The Debauchery of Decadence: a Comparison of Arrowsmith and the Great Gatsby Essay Example
The Debauchery of Decadence
The 1920s was a period of significant change for many Americans. After the U.S. emerged victorious from the Great War, an economic boom resonated throughout the land. A new, fervently capitalist America emerged, as the innovations and efficiencies of a new rapid age of industrialization took hold of the spirit of the people. All the while, this spirit tended to beat stronger in the hearts of some than in others; those wealthy enough to rejoice in the newly-conceived luxuries did so at length. Resultantly, what was once deemed a strong American work ethic quickly fell into a society based on partying, decadence and the pursuit of personal fulfillment. Those with less capital, however, could not partake in the nation’s newfound wealth; as the evils of a newly capitalist society served to disparage those less fortunate among the American people, a class society was born. Now, despite the evident disadvantages of such a situation, the exciting times only served to motivate and inspire a new generation of writers. An era noted for a high number of novels rated, even to this day, as among the best of the 20th century, the 1920s was a great period in the history of American literature. It is from lines of methodically conceived prose and phrasings that we have drawn much of our knowledge and understanding of the time period. Amongst a sample of the literary talent, it is notable that two such authors released books to critical acclaim in the year 1925; taking cues from the world around them, they drew on experiences with such topics as love, science, class separation and capitalism. While each novel centres on a separate facet of American lifestyle, Sinclair Lewis, through Arrowsmith, as well as F. Scott Fitzgerald, through The Great Gatsby, both successfully make use of the literary form to preserve, in their works, the ideology of the 1920s as a period of both great social change and moral decline. This is demonstrated through each novel’s
The 1920s was a period of significant change for many Americans. After the U.S. emerged victorious from the Great War, an economic boom resonated throughout the land. A new, fervently capitalist America emerged, as the innovations and efficiencies of a new rapid age of industrialization took hold of the spirit of the people. All the while, this spirit tended to beat stronger in the hearts of some than in others; those wealthy enough to rejoice in the newly-conceived luxuries did so at length. Resultantly, what was once deemed a strong American work ethic quickly fell into a society based on partying, decadence and the pursuit of personal fulfillment. Those with less capital, however, could not partake in the nation’s newfound wealth; as the evils of a newly capitalist society served to disparage those less fortunate among the American people, a class society was born. Now, despite the evident disadvantages of such a situation, the exciting times only served to motivate and inspire a new generation of writers. An era noted for a high number of novels rated, even to this day, as among the best of the 20th century, the 1920s was a great period in the history of American literature. It is from lines of methodically conceived prose and phrasings that we have drawn much of our knowledge and understanding of the time period. Amongst a sample of the literary talent, it is notable that two such authors released books to critical acclaim in the year 1925; taking cues from the world around them, they drew on experiences with such topics as love, science, class separation and capitalism. While each novel centres on a separate facet of American lifestyle, Sinclair Lewis, through Arrowsmith, as well as F. Scott Fitzgerald, through The Great Gatsby, both successfully make use of the literary form to preserve, in their works, the ideology of the 1920s as a period of both great social change and moral decline. This is demonstrated through each novel’s