Preview

What Does Prohibition Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
656 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Does Prohibition Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
One of the most significant events that occurred in the 1920’s was the Prohibition, which banned the consumption and selling of alcohol in America. During this iconic decade, many authors wrote novels that vividly depicted how life was during the Prohibition. Novels such as The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Killers, by Ernest Hemingway, use symbolism throughout the story to portray the Prohibition. The use of symbolism that Fitzgerald uses to represent The Prohibition shows his understanding and familiarity with the topic. The Prohibition is used as a way to symbolize Gatsby’s wealth. In chapter 5, we see Gatsby attempting to persuade Nick into joining his business. “I thought you didn 't, if you 'll pardon my--you see, I carry on a
little business on the side, a sort of sideline, you understand…." (Fitzgerald83). Gatsby uses the words “business …show more content…
When Hemingway wrote The Killers in 1926, the United States was at the height of the Prohibition era, and criminal activity, particularly in Chicago, was rampant, with gangsters such as Al Capone and Dutch Schultz, which are who the story revolves around, controlling the bootlegging industry. Like Fitzgerald, Hemingway also uses the prohibition in a way signify wealth. Prohibition was in full effect at the time The Killers takes place. “ ‘Got anything to drink?’ Al asked. ‘Silver beer, bevo, ginger-ale,’ George said. ‘I mean you got anything to drink?’ “ (Hemingway 2) Al Capone is portrayed as a strong member of the Mafia; these members of the mafia controlled much of the bootlegging business in Chicago, because Al Capone asked George if he had any alcoholic beverages, it symbolizes how only the bootleggers, who sold these beverages illegally, were able to attain alcohol. Although the whole text did not necessarily revolve around the prohibition, you can see that Hemingway integrated this part of the 1920’s in his

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates the social rejection of the Prohibition in the 1920s. Prohibition, the ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol, made millionaires out of bootleggers like Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald was driven to write many novels because of his love for Zelda. Great Gatsby, a novel written by Fitzgerald, portrayed the lavish lifestyle of the rich in the 1920s and their ignorance toward Prohibition.…

    • 1959 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alcohol was legal product until Volstead Act and alcohol became huge money maker for gangs in 1920s. Demand for alcohol was still high but smuggling was the only ways to get alcohol. Washington Post that was published in 1920s explained well about the situation and how much crime rate was increased during Prohibition. Washington Post stated, “Almost hopeless situation in Chicago.” Also, “Prohibition was blamed as the font from which murder, bribery and gang war.” It means that people in 1920s believed that gang violence was started because of Prohibition and it increased rapidly as well. Also, gangsters were so powerful to the point; they didn’t even bother to hide from law…

    • 1368 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The year 1925 was filled with entertainment, opulence, and change. In America, a pound of bread could be bought for nine cents, and riches were amassed by selling liquor illegally. Prohibition, the ban on the production and distribution of alcohol, was passed as part of the temperance movement in 1919. This made way for illegal sale of alcohol and speakeasies. People became increasingly more rebellious and were just looking for a good time. However, Germany was still reeling from the loss of WWI. This allowed many to attempt to gain support and rise to power. During 1925, two very different books were published. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald described the careless of Americans in the 1920s. While they had been concerned with enjoying themselves, Hitler spent time in jail writing his autobiography, Mein Kampf. Although Hitler's book…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 18th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1919 banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol. The National Prohibition Act, also informally known as the Volstead Act, was passed to carry out the intentions of the 18th Amendment. Many people did not agree with this, so it led to the creation of speakeasies (secret hidden bars that illegally sold alcohol) and bootleggers (people who made money by selling alcohol illegally), which were examples of organized crime. This organized crime spread rapidly throughout the United States, and Fitzgerald provides examples of this through Gatsby’s character. Late in the book, it is revealed that Gatsby made his mysterious profit from bootlegging that he covered up by saying he owned a lot of “drug stores”. He used the money and power through his illegal profits to provide alcohol at all of his extravagant parties each…

    • 2015 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pharmacies would turn around and sell illegal alcohol to those who had the money to pay for it. Gatsby became intertwined with these pharmacies and illegal distribution sales. In this way Gatsby was able to get the banned alcohol for parties that were being thrown. Since he was able to do such things, people noticed him which gained him popularity. Without the gained popularity, he would have been unable to house his own parties in order to attain Daisy’s attention. With the prohibition issues, bigger problems emerged rather than just people drinking illegally. This began the start of organized crime in the…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Al Capon Research Paper

