The Great Gatsby: Context: The Jazz Age

Influence of the Jazz Age

The Jazz Age, or the Roaring Twenties, was a period marked by post-war economic prosperity, cultural innovation, and changing societal norms. This vibrant and dramatic era provides the backdrop for The Great Gatsby.
The exuberant and free spirited era was characterised by jazz music, which became a symbol of the rebellion against traditional values. Gatsby’s extravagant parties, correlated with the era’s hedonism, often had jazz music at the centre.
The Jazz Age was the age of the flappers, young women who defied societal norms by wearing short dresses, bobbing their hair and engaging in behaviors deemed ‘unladylike’. Daisy symbolises the flapper ideal, but uncommittedly.

Implications of the Age’s Exuberance

The era’s economic boom and optimism resulted in reckless stock market investments, leading to the later Great Depression. In Fitzgerald’s novel, Gatsby’s lavish lifestyle and questionable sources of income reflect this reckless, speculative spirit.
Fitzgerald called his generation “The Lost Generation” because they had seen the brutalities of World War I and then fell into decadence. Their values were wrapped up in pleasure, wealth and social status, leading to an empty, aimless existence. Fitzgerald reflects this disillusionment in Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy.
The era of Prohibition, despite making alcohol illegal, fuelled law-breaking in the form of great parties and clandestine bars. This paradox is embodied in Gatsby’s illegal activities that finance his extravagant parties.

Materialism And Disillusionment

With unprecedented material prosperity, people believed wealth could solve every problem. The novel critiques this attitude through Gatsby’s doomed attraction for Daisy, who is equated with material wealth and seen as a commodity to be obtained.
Fitzgerald portrays the Jazz Age as an era of superficiality, materialism, and moral decadence, illustrating the downside of the American Dream. The Valley of Ashes is a robust symbol of societal decay beneath the glittering façade of the Jazz Age.
The Jazz Age glorified personal success and individualism, undermining the importance of collective societal responsibility. This abnegation is prevalent in Tom and Daisy’s neglect of their moral responsibility towards others, leading to widespread catastrophe.