Reality Of The Great Gatsby

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Great Gatsby—The Truth of the American Dream Parties, alcohol, and the desire to change from “rags to riches”. These things are not only represented in the movie The Great Gatsby, but also represent the time of the Roaring Twenties. The Great Gatsby depicts an accurate depiction of the time when America ended World War I in 1918, and entered in a period of wealth and materialism. Although The Great Gatsby exemplifies United States with accurate representations, there are few inaccurate details regarding the American Dream, flapper girls, and Prohibition. One of the accurate depictions in The Great Gatsby is of African-Americans. By the Roaring Twenties, African-Americans already accomplished the abolishment of slavery with the 13th Amendment and the right to vote with the 15th Amendment, but segregation among America was prominent. This portrayal is seen in Tom Buchanan, a wealthy white man who believes that the Whites are superior to the African-Americans. During the movie, Tom states that it is the duty of Whites to be the dominant race in order for the nation to run smoothly. Tom’s beliefs were prevalent among the White community and many believed that if other “inferior” races were able to gain power, then America would be made a mess. These racist thoughts were common and resulted in disadvantages for African-Americans. As these thoughts began to grow, many Whites joined together to form the second Ku Klux Klan, which was prominent during the Roaring Twenties. This group favored White supremacy and often times resorted to violence, especially through lynching, which is an action when a mob kills someone. Although this group was prominent in the American South, there were still a couple members in the North. By the 1920s, th... ... middle of paper ... ...arallel to real-life American gangster Arnold Rothstein, who is a prime example of a gangster who was part of prostitution, gambling, and kidnapping and was also famous for secretly paying the Chicago White Soxs to lose the 1919 World Series. The Great Gatbsy portrays an accurate representation of America during the Prohibition. In conclusion, The Great Gatsby is an accurate representation of the American Roaring Twenties through the historical depiction of the American Dream, flapper girls, and the Prohibition. This movie shows the time period where the war just ended and America was eager to dream of obtaining wealth as well as having a materialistic life. Similar to Gatsby, America later pays the price for their materialistic mind. In the end of the movie, Gatsby is killed which is a parallel to the death of the American Dream that will never become a reality.

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