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Prohibition Era was between 1920 and 1933. During this time, all alcohol was illegal to possess, produce, or distribute due to the 18th Amendment of the United States Constitution. This caused many people to start smuggling alcohol, or to start creating secret underground bars called “Speakeasies”. During the Prohibition, many mobs, or gangs as we would call them today, were formed and fighting over alcohol and territory. The mobs of Chicago during the Prohibition Era had many notorious leaders, such as Al Capone and Dean O’Bannon.…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The 1920s is always referred as “the roaring 20s”. Significant and multiple changes in lifestyle and culture occurred. However, there were also some negative effects. After the 18th Amendment was passed by Congress on December 18,1917, the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcohol was prohibited. Along with the Prohibition, the rate of organized crimes increased.…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Prohibition commenced on 16th Janurary 1920, which was followed by the Volstead Act (formally known as National Prohibition act) a year later. The government's intent was to raise the nation’s moral standards, however, it had the opposite effect. In practice it was difficult to enforce and it was not difficult for drinkers to find alcohol, as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel makes very clear. Bootlegging, the unlawful production and provision of alcohol, became big business, making fortunes for criminals such as the gangster Al Capone. This appears to be the principal source of Gatsby’s wealth, the core of corruption within his…

    • 102 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The idea of his imagination not accepting his parents shows his yearning for wealth. By using the term imagination, it suggests that Jay Gatsby, is just part of Jay Gatz’s imagination, created for social status. In the way that Nick suggests his imagination disapproving of his parents proves that Jay Gatsby, a generated ego, does not accept his parents as his own because of his imagined status and wealth. The society that Jay Gatsby wants to be apart of is based on money and power. In order for Gatsby to achieve material wealth, he finds himself strained to earn his money through unlawful activities. Gatsby displays examples of moral corruption through his acquisition of wealth. Gatsby’s business is not clear; he admits to Nick that he is “in the drug store business” (95). During the prohibition era, which synchronizes with the “Roaring 20s”, the drug store business was also known as bootlegging. Bootlegging was a profitable business and was commonly associated with gangsters, much like Meyer Wolfsheim, Gatsby’s business partner. Gatsby also displays his corruption of wealth and power when Nick and Gatsby are driving; Gatsby easily evades…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Prohibition was one of the main changes to society during the Roaring 20’s. Prohibition was a ban all on distribution, production and consumption of alcohol and was created in 1919. Prohibition began because of the societal issues caused by drinking. Some of these issues included parents not being able to support their family because they spent all their money on alcohol, abusive drunks and underage drinking. In Document 1 an excerpt from…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "You must remember, old sport, she was very excited this afternoon. He told her those things in a way that frightened her – that made it look as if I was some kind of cheap sharper. And the result was she hardly knew what she was saying." (Fitzgerald 159) is a quote made by Jay Gatsby, the main character of the novel The Great Gatsby. This character is best described as being infatuated.…

    • 934 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Jazz age, in the 1920’s, prohibition is a law that enforces rules against drinking. Prohibition is the illegal distribution of alcohol from 1919 to 1933. This is created during the 18th amendment to reduce crime and improve the health of citizens. Prohibition created more crime and made a lot of people smoke more as a habit, taking place of their drinking. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F Scott Fitzgerald, speakeasies and bootleggers began to sell their own alcohol and make their own money. Because of this the crime rate was high and went against the point of prohibition which was to decrease felonies. Everyone in Gatsby, or most everyone, attended the parties that Gatsby threw and all drank alcohol that he provided. Gatsby is…

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 1920s was a time in history defined largely by Prohibition and organized crime. In The Great Gatsby, life back then is perfectly illustrated from the wild parties to the behind the scene drug deals. Throughout the novel Fitzgerald is constantly showing you that behind the elegant parties and extreme wealth, America is not what it claims to be.…

    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1. Act-consequentialists believe that the moral rightness of an act depends entirely on whether the act’s consequences are at least as good as that of any alternative act.…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Kobler’s book gave an interesting and accurate account of what America was like during Prohibition…

    • 4831 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Powerful Essays