Prohibition In The Great Gatsby

The 1920’s is often called the “Roaring Twenties” because of the great desire for wealth and status that drove all people at the time. However, this time is also known as the Prohibition Era, as alcohol was banned at the very beginning of the decade. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, it is important to understand the historical context of the ongoing Prohibition and desire for increased status in the 1920’s to fully grasp the role alcohol played on the novel’s theme of social class. Despite the Prohibition of the 1920’s, alcohol flowed freely at Jay Gatsby’s parties, and thus attracted hundreds of partygoers looking for free booze. Driven by a desire for increasing his social status, Gatsby provides massive amounts of alcohol