F. Scott Fitzgerald Wrote many short stories which seem to celebrate this age of prosperity. He also worked in films and this influenced the way he wrote.

The 1920s Nicknames The roaring 20s The Jazz Age The Flapper Era The Aspiring Era The Age of Wonderful Nonsense The Golden Twenties What do these nicknames suggest about the time period ?

1920s Context

Post WWI People felt entitled to have some fun Pre-war values and ideals were ignored and a new and positive outlook was adopted. For the first time in a long time people were relatively financially secure and free and more people were able to live in relative luxury. Stock market was growing and interest was low. Positive and prosperous

The Jazz Age Jazz was experimental and new It was associated with a carefree attitude: dancing and self expression There were also many new fashions Trendy young women were called ‘flappers’ wearing short skirts and lots of make-up.

Conspicuous Consumption The population of America had doubled in the fifty years previous Mass production factories like Ford started up Advertising became an industry trying to shape people’s desires Fitzgerald worked in advertising Conspicuous consumption was the wasteful and extravagant means of showing off wealth-cars, planes, ponies

Implications People had an “I can do anything” attitude, they could forget their past and be whoever they wanted to be There was renewed belief in the American Dream which was what brought people to America in the first place There was a general feeling that if you worked hard you would succeed

As a result.. The 1920s was a very positive period, a time of: Optimism Freedom Celebration Positive feeling about the promises & potential of new life and new values

BUT! All of this was fundamentally based on nothing! The reality people were facing was: Death of family & friends in war Fewer jobs as Wartime production over Women competing for jobs Things owned / bought with “virtual money” (stocks / credit & debt) Morally bankrupt society; no solid values (carefree, silly, fun) The American Dream was misleading!

The Lost Generation America helped the allies to victory in World War One But the experience of war bred cynicism Many young people felt a sense of purposelessness and dissatisfaction. This may have been hidden at times by the pleasure seeking. The Great Gatsby describes such characters

Prohibition The sale of alcohol was banned to raise moral standards Bootlegging and selling alcohol illegally funded criminals like Al Capone, and Jay Gatsby Wolfshiem is the gangster figure in The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby - Geography

Important Dates The end of the First World War Baseball World Series fixed Prohibition of alcohol introduced; women given the right to vote in the USA; census in USA shows more people live in cities than country Publication of The Great Gatsby

Traditionally America had been a society living from the land It was to be a peace loving nation People were to be free as individuals There was the notion of a frontier and an excitement about adventuring into the new and starting over. American Ideals

There was limitless possibility- Americans could achieve whatever they wished Nick admires this in Jay Gatsby The dream became equated with getting rich by whatever means Gatsby succeeds in one way but fails in the other American Dream