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Religion In The Great Gatsby

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The novel, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was published on April 20, 1925- the novel explores life in the early- to mid-1920s. Politically speaking, this was a time of growth and prosperity, as well as a time of corruption. This novel is a famous book that was particularly banned due to many groups, particularly religious organizations, objected to the language, violence and sexual references in the book and have attempted to have the book banned from public schools over the years, though none of those efforts were successful. Additionally, the “The Great Gatsby” was originally challenged at the Baptist Colleges in Charleston (1987) due to the sexual content and language. This novel illustrated the life in the United States during …show more content…

Specifically, the extramarital affair between Jay Gatsby, the mysterious millionaire in the novel, and his elusive love interest, Daisy Buchanan, is alluded to but never described in intimate detail. Fitzgerald describes Gatsby as someone who "took what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously -- eventually he took Daisy one still October night, took her because he had no real right to touch her hand." And later in their relationship, the narrator noted, speaking of Buchanan's visits to Gatsby: "Daisy comes over quite often -- in the afternoons." Religious groups also objected to the booze and partying that occurred during the Roaring '20s, which Fitzgerald described in detail in the novel. The novel also portrayed the American dream in a negative light in that it showed that even if you attain wealth and fame, it doesn't lead to happiness. In that same year, officials from the Bay County School District in Pensacola, Florida, attempted unsuccessfully to ban 64 books, including "The Great Gatsby," because they contain ''a lot of vulgarity'' as well as curse words. "I don't like vulgarity," Leonard Hall, district superintendent, told NewsChannel 7 in Panama City, Florida. "I don't approve of it in my children. I don't approve of it in any child on a school ground." Only two books were actually banned -- not "The Great Gatsby" -- before the school board overturned the proposed ban in

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