Fitzgerald’s Penetrating View of Life in the 1920’s

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 conclusion, the accuracy with which Fitzgerald depicts the various characters of The Great Gatsby in relation to typical Americans of the 1920’s is what makes The Great Gatsby such an excellent read. Fitzgerald had the remarkable ability to take real people of his time and turn them into such interesting and functional characters in The Great Gatsby. As Jackson R. Breyer states, “[Fitzgerald’s novels] remain the fullest literary expression of one of the most fascinating eras in American life.”

Finally, Nick Carraway reflects not only the eastern views on wealth and power, but adds simple Mid-western views. This is what makes him an advantageous narrator. Even though most of the main characters are originally from the Mid-west, they have adapted the Eastern lifestyle, and in turn, the Eastern mentality, and have demolished their Wester

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