“The Lost Generation” is a term which encompasses a broad range of American authors who were born around 1900. Amongst those litterateurs are many who are said to be among the most influential and important writers in the history of American letters. This term paper shall examine what historical circumstances constituted the “common adventures” and “common attitudes” of that generation as reflected in Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby.
The term “The Lost Generation” was given by Gertrude Stein, an authoress of note and contemporary of both Fitzgerald and Hemingway, who used her quotation: “you are all a lost generation,” as the epigraph for his novel The Sun Also Rises. What is meant by the attribute “lost”? Why was this dismal term applied to the young adults of the 1920s – an era of prosperity and freedom in America? How did Fitzgerald depict this “lost” world in The Great Gatsby, with respect to material abundance on the one hand versus spiritual poverty on the other?
The zeitgeist of an era inevitably shapes the human beings who live in it: how they act, what they look like, and what they think the meaning of their lives in particular and humanity in general might be. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the 1920s in America in order to understand fully the meaning Fitzgerald communicates in The Great Gatsby.
This paper will therefore investigate several characteristics of the decade which are relevant for the interpretation of the novel. The parameters to be surveyed are: society in general; the materialism, wealth and industrialization which created that society; Prohibition as one of the most significant elements of the 20s; the faltering faith in God (as but one example of the failure of institutions that were supposed to be a refuge for human beings); and the loss of faith in the American dream and other treasured ideals. These issues will be analyzed in consideration of The Great Gatsby and the question of how Fitzgerald uses them as tropes for his social criticism of the so called Jazz Age.
The paper will be based on a number of monographs and anthologies dealing with the major American writers and literature of the 1920s as well as the historical context that shaped their literary vision. The particular focus will be on Fitzgerald’s seminal novel, The Great Gatsby, as it incorporates and inflects the major historical and literary themes of its time.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Society and its Loss of Values
3 Materialism, Wealth and Industrialization
4 Prohibition
5 The Dwindling Faith in God
6 The Lost American Dream
8 Summary
Objectives and Core Themes
This academic paper explores the historical circumstances of the 1920s in America to better understand the social criticism embedded in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, "The Great Gatsby." It investigates how the "zeitgeist" of the era—marked by postwar disillusionment, rapid industrialization, and the moral vacuum of the Jazz Age—shaped the narrative, characterization, and overarching themes of the work.
- The impact of post-World War I disillusionment on societal values.
- The influence of rapid materialism, wealth, and industrial progress on human behavior.
- The societal role of Prohibition and its contribution to organized crime and moral decay.
- The decline of traditional religious faith and the secularization of the American experience.
- The corruption and eventual failure of the American Dream as depicted through the life and death of Jay Gatsby.
Excerpt from the Book
3 Materialism, Wealth and Industrialization
Apart from a few early years of relative economic distress the American twenties were characterized by an unprecedented prosperity, with industrial production that seemed to be unstoppable. Countless factories, which primarily produced consumer goods such as cars or electronic appliances, banks and stores of every description sprang up. Now the common man was able to buy commodities which had been regarded as luxuries for the rich only few years before. That is why the twenties soon became associated with attributes like “golden” or “roaring”.
The contrast of the dizzying growth of wealth and materialism on the one hand and the dulling of human decency and empathy on the other hand is one of the main themes explored in The Great Gatsby. Many images and symbols which allude to the seemingly unlimited abundance of the Roaring Twenties and its corruption of the human being can be found within the novel.
Fitzgerald’s first detailed depiction of the Buchanans` house conveys the megalomania and the fast moving temper of the time. The following sentence illustrates a static and lifeless thing like a lawn as a dashing and surmounting sprinter: “The lawn started […] ran […], jumping over […] - finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run.” As a contrast to the momentum of the lawn, the lethargy and stoic indifference of many characters represent the obliviousness of the craze in which they are threatened to go astray.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter defines the "Lost Generation" and outlines the paper's goal to analyze how historical realities of the 1920s inform Fitzgerald’s social criticism in "The Great Gatsby."
2 Society and its Loss of Values: The author examines the postwar shift toward brutality and intolerance, illustrating how characters like Tom Buchanan embody the moral decay and prejudice of the era.
3 Materialism, Wealth and Industrialization: This section analyzes how the unprecedented economic growth of the 1920s served as a catalyst for the dehumanization of society, highlighting greed as a central force.
4 Prohibition: The chapter explores the failure of the 18th Amendment to regulate morality, arguing that it instead fueled organized crime and exacerbated the self-destructive behavior of the era's social elite.
5 The Dwindling Faith in God: The text discusses the decline of religious influence in an increasingly secular, science-oriented society and analyzes the symbolic significance of the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg.
6 The Lost American Dream: This chapter argues that Jay Gatsby represents the tragic failure of the American Dream, as his pursuit of happiness is ultimately crushed by the ruthless materialism of his environment.
8 Summary: The conclusion synthesizes the main findings, emphasizing that Fitzgerald’s novel stands as a poignant witness to a turning point in history and a plea for the preservation of humanity.
Keywords
The Great Gatsby, Lost Generation, Roaring Twenties, Jazz Age, F. Scott Fitzgerald, American Dream, Materialism, Prohibition, Industrialization, Social Criticism, Secularization, Morality, Historical Context, Disillusionment, Dehumanization
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this paper?
The paper examines the historical and cultural landscape of the 1920s in America to interpret the social criticism provided by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel, The Great Gatsby.
What key themes are addressed throughout the study?
The core themes include the loss of societal values after World War I, the corrupting influence of extreme wealth, the failure of Prohibition, the decline of religious faith, and the disillusionment with the American Dream.
What is the main research question of this analysis?
It investigates how Fitzgerald utilizes specific historical circumstances of the 1920s—such as material abundance and spiritual poverty—as tropes to critique the values of the Jazz Age.
Which methodology is applied in this research?
The paper uses a literary analysis approach based on monographs and historical anthologies, connecting the historical context of the 1920s directly to the narrative motifs of the novel.
What specific aspects are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body treats society's loss of values, the effects of rapid industrialization and wealth, the social consequences of Prohibition, the secularization of American life, and the eventual disintegration of the American Dream.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The most relevant keywords include The Great Gatsby, Lost Generation, Roaring Twenties, American Dream, Materialism, and Social Criticism.
How does the author interpret the symbol of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg?
The author argues that the billboard of Dr. Eckleburg functions as a metaphor for a Godless, secularized universe, representing the fading importance of faith in a world dominated by commercial interests.
What is the significance of the clock incident in the novel?
The incident represents Gatsby's struggle with time and his futile attempt to maintain control over a past that has already disintegrated, highlighting the tragic nature of his delusions.
How does the paper categorize the character of Tom Buchanan?
Tom Buchanan is identified as the personification of the era's "ruthless brutality" and moral evil, acting as a direct antagonist to the virtues of decency and humanity.
- Quote paper
- Toni Friedrich (Author), 2007, The Roaring Twenties - Historical Circumstances of "The Great Gatsby", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/184585
