The Time Period of the Great Gatsby

​In F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby,' which of the following is true about the novel's portrayal of the 1920s?

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​In The Great Gatsby, set during the Roaring Twenties, the cultural impact of consumerism and prohibition is explored. Fitzgerald's novel is a classic and period piece that reflects the social and political tensions of the 1920s, with a story and characters influenced by the economic boom and controversial extravagance of the era. 

• ​ The novel explores the cultural impact of consumerism and prohibition.

• ​The novel only reflects the social tensions of the time period.

• ​The novel's story and characters are not influenced by the economic boom and controversial extravagance of the era.

• ​The novel is not a period piece and doesn't reflect the political tensions of the 1920s.

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​Which of the following were new inventions that families could afford during the Roaring Twenties in the United States, and how did women rebel against traditional gender roles and social mores during this time?

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​The Roaring Twenties was a time of significant economic boom and the beginning of consumer culture in the United States. Families were able to afford new inventions like cars and appliances and could get in-store credit. Women rebelled against traditional gender roles and social mores, with young women engaging in public activities like drinking and smoking and wearing shorter skirts and hats. Those who eschewed these traditional social mores were thereby nicknamed flappers. However, society was still deeply racist and misogynistic (misogyny, prejudice against women, and a level of sexism to keep women at a lower social status than men), thereby reinforcing societal/gender roles, as portrayed in The Great Gatsby, where racist views and violence towards women are seen through one of the book's main characters.

• ​Cars and appliances; by engaging in public activities like drinking and smoking, and wearing shorter skirts and hats

• ​TVs and computers; by attending social clubs

• ​Airplanes and telegraphs; by wearing longer skirts and gloves

• ​Printers and fax machines; by staying home and keeping house

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What can be inferred about the societal changes of the 1920s from the portrayal of Gatsby's parties and mansion in The Great Gatsby?

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​The Great Gatsby reflects the prevalent themes of 1920s culture, including the shift in social norms allowing for mixed-gender parties and the extravagance of the era's new economic wealth, as seen in Gatsby's parties and mansion. The novel also portrays concerns about the sustainability of this prosperity, as represented in Gatsby's affair with Daisy and its tragic end.

• ​That the economic boom of the era led to increased wealth and extravagance and that societal norms allowed for mixed-gender parties.

• ​That the economic boom of the era led to increased wealth and extravagance

• ​That people were concerned about the sustainability of the era's prosperity

• ​That societal norms allowed for mixed-gender parties

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​How did Prohibition contribute to the rise of organized crime in the United States?

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​Prohibition, outlawing the consumption and sale of alcohol, was prominent in 1920s American society and helped to fuel the rise of organized crime. The 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act aimed to curb public drunkenness but sent drinking culture underground, leading to the rise of speakeasies (an underground drinking establishments that grew in popularity to sell and consume alcohol). Prohibition plays a significant role in The Great Gatsby, with allusions to Gatsby gaining his fortune through bootlegging and a heated exchange between Gatsby's mistress and her husband regarding his illegal alcohol activities.

• ​ It forced people to consume alcohol in secret and seek out illegal sources of alcohol

• ​It provided a legal means for organized crime figures to control the distribution of alcohol

• ​The 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act allocated lucrative profits from bootlegging to organized crime leaders

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​The economic boom of the Roaring Twenties coincided with, and was partly fueled by,

• ​the birth of consumer culture

• ​the end of Prohibition

• ​the end of Prohibition

• ​the end of WWII

• ​the beginning of the Coolidge presidency

​How does prohibition arise in The Great Gatsby?

• ​It's implied that Gatsby's fortune has come from bootlegging.

• ​Speakeasies are the main setting for the book.

• ​The 18th Amendment is signed during the course of the book.

• ​The main character is a police officer who hunts bootleggers.

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​How does Gatsby's short love affair with Daisy mirror 1920s commentators' feelings about the period?

• ​Many felt the period of opulence and economic boom could not last forever.

• ​Some felt a second Great War was coming soon.

• ​Many thought prohibition would end soon.

• ​Many thought alcohol was a thing of the past.

​The underground drinking establishments that proliferated during the prohibition era were known as _____.

• speakeasies

• ​taverns

• bars

• pubs

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​What were young women in the 1920s who eschewed traditional social mores nicknamed?

• Flappers

• ​Go-girls

• Skirties

• Tomboys

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​Which societal aspect does The Great Gatsby critique through the character of Gatsby?

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​The Great Gatsby was written by Fitzgerald in 1924 while living in Paris, with the intention of capturing the American Dream in a way that would transcend the ideas of everyday life. Published in 1925, the novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby, who goes to costly lengths to gain power and acceptance after acquiring new wealth, all in pursuit of his version of the American Dream.

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​The novel is set in the fictional towns of West Egg and East Egg, located on Long Island. The West Egg is where those with ''new money'' lived, and it's here where Nick Carraway, a recent Yale graduate and bonds broker, narrates the story. Nick lives next to Gatsby's enormous mansion and is drawn into Gatsby's world of extravagance and excess.

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​On the other side of the bay is East Egg, where Nick's cousin Daisy Buchanan lives with her husband, Tom, who represents the old money society that Gatsby aspires to be a part of. Before Gatsby acquired his wealth and moved to Long Island, he courted and fell in love with Daisy. However, he was deployed to fight in World War I, and it was unknown to Daisy whether or not he survived. To ensure her status in society, Daisy went on to marry the wealthy Tom Buchanan.

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​Much of the story revolves around Gatsby's desire to win back Daisy. He throws elaborate parties, exaggerates his successes, and schemes to secretly meet Daisy, knowing she is a married woman. Unfortunately, Gatsby's plan to get Daisy back quickly unravels as his superficial façade is all too visible. He knows that he will never be accepted by those with old money, including Tom and Daisy. Despite this, Gatsby's desires to break societal constraints for approval eventually become his downfall. His inability to see who Daisy has truly become and lack of judgment is his demise, thus making him a tragic hero in the story.

• ​Class divisions and social mobility

• ​Gender roles in society

• ​Education and knowledge

• ​ Religion and faith

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