As Caraway describes the nature of Gatsbys parties, it is clear that even though Americans enjoyed prosperity that was associated with the jazz age, they also feared its social implications. In the monied world of The Great Gatsby, class influences all aspects of life, and especially love. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Great Gatsby! The public benefited from this increased success. But that knowledge doesn't dampen his pursuit of wealthif anything, it makes it even more desirable. His desire entails acquiring all that is available at disposal. However, drawing from her work, these prohibitions seemed to have little implications (Zeitz 23). So she keeps up this affair, despite how morally questionable it is and the risk it opens up for herher materialism, in other words, is her primary motivator. Nick began his life in the Midwest and always regards it as his home and the place where he belongs, which is directly reflected in his unhappiness and ability to see the corruption of those who reside in the East; conversely, Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby all have roots in the Midwest, were drawn to the East, and remain there, blind to the horrors occurring in their daily lives. Mining the text for a character's attitude toward money can be a very helpful way to understand their motivations in the world of 1920s New York. Myrtle is obsessed with shows of wealth, from her outfits, to insisting on a specific cab, to her apartment's decoration, complete with scenes of Versailles on the overly-large furniture: "The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles" (2.51). Ask below and we'll reply! Ask questions; get answers. In contrast to Tom and Daisy's expensive but not overly gaudy mansion, and the small dinner party Nick attends there in Chapter 1, everything about Gatsby's new wealth is over-the-top and showy, from the crates of oranges brought in and juiced one-by-one by a butler to the full orchestra. for a customized plan. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Anne Marie Hacht. Web. For the first three years, the U.S. remained neutral, instead profiteering from the war by selling supplies toboth sides of the conflict. The post-war boom also had a positive effect on minorities in the U.S. One of the effects was thatJewish Americanswere atthe forefront of promoting such issues as workers rights, civil rights, woman's rights, and other progressive causes. I also shared the assumptions of the stimulus materials that were common because of my cultural background. So money here is more than just statusit's a shield against responsibility, which allows Tom and Daisy to behave recklessly while other characters suffer and die in pursuit of their dreams. The values totally changed instead of striving for equality, people - just wanted to get as rich as they could. Contact us Like his fellow modernists, Fitzgerald was deeply critical of the wealth and capitalist success ushered in by the post-war boom, considering the new obsession with money and status shallow. It was a decade of tremendous wealth in the United States following the deprivations of the First World War. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor-boats slit the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. Unsuccessful upon publication, the book is now considered a classic of American fiction and has often been . Or, zoom out toa summary of The Great Gatsby, along with links to all ourgreat articles analyzing this novel! The ramifications of this were political, economic, and social. The dizzying rise of the stock market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden, sustained increase in the national wealth and a newfound materialism, as people began to spend and consume at unprecedented levels. This happened because of advances in mass production due to the assembly line, and because of rising incomes due to the economic boom. Woods, Clyde. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Also seen throughout The Great Gatsby is the flapper culture. Daisy's decision illustrates how few choices many women had during that timespecifically, that marrying and having children was seen as the main role any woman, but especially a wealthy woman, should fulfill. He accurately describes and critiques this materialistic society in order to leave a lasting impact on the public to recognize the inevitable failure of their economy and success waiting. (1.17). Few characters in literature or indeed life embody an era quite so tenaciously as Jay Gatsby does the Jazz Age. Published in 1925, the book is not only an important work of English-language literature, it is an excellent period piece that displays the social, cultural, and political tensions of the 1920s . Check out our guide to Jay Gatsby for the complete story. Hardly anyone shows up to Gatsby's funeral since they were only attracted by his wealth and the parties, not the man himself. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Characters such as George and Toms wives exemplify the rebellion that is characterized by dwindling moral standards. Though all of its action takes place over a mere few months during the summer of 1922 and is set in a circumscribed . . How about getting full access immediately? 2022. The Great Gatsby reflects the trends of the 1920's through the transformation of James Gatz, the differences between the houses in West Egg and East Egg, and the unflattering picture of the era. He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray. A close look at these two distinct societies gives an image of a future fictional American society culture, which is free from corruption and largely not driven by individualism. To Nick, the way that Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby line up morally correlates with their geographical choice of lifestyle (The Great Gatsby Novels 73); in other words, Nicks unsophistication and simplicity reflect his admiration for the Midwest just as Toms, Daisys and Gatsbys materialistic and immoral behaviors mirror their affinity for the fast-paced life of New York. I'd never understood before. In 1921 to 1924, the American GDP grew from $ 69bilion to about 93 billion (Woods 213). Scott Fitzgerald uses symbols sufficiently to give the novel a more vivid description of the American culture. