Effects Of War In The Great Gatsby

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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a sparkling time capsule of the attitudes and lifestyles of Nineteen Twenties America. Though the nineteen twenties are a decade well known for it’s lavish lifestyles and exuberant drinking parties, this was all just a coping mechanism to deal with the newfound horrors of war. An overwhelming disillusionment and unremorseful high class debauchery reigned supreme on the east coast, however, it was not only the rich who were affected by the brutal, bleak truth of war. On a multitude of occasions, Fitzgerald references ‘The Great War’ and as it coincide with multiple characters backgrounds and motivations. But what was ‘The Great War’? We know it today as World War One, at the time it was one of …show more content…

A multitude of key plot points can be traced back to and attributed to The Great War. The meeting of James Gatz and Daisy Fay could never have happened without the war. They were two drastically different individuals from two drastically different upbringings. But Gatsby took advantage of his status as “just another soldier” to win over Daisy’s heart, convincing her with his high class manner and eloquent charms. "He was at present a penniless young man without a past and at any moment the invisible cloak of his uniform might slip from his shoulders." (Fitzgerald, chapter 8) Gatsby’s soldier uniform was also what drew the attention of Meyer Wolfsheim, his later friend, mentor, and partner in the bootlegging business. “I made the pleasure of his acquaintance just after the war. But I knew I had discovered a man of fine breeding after I talked with him for an hour…” (Fitzgerald, chapter 4) With this partnership, Gatsby, like many others in the roaring twenties, would achieve great wealth and the American Dream. Without this connection, Gatsby would have never met Nick, never reunited with Daisy, and never amazed Daisy with his grand presentation of a home. Through Gatsby, Fitzgerald introduced a man who unlike his counterparts of the Lost Generation, was filled with hope and retained his

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