Society In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

529 Words3 Pages

The Roaring Twenties, known as the decade of the 1920s in the Western World, consists of dramatic changes in social values. The cultural differences between the 1920s and the Victorian era changes people's behavior, where they become more free-will, youthful and carefree, despite of being more conservative before. People are more open-minded and found satisfaction through the “open pursuit of sex, money, and booze” (Berman 53) as they suggest their wealth and status in the society. New York City had become one of the cities where materialistic wealth has become the key of happiness and the standard to judge people's success, further leading Americans to pursue each other in a negative, acquisitive way. Through the different scenes and characters of the famous novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores how the society twisted the original idea of …show more content…

There were the same people, or at least the same sort of people, the same profusion of champagne, the same multi-colored, many keyed commotion, but I felt an unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness that hadn't been there before.” Nick classified all the rich people who went to Gatsby's party as the 'same sort' since they are copying from each other's image. They do not have their own identity and is only known as the 'group' of rich people, who do nothing, but entertain themselves with illegal drinking and partying. The unpleasant feeling that Nick has is the rich people's thought and belief of the materialism corruption of the society. Although Nick grew up with money, he does not believe in materialism and he feels uncomfortable because he understands that not everything could be bought with money and wealth is not all.] ['Can't repeat the past?' he cried incredulously. 'Why of course you