Effects Of Prohibition In The Great Gatsby

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The roaring 20s was an era of mass consumerism, society was on a moral downfall that led to the progressive movement as an attempt to put an end to the reckless behavior. The symbolism of corruption and social decay displayed in the Great Gatsby is mirrored in the 1920s through the controversial eighteenth amendment. The prohibition of alcohol was an attempt to improve societies way of life, but instead it created greater dilemmas such as, boot legging wars, corruption, and social decay. As the eighteenth amendment went under effect it immediately brought bootlegging wars along with it. Gangs saw profitable gains from this new law and immediately went into action to get alcohol in their hands. “ Prohibition was barely an hour old, and the bootleg wars were already under way” (Gingold 1). Gatsby obtained great wealth through bootlegging, referring to it as the “drug-store” business. The countries thirst for alcohol created gang wars over territorial profits and bloodshed became common. …show more content…

Speakeasies were soon taking over cities providing alcohol behind closed doors of legal businesses. Bootleggers often paid officials to provide protection and prevent prosecution. When Gatsby is pulled over by a police officer, Gatsby shows him a card and the officer lets him go. It is clear that Gatsby already had the police bought and on his side. “ Mob bosses would simply put the fix on police, federal agents, and even judges, paying them in exchange for protection from interference and prosecution” ( Drowne 15). One of the biggest corrupt cabinet officer was president Harding’s attorney general Harry Daugherty. “… Sold alcohol permits to bootleggers during prohibition and pardons and paroles to criminals ” ( Giroux 235). Even people close to the president took part in corrupt affairs, the wealth was so immense that it had no limits as to who could be

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