Neutrality In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Gatsby is arguably the most influential character in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald because of his flamboyant character and great wealth. Set in 1922, this novel delves into life in the early twenties, known as the “Roaring Twenties”. A time period of disillusionment with reality, seemingly spontaneous wealth, and a life of extravagance. This is where the phrase “New Money” came to fruition: people who became rich from new “business” practices. Gatsby is the sheer embodiment of this lifestyle. He ventured from “rags” to “riches”. After he returned home from WWI, he was dirt poor. However, he managed to enter the “business” of bootlegging with a man named Meyer Wolfshein and made a fortune. Then, live an extravagant life. Throughout

Our entrance into World War I illustrated this transparently. Due to the sinking of the British passenger ship, The Lusitania, along with the interception of the Zimmerman telegram(Richard Fogarty), The U.S. was forced to enter World War I. This entrance forced millions of Americans to be drafted into the war. In this case, Gatsby was one of them, a poor boy who had nothing to his name. This was common among the other men who fought in the U.S. Most families before WWI had barely enough for basic living expenses. After roughly four years of sheer brutality, the war finally ended, and the surviving men returned home. Although still poor, there was light at the end of the tunnel for Gatsby. Throughout the preceding years of World War I, the United States entered a state of economic prosperity. This was ultimately due to increased manufacturing production within the U.S. during the war for goods for soldiers. This period quickly became known as the “Roaring Twenties,” a “Golden Age” of the United States. Middle-class citizens began to assume great wealth due to higher wages and cheaper goods. However, some, such as Gatsby, took advantage of the 18th Amendment,