The Great Gatsby: Context: 1920s USA

The Roaring Twenties and Socio-Economic Climate:

The 1920s, often referred to as the “Roaring Twenties”, were a period of dramatic social and political change. This was reflected in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby through the character’s extravagant lifestyles and loosening moral codes.
The post-WWI economic boom triggered a consumer culture, epitomised by Gatsby’s extravagant parties, reflecting the excesses and material wealth of the period.
Huge societal division between the nouveau riche and old money classes is depicted in the geographical divide between West Egg and East Egg, representing two different aspects of the American Dream.

Prohibition and the Rise of Organised Crime:

The 18th Amendment in 1920 prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcohol, leading to the rise of bootlegging and organised crime, which is suggested as Gatsby’s source of wealth in the novel.
This era became known as the Jazz Age, noted for its wildness and celebration of hedonism, reflected in Gatsby’s lavish parties and free-flowing alcohol despite Prohibition.
Organised crime was a major part of American society, alluded to through characters like Meyer Wolfsheim, who is modelled after real-life criminals of the time.

Women’s Rights and the Changing Role of Women:

The 1920s was a time of changing roles for women, with the advent of the ‘flapper’ culture. Women began to challenge their prescribed societal roles, reflected in Daisy’s dissatisfaction with her life.
The 19th Amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote, reflecting the shake up of traditional societal norms, echoed in the increasingly rebellious behaviours of women in the novel.
Despite the progress, women were still often objectified and treated as accessories, emphasised by Tom’s treatment of Myrtle Wilson and Gatsby’s romanticisation of Daisy.

The American Dream:

The American Dream of happiness and prosperity, achievable by anyone through hard work, is a central theme in The Great Gatsby.
Gatsby’s life appears to epitomise this dream, but the hollowness of his existence and tragic end expose the unfulfilled promise of the American Dream.
The novel suggests that the materialistic, hedonistic values of the 1920s corrupted this dream. The pursuit of wealth had taken precedence over the pursuit of happiness.