F. Scott Fitzgerald And The American Dream: The Roaring American Dream

1077 Words3 Pages

The Roaring American Dream Parties, Prohibition, alcohol, and wealth are common aspects that come to mind when thinking about the Roaring 20s. The end of World War I brought about an aura of discovery and desire. Many women became more provocative in their clothing and makeup. These women were known by the term “Flappers.” Authors, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, began emerging during this time which was also known as “the Jazz Age” (“Roaring Twenties”). The Great Gatsby, considered as one of Fitzgerald’s most famous works, allowed him to portray not only aspects of the Jazz Age, but also the American Dream of many individuals during the 1920s. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, seen as “bright, handsome, and ambitious,” was born in 1896 to …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald portrayed The Great Gatsby in the 1920s, which many people refer to as “the Roaring 20s” or “the Jazz Age.” It was known that “Fitzgerald coined the phrase, ‘the Jazz Age’ that same year [1922] to describe the flamboyant – ‘anything goes’ – era that emerged in America after World War I” (The Jazz Age). Many individuals living in the Jazz Age were considered to be “reckless” and “extravagant,” however, some were viewed on the opposite end of the spectrum and seen as “sober-minded conservatives” who abided by the 18th Amendment (Class…Great Gatsby). Fitzgerald decided to use the more materialistic and racy characteristics of individuals living in the 1920s to create one of his most famous novels. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, the wealthy neighbor of the main character, Nick Carraway, held extravagantly long and large parties that consisted of plenty of dancing, women in revealing clothing, and alcohol, regardless of the Prohibition occurring at the same time. This mantra of excessive partying and freedom influenced the view of the American Dream during this …show more content…

Originally, most people viewed the American Dream as striving toward success and happiness. However, in the 1920s, Fitzgerald showed that the American Dream began to revolve more around materialistic ideals and less around wholesome values. Throughout The Great Gatsby, various dreams of characters were revealed. A common theme within all of the different characters’ American Dreams is hope. At first glance, this may seem reasonable. But, many of the characters, such as Myrtle Wilson, hope for a higher social status, and others like Nick Carraway, hope to fit in with those with great wealth. Also, these characters are willing to do just about anything to achieve their dreams, including infidelity, and ultimately, some pay the price of losing their own life. Fitzgerald successfully portrayed a twisted view of the American Dream of different characters in his novel. What was once a positive view of the possibilities life may have in store, slowly began shifting to negative, temporary hopes of the future of an individual. This realistic portrayal of many people in the 1920s contributed to The Great Gatsby’s rising

Open Document