Published in the 1920's, Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby achieved the difficult task of depicting life as it was at the time of its publication. In fact, "the historical context is so closely linked in the story it's been called one of the most penetrating descriptions of American life in the 1920's" (Bruccoli). Fitzgerald achieves this "penetrating" view on life in the 20's through the individuals represented in The Great Gatsby. The economic, political, and social realities of the 1920's are represented in the disposition of three characters in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby himself, Jordan Baker, and the narrator, Nick Carraway.
America in the 1920's experienced a cultural and lifestyle revolution. Hudson Gevaert, author of the online Beginners Guide to The Great Gatsby, says that as a result of the stock market boom, the rich spent money on fabulous parties and expensive possessions. Gevaert adds that the automobile became a symbol of glamour and wealth, and profits were made, both legally and illegally. The rapidity of this post-World War I era is captured in Fitzgerald's Gatsby, whose lavish life and tragic death reflect America's economic rise and its devastating crash (the Great Depression). Additionally, Gatsby reflected the mindset of the American people in the early 1920's that money could buy anything. Gatsby obviously thought that only after he had gained wealth could he win Daisy's heart, and when he finally had a substantial amount of money, believed that he could get Daisy. He proves this by stating in The Great Gatsby, "Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!" (111). Gatsby's inability to accept the erroneousness of the "money can buy anything" mentality is seen in his frustration at his inability to recreate the magic of his and Daisy's time together that they experienced before the war.
In his article, Flapper Culture and Style, Thomas Gladysz illustrates the history of the Jazz Age and the flappers of the 1920's.