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? She was not able to endure being at a disadvantage, and given this unwillingness, supposedly she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was unusually young in order to keep that fresh insolent smile turned to the world, and yet satisfy the demands of her hard jaunty body (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli 63). For some time now I have been thinking about the validity or vulnerability of a certain set of assumptions conventionally accepted among literary historians and critics and circulated as "knowledge." This knowledge holds that traditional, canonical American literature is free of, What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Purchasing In addition to the perception of the American Dream, the opposing cultures of the Midwest and Eastern regions of the United States are depicted by Fitzgerald and embody the characters morals. In this context, The Great Gatsby, which is a novel about the 1920s lifestyles, portrays the American culture as one that eroded the traditional morals and social norms such as denouncing the moral responsibility to remain faithful in marriage. On the other hand, its horrific death toll and seeming meaninglessness forever dispelled the idea of war as noble and glorious. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: PrepScholar 2013-2018. In Fitzgerald's most popular novel, The Great Gatsby, jazz appears as constant background music. Then, after returning home and realizing Daisy was married and gone, he set out to earn enough money to win Daisy over, turning to crime via a partnership with Meyer Wolfshiem to quickly amass wealth (9.83-7). Print. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? The second nickname refers to this period'schanging social norms and daring artistic movements. For this prompt, you can explore earlier examples of Tom's carelessness (breaking Myrtle's nose, his behavior in the hotel scene, letting Daisy and Gatsby drive back to Long Island after the fight in the hotel) as well as Daisy's (throwing a fit just before her wedding but going through with it, kissing Gatsby with her husband in the next room). Discount, Discount Code Read more about those symbols for a fuller understanding of how money affects The Great Gatsby. By such suggestions that Gatsby was a product of his culture, Nick is able to praise Gatsby for the integrity of his belief . In Myrtle's eyes, money is an escape from life with her husband in the valley of ashes, something that brings status, and something that buys class. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? While he can observe the social movements of the wealthy with razor precision, he always comes off as wry, detached, and perhaps even bitter. August 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/american-culture-in-the-novel-the-great-gatsby/. This began during WWI as more women began to work to make up for the men fighting abroad, and as more professions opened up to them in the men's absence. 22 Apr. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Myrtles affair with Tom is her approach of taking advantage of him to reach an extravagant lifestyle, Daisy allows Gatsby to take the blame for Myrtles death without regret, and Gatsby changes his whole name and way of life in order to feel personally accomplished; all eventually realize that the happiness they expected to receive in the end resulted in misery, especially with the deaths of Myrtle and Gatsby. So while Daisy is materialistic and is drawn to Gatsby again due to his newly-acquired wealth, we see Gatsby is drawn to her as well due to the money and status she represents. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. Modeled after his closest friend and mentor, Dan Cody, who also. We've compiled a list of 15 must-have items for fans of The Great Gatbsy book and movie adaptations. Every character in The Great Gatsby draws inspiration from the American Dreams promise of wealth and prosperity. They even went to the extent of assimilating masculine ways and fashions into their lifestyles. . Subscribe now. We will write a custom Term Paper on American Culture in the Novel The Great Gatsby specifically for you for only $11.00 $9.35/page. On the one hand, it elevatedthe U.S. into a world super power and ushered in a decade-long economic boom. Ed. F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Age of Excess. Historically speaking, with influential leaders of temperance movements that believed in the dangers of alcohol and its ability to disrupt families, the Volstead Act was put into effect outlawing the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors (The Great Gatsby Literature 147). Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/american-culture-in-the-novel-the-great-gatsby/. She is conversant with her possession of the charm that she uses maximally to maintain security for her lifestyles. Download it for free now: hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '688715d6-bf92-47d7-8526-4c53d1f5fe7d', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '03a85984-6dfd-4a19-93c8-5f46091f5e2b', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. The Great Gatsby, Third novel by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925. . The average student has to read dozens of books per year. Nick and Gatsby are continually troubled by timethe past haunts Gatsby and the future weighs down on Nick. Daisy maintains her "old money" status by marrying a very rich man, Tom Buchanan, and ultimately sticks with him despite her feelings for Gatsby. (Even if she's not actually engaged, the fact she chooses to tell Nick that suggests she does see engagement as her end goal in life.). . When World War I ended in 1918, the generation of young Americans who had fought the war became intensely disillusioned, as the brutal carnage that they had just faced made the Victorian social morality of early-twentieth-century America seem like stuffy, empty hypocrisy. "American Culture in the Novel "The Great Gatsby"." Get professional help from PrepScholar. Entire Document, Comparison: Great Gatsby and the American