Significance Of Setting In The Great Gatsby

The setting is a crucial component when developing a novel as it can shape certain attitudes and behaviours within a text. The setting shows how specific themes, motifs, and symbols can change in relation to the time or location. Location and one's surroundings can certainly impact a person's characterisation and the experiences they have in life. The Great Gatsby being set in the 1920’s, and the East Egg and West Eggs is a great example of the complex hidden meaning behind those aspects. Although the Jazz era is known as the thriving twenties a time of economic prosperity, lavish and parties when the readers are exposed to the corrupted society we realize the traits which lie deeper than that. In the novel The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald uses certain aspects of setting such
The time period of the novel is significant because it shapes major themes within the text such as sexisim and gender roles. It allows readers to see the backwards thinking and attitudes heavily projected within those times. The 1920’s was an era where male dominance heavily came to play. We can see this through the male characters within the text such as Tom “as we drove away Tom was feeling the hot whips of panic. His wife and his mistress, until an hour ago secure and inviolate, were slipping precipitately from his control."(Fitzgerald 125). This illustrates how men during the 20’s often oppressed women and their right to be independent to the point where it was normalized. This quote exemplifies the dominance men often had since the second Tom had found himself out of control he was in panic and confusion showing that this instance was an abnormal state for him. Throughout the novel we see how women are portrayed as weak and submissive it allows readers to