An Analysis Of The Roaring 20's

The dream of the Roaring 20’s, also known as the American Dream, characterizes ambitious men and women trying to achieve the lavish lifestyle of the rich. Society wore new styles of clothing, danced differently, and defied prohibition. Dependence on alcohol increased drastically as a result of World War I. Gatsby, along with other bootleggers, turned to the illegal producing and selling of alcohol as a way to make a living. The dream appeared to be beautiful, but was grotesquely flawed on the inside. The book presents characters who believe they have the American Dream, but in reality, the dream is an illusion. East coasters turned to immoral decisions which eventually led to destruct. Fitzgerald saw first-hand the corruption the American

Gatsby giving up his identity is self-destructive because the American Dream is unrealistic and nearly impossible to achieve. Jay Gatsby’s foolish, immoral behavior reflects the fact that he is unaware of the impossibility of the Dream. Gatsby finds himself showing off his glamour and riches, but in the process, he struggles with differentiating between reality and idealism. Similarly, Tunc describes in his literary analysis the loss of identity many people of the 1920s experienced as a result of chasing the American Dream: “Gatsby, just like the brand new monstrosity he inhabits, is ‘flashy’: he wears pink suits, gaudy shirts, and drives an extravagant Rolls Royce. Despite all of their obvious wealth, the nouveau riche are imposters--cheap materialistic imitations of the American Dream” (Fitzgerald 69). In the 1920s, the newly rich lose their identity by deceiving people with their wealth. This wealth is usually acquired by illegal methods, thus symbolizing the corruption of the time. The pressure on society to prove their wealth by materialistic items such as cars and silk shirts undermine a person’s true

A loss of identity occurs when Gatsby, Daisy, and Myrtle are desperately trying to achieve their idea of the American Dream. Gatsby changes his entire persona in search of Daisy’s love. Similarly, Daisy suggests to society she is happy and in love, when really it is just a cover-up. Myrtle experiences the ultimate loss of identity when she dies chasing after a man who never loved her. The American Dream turns to corruption when Gatsby and Daisy become obsessive with love and money. Gatsby acquires a great amount of wealth in order to win Daisy’s love. Daisy, instead, is obsessed with having more “old wealth,” so she marries Tom Buchanan. The fascination Daisy has of Gatsby’s clothes and house symbolizes her idea of the American Dream. The perception of the American Dream is one of glamour, sophistication, and happiness; however, as seen in The Great Gatsby, the dream consists of corruption, immoral decisions, and