“Your generation is lost, all of you!” American poet Gertrude Stein said this in reference to the society following World War One. The idiom, which gained popularity because of Ernest Hemingway's, The Sun Also Rises, has come to stand for a brave generation of Americans in the 1920s. History has demonstrated that after the war, social norms and values were broken and replaced by this generation, allowing America to embrace new cultural, political, and economic transformation. Money and wealth became the norm for many during this period as American society "roared," bringing unparalleled levels of prosperity to the country. The transformation America experienced is demonstrated in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. Due to the significant …show more content…
This encapsulates how highly regarded Gatsby holds Daisy in comparison to her actual attributes. Gatsby believes in an ideal that no one could ever achieve, and after years apart, his longing for her only grew. For him, she was less of a woman and more of an illusion. When they cross paths again, Daisy is different. She was forced to make a decision between Gatsby and her entire social class. To please people around her, she gave up on Gatsby. She had to put Gatsby's feelings aside in order to fit in with society. She is now a flawed actual person who will never live up to Gatsby's expectations of her. Historically, this represents the Harlem Renaissance, and social classes. In the 1920’s, the city Harlem developed and became a center for African American art, literature, and most notably music. The Harlem Renaissance gave rise to jazz music, which swiftly swept throughout all of America. It became an important part of the rich lifestyle, as seen in the novel (Lapsansky-Werner pgs 301-306). The Great Gatsby also depicts social class. The social classes were …show more content…
Gatsby is a millionaire who lives in a luxurious Long Island house and frequently throws opulent parties. During the American Prohibition, it is alleged that he accumulated his considerable wealth by engaging in illegal purchasing of alcohol. For example, in chapter 1 Nick describes how Gatsby is perceived for the first time, it’s described, “If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away” (Fitzgerald 5). Nick asserts that Gatsby's aura of success causes many others to consider him to be "beautiful." Gatsby creates a prosperous image, but this atmosphere is just the outcome of his "gestures," regardless of the truth. It is said that Gatsby's ability to present himself as successful is due in part to his keen awareness of what other people want. Nick believes that Gatsby has "an unbelievable gift for hope," which he checks quite sensitively, like a seismograph. Gatsby is aware of what other people desire and never intends to let them down. Throughout the book, he organizes extravagant parties and presents everyone with gifts to keep himself in peoples' minds. Gatsby is a lonely man who yearns for love and acceptance from people around him. He tries to compensate for his