an income so that she does not need to rely on men. While Jordan Baker becomes a famous golfer, she is still a symbol of how the American Dream starts to change for women in the 1920s. Women at this time began to have vocations and hobbies. Similar to Jordan women began to control what happened in their lives and she is not restricted from sharing her opinions and doing what she wants.
World War I soldiers had seen so much death that their version of the American Dream changed after they returned home. Before the World War I young men had to be more responsible and plan for the future. Because of the war, many Americans upset with the their leaders and start losing their identities. When men returned home, they become disillusioned with their parents’ lifestyle. "When youth in the twenties changed adult standards of respectability in sexual behavior and when they expanded the possibilities of women's behavior, they were effectively directing individuals away from adult norms and creating and approving new social patterns" (Fass 3-4). Before WWI young people had to take chaperone on dates, marry young, have children, and had no sex before marriage. After the war, the returned soldiers wanted to go to parties, travel, and not join the family business. Also cars had become popular ways for young men to rebel against the old American Dream. Before Gatsby went to the war, he was a poor soldier, however after the war, he made enough money to buy whatever he wants including a fancy car and a big house near Daisy. Gatsby does not live like his parents’ generation. He creates a new way of living, just like many other young men at that time. Their new version of the American Dream was freedom, spending money and having fun without personal responsibility. The WWI and socializers had live for today, party and travel while young during the 1920s. In the great Gatsby,
The bootlegging business was a famous way during the 1920s to make money and to become wealthy. There was a massive demand for illegal alcohol, especially among the rich people. Jay Gatsby becomes new money by selling illegal alcohol. During the time of Prohibition he put great effort in the bootlegging business to reach his dream of spending his life with Daisy. Even though he has changed his entire life, hoping to impress Daisy and showing off his wealthy and pretended like a successful man but Daisy abandons him. “’I love you now isn’t that enough? I can’t help what’s past.’ She began to sob helplessly. ‘I did love him once but I loved you too.”’ Even years later Daisy is confused about her decision to marry Tom because he has money. Gatsby risks bad consequences, such as going to jail or getting killed while bootlegging. Gatsby is shocked that his money is worthless to keep Daisy with him forever. Because of this process, he starts to lose his own identity and realized he is dreaming. Young people who were poor were risking their lives in the 1920s to make money and when the money did not make them happy. Bootleggers with their new money had personal goals that expand the American Dream to mean adventure, reputation and freedom, however even gangsters who succeeded for a while could not keep their lifestyle forever.
World War I and seeing so much death was a turning point for the young generation. After the war, young men and women demanded change and created a more independent lifestyle that still influences the American Dream.