F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is set in the opulent Jazz Age of the 1920’s. This time period marked America’s post-WWI economic prosperity and the country’s greater influence abroad. The Roaring 20’s was also a time where America experimented with changing social norms and daring artistic movements.
In 1920, the U.S. government passed the 18th Amendment, which outlawed the production and sale of alcohol. However, banning alcohol in our country did not kill the desire to drink, forming a massive criminal empire dedicated to illegally selling alcohol, also known as bootlegging. This illegal practice led to the popularity of speakeasies, underground social clubs where people of different genders and races could enjoy jazz music and have a good time. Gatsby’s opulent parties that are most commonly perceived as a way to attract Daisy were also his own little speakeasy of sorts where he would illegally provide vast amounts of alcohol to his guests and business partners.
In 1919, the 19th Amendment was passed, officially giving women the right to vote in our country. The Suffrage Movement encouraged women to bush boundaries and enter the workforce more. However, the women in the novel do not reflect this certain ambition because they lead traditional lifestyles. For example, Daisy and Jordan live free lives without having to work because they rely on old money to support their personal endeavors.
There are so many more aspects of the early 20th century that impacted the writing and literary elements in The Great Gatsby, but the political agenda of many Americans along with the government, as seen with the addition of amendments to our Constitution, was the main factor for the storyline of this novel.
