? Essay, Research Paper
Have you heard about period of time in America s history known as the Roaring 20 s ? If you do not know about this time period then a good place to find out about it is in the book The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald did an excellent job in portraying this story during the time period known as the Roaring 20 s. Fitzgerald uses the way of life in the twenties and the change of the sex roles as the ways in which to depict this book as a story taking place in the twenties.
When you think of the Roaring 20 s then the first few things that come to mind are Babe Ruth, the Ford car, and illegal drinking. The twenties were recognized in America s history as the time when the stock market soared and the business boomed. Everybody seemed to be going from rags to riches. The amount of people in the lower class decreased enormously and the amount of people in the upper class increased. There was freedom and equality for all people. It was also a time for large parties and the illegal consumption of alcohol. Education also reached an all time high at that point in history. Another occurrence in the twenties was that women started get a better standing in the home. They had more rights and could be more forceful with their spouses. To put it shortly, there was a cultural revolution that changed from war weariness to booming carefree society.
In the book The Great Gatsby the first way that the twenties are portrayed is the way in which the people live their lives. They are carefree and just want to have a lot of fun. They, stands for all of the people that attend Gatsby s parties. Even Nick and Jordan just come to the parties to have fun. Nick says at first that he only came because he was invited by Gatsby but he says later, I was enjoying myself now. I had taken two finger bowls of champagne and the scene had changed before my eyes into something significant, elemental and profound. This also indicates the defiance from the Prohibition Act, which made the consumption of alcohol illegal. Another way that people lived their lives was the way in which Tom had an affair with another woman. The affair wouldn t seem that strange (except for the fact that it is an affair) but since Daisy knows about Tom s affair and doesn t comment on it to him then it shows how carefree she is about it. Also Tom lets Myrtle call his house at any time that she wants. Jordan comments on Tom s lover, She might have the decency not to telephone him at dinner time. This also shows the reader how carefree Myrtle is about her relationship with Tom that she seems like it is okay to call him whenever she feels like it.
Another way in shows this book is portrayed in the twenties is the emphasis on the change in the sex roles. For example, when Tom goes to meet Myrtle at the Wilson s gas station Myrtle commands that George, her husband, go get chairs for everybody to sit on. Before this time it was always the woman s job to do such chores as these. Also to show this is the way in which Daisy controls Tom in a similar way. She said, Make us a cold drink, cried Daisy. She also commands later in the chapter, Call up and order some ice for the mint julep. If a wife made these comments to a husband in any time before the twenties then the wife would have been laughed at of beaten. The twenties were a time for woman s rights and new opportunity for them. This is the period of time in which girls started to wear skirts that showed their ankles. To the 90 s that doesn t seem like much but during that time period that was very crucial. They way in which the ladies ordered around the men significantly portray to the reader that woman s rights that were starting to take place during the twenties.
F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays this book during the period of time called the Roaring 20 s and does an excellent job. He uses the way in which people lived their lives and also the way that women rights started to come about and women were able to have more control in the household than they had ever had before. If you are looking in books to find background information on the Roaring 20 s then the best way is to read
The Great Gatsby.