Dream, The Great Gatsby and the 'American Dream', The Great Gatsby: The Fall of the American Dream, Contradictions in the culture of the period, Flappers and self-made men as new people of the period, Prohibition of alcohol and Gatsby as a bootlegger, The price for reaching the American Dream, How the novel mirrors the corrupt mindset of the Roaring Twenties. Both Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby have military backgrounds. Before the end of 1930, 12 million homes in the US had already bought radio cassettes while the numbers of those who were connected with telephones increased by 50 percent (10.5 million in 1915 to more than 20 million by the end of 1930) (Scherer and Ross 93). What does this mean? A person from any social background could, potentially, make a fortune, but the American aristocracyfamilies with old wealthscorned the newly rich industrialists and speculators. August 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/american-culture-in-the-novel-the-great-gatsby/. Sometimes it can end up there. Looking for other literary guides? However, even though Gatsby succeeds in acquiring wealth, he is never accepted by the upper class. Here are ways to think about frequently assigned topics on this the theme of money and materialism. In the final chapter, Nick calls Tom and Daisy careless people who smashed up things and . Economic and social immoralities in The Great Gatsby reveal the lost American dream. If you're aware of the newness and attraction of cars, you'll notice that inThe Great Gatsby: Death machine, or no, you have to admit that's a pretty cool-looking car. Detroit: Gale, 1997. He also threw parties now and then, which were equally characterized by high consumptions. As such, theGreat Gatsby era is theperiod in 20th century U.S. history nicknamed both the Roaring 20s and the "Jazz Age." A Comprehensive Guide. As an example, let's look briefly at Myrtle. One woman is not just adequate. Wealth, Class, and Society The overindulgence is perhaps well reflected in The Great Gatsby in Gatsbys parties that are analogous to those that were thrown by the American youths in the 1920s. But, in 1917, the U.S. was pulled into the fighting, fearing an alliance between Germany and Mexico. Jordan is incurably dishonest. Meyer Wolfsheim and Gatsbys fortune symbolize the rise of organized crime and bootlegging. High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl. New York: Scribner, 2004. When his dream crumbles, all that is left for Gatsby to do is die; all Nick can do is move back to Minnesota, where American values have not decayed. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. (7.103-106). You should know about WWI (and its aftermath) because: The war and its devastating after-effects, particularly in Europe, fed into the creation of a new artistic movement: modernism. ), happiness, or family. The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald, Scott, and Matthew Bruccoli. When Nick Carraway, narrator of The Great Gatsby, . This situation created opportunities to satisfy the undying appetite for consumption, opulence, and immorality. In the novel, he later relocates to New York where he gets involved in bond business. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education. Print. "It's full of". IvyPanda. 146-152. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? A new version of the dream emerged. The amendment came close to eventually being ratifiedin the 1970s, but was defeated by conservatives. It was all very careless and confused. Fitzgerald and Bruccoli reckon, Tom would drift on forever seeking a little wistfully for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game (10). Scott Fitzgerald criticizes the culture of materialism and greed amongst people in the higher social classes. creating and saving your own notes as you read. The availability of mass-produced items among majority Americans led to the erosion of the existing mechanisms of differentiating people based on their social economic classes. Cultural Impact of The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, written in 1925, depicts a portion of Nick Carraway's life characterized by the time he is influenced by the mysterious Jay Gatsby and his extensive pursuit of his former flame and Nick's cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Scott Fitzgerald has created a social satire of America in the 1920's in which he exposes the American Dream as being inherently flawed and merely an illusion produced by idealism.This American Dream has been traditionally associated with the pursuit of freedom and equality. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Modernism was all about breaking with the past. As Fitzgerald saw it (and as Nick explains in Chapter 9), the American dream was originally about discovery, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. As further proof of Nicks morals, he declines Gatsbys reward for reuniting him with Daisy, a risky business deal that would provide Nick with a surplus of money, as he realizes its faults, and he retains his dignity. Gatsby admits this fact (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli 127). A mentionable character representing the American Dream was Jordan Baker and her representation of womens independence. In this novel, actual mountain climbing is safer than social climbing. . At the same time, their prominence gave rise to an anti-Semitic backlash, and the revival of the KKK began with the lynching of a Jewish man in 1915. From new money to consumer culture to lavish parties, F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel depicted the heyday of the 1920sand foreshadowed the doom that would follow. Daisy and Tom have similar traits, which support materialist culture that was prevalent in the 1920s American society as portrayed in The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby, written in 1925, depicts a portion of Nick Carraway's life characterized by the time he is influenced by the mysterious Jay Gatsby and his extensive pursuit of his former flame and Nick's cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Although her husband is immensely loyal to her, she possesses a strong desire to have everything else. These shared ideals include a notion of freedom that ensures all Americans the possibility of upward social mobility, as long as they work for it. The 19th Amendment, passed in 1919, officially gave women the right to vote in the United States. Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,I must have you!". He tells Tom Buchanan after finding out about Myrtle's affair that he plans to move her West, but he "[needs] money pretty bad" in order to make the move (7.146). For example, it's all well and good to assume that Daisy should leave the boorish Tom, but divorce would have been way more complicated for a woman in the 1920s than it is today. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Imagine spending weeks in this hole in the ground. In the contemporary phenomenon of "Gatsby parties"festivities intended to capture the air of the titular Jay Gatsby's famously lavish, bacchanalian partiesjazz is de rigueur to evoke the 1920s. The novels narrator illustrates well the increased consumerist culture. Colonizers arrived in the US with similar dreams of a healthier life for all people. Summary. The Great Gatsby portrays three different social classes: "old money" (Tom and Daisy Buchanan); "new money" (Gatsby); and a class that might be called "no money" (George and Myrtle Wilson). IvyPanda. "American Culture in the Novel "The Great Gatsby"." True to the spirit of the times . In the novel, West Egg and its denizens represent the newly rich, while East Egg and its denizens, especially Daisy and Tom, represent the old aristocracy. IvyPanda. Overall, the cultures in the East and Midwest are represented clearly through the characters actions, decisions, and values throughout the novel as examples of Fitzgeralds way of highlighting social flaws. Copyright 2023 - IvyPanda is operated by, American Culture in the Novel The Great Gatsby. Unfortunately, with regard to The Great Gatsby, this dream dwindled, as materialism, consumerism, and the culture of loosening social morals became the order of the day in the 1920s America. Curious to see how much Daisy and Myrtle's struggle for more echoes the lives of real women? Daisy nearly backed out of her marriage to Tom the day before her wedding, and Tom had an affair within a year of the wedding, but the couple is well-suited because of their shared class and desire for fun and material possessions. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education. Together with the examples of deceit under Prohibition, Fitzgeralds novel was inspired by the corruption of certain Americans during the 1920s as reflected in the actions and deceit used by the major characters he created. Cars are clearly used to display wealth and status - even Tom, normally secure in his superiority, wants to brag to George Wilson aboutthesuper-fancy Rolls Royce heborrows from Gatsby. Obsession In The Great Gatsby And Frankenstein . The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. What the old aristocracy possesses in taste, however, it seems to lack in heart, as the East Eggers prove themselves careless, inconsiderate bullies who are so used to moneys ability to ease their minds that they never worry about hurting others. This combination of restlessness and resentment puts them on the path to the tragedy at the end of the book. Women who were never contented with pleasure wore knee-length skirts, overly long draping necklaces, and rolled stockings (Leader 14). If George Wilson had had the means, he likely would have already left New York with Myrtle in tow, saving both of their lives. Suddenly with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily. Writers are products of their time, so knowing what they would have assumed to be true makes reading their work richer. Gatsby's early romance with Daisy is heightened by the initial idealism that he was about to go fight in a noble and glorious endeavor. Industrial Market Structure and Economic Performance. They are highly materialistic in nature. Tracing historical development in the US, Scherer and Ross inform that only 16 percent of homes in America had electricity by 1912 (82). Increased availability of products for purchasing in the free market led to the widening of the gaps between people of different social economic classes. This situation resulted in corruption of the ideal American dream. In 1920, the U.S. passed the 18th Amendment, outlawing the production and sale of alcohol. The Great Crash and the Onset of the Great Depression. Quarterly Journal of Economics 10.5 (1990): 597-625. Myrtle explains that she married George because she thought he was a gentleman, suggesting she hoped hed raise her class status. Suppose you wanted to analyze the importance of cars in The Great Gatsby. In other words, Gatsby loves Daisy's "value" as an in-demand product. was a self-made man, Gatsby acquired a vast amount of wealth and fortune with perseverance and a fixed purpose in mind. (one code per order). On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city, between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains. He spends his life believing that if he makes enough money and acquires enough possessions, he can transcend his lower-class birth and become equal to Daisy and Tom. (1.4), "My own house was an eye-sore, but it was a small eye-sore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor's lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionairesall for eighty dollars a month. When Nick tells Gatsby that you can't repeat the past, Gatsby says "Why of course you can!" She fails to comprehend why East Eggs people live materially well while she, together with her husband, still remain engulfed in the valley of ashes (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli 76). What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? 264-276. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. Even though he wasn't able to inherit any part of Cody's fortune, he used what he learned of wealthy society to first charm Daisy before shipping out to WWI. My personal culture tree possesses a diverse cultural background as the 'roots', that formed the core and branch values, the values seemed to point towards unity between first nations people and Anglo-Saxon people in Australia since I .