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Pros And Cons Of The 1920's Deterioration

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The 1920’s: America’s Deterioration Although the 1920’s brought an economic boom and a monumental achievement in women’s rights, the 20’s were not beneficial to the United States of America. There is a widespread misconception that the 1920’s were an American golden age due to the economic success and progress in gender equality; however, America in the 20’s exemplifies the dangers of national complacency after major success. The 1920’s were harmful to America as a country because of the conflict over modernity, or old versus new, the rise of an exploitative consumer culture, the prevalence and promotion of racism, and the lack of respect and equality for women, even after their successful suffrage movement. Despite the increasing benefits …show more content…

The exploitative nature of consumer culture in the 1920’s is exemplified by the “millions” of American families who were overextended in their spending due to numerous luxuries and the effectiveness of American advertising. A considerable amount of Americans were at the mercy of the consumer economy, regretting their earlier purchases of radios and cars when money was too scarce to pay for basic necessities (Henretta 680). Roland Marchand also suggest the negative effects of consumerism by describing the parable of the “Democracy of Goods” in which Americans were invited to measure their democracy in terms of the consumer products that they are able to obtain, with the idea in mind that “every home can afford” the luxuries of a “king” (Marchand 134). F. Scott Fitzgerald also alludes to the abusiveness of consumerism in The Great Gatsby when he uses an advertising billboard for optometrist Dr. T.J. Eckleburg as symbol for oppression in the valley of Ashes, a district populated by the working class. The seeing eyes of Dr. Eckleburg watch over the working class people in the Valley of Ashes and create the illusion that they have zero control in the economy. The people in the Valley of Ashes literally and figuratively have the consumer economy looming over their heads (Fitzgerald

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