Gatsby : Fitzgerald, Context and The roaring Twenties

Question 1

Key Context : The Roaring Twenties

Answer 1

• set in 1922 -> the start of the Roaring Twenties
• after WW1, there was a strong desire to try new and exciting things
• younger generation began to rebel against tradition
• flappers challenged traditional gender roles (short hair)
• Policy of Prohibition backfired, leading to bootlegging and gangster culture
• Speakeazies sold illegal alcohol
• Fitzgerald expresses his concerns about widespread materialism in 1920s
• started off fun and spectacular with parties, money and alcohol. As time went on, the stock market fell, the money ran out and the alcohol was not as sweet as the first glass

Question 2

Key Context : Fitzgerald

Answer 2

• published Gatsby in 1925
• expresses his concerns about widespread materialism in the 1920s
• had self destructive habits (alcohol abuse)
• His wife Zelda had mental illness problems (misdiagnosed as Schizophrenic)