Effects Of Prohibition In The Great Gatsby

There are unintended consequences for exploring new things. Some of these consequences are unavoidable to this day. In the novel The Great Gatsby the characters are influenced by prohibition and alcohol. The plot of the novel is affected heavily by the characters use and misuse of the substance.

Prohibition is the act of prohibiting the manufacturing, storage in barrels, bottles, transportation and sale of alcohol including alcoholic beverages in the United States from 1920 to 1933 enforced by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, known as the Volstead Act. The “ important experiment “ was undertaken in order to reduce crime and corruption , fix social problems, decrease the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses and finally

better the health and hygiene of Americans. However Prohibition could not eliminate the unlawful use of alcohol as illegal producers known as moonshiners sold their product to outlawed distributors known as bootleggers, who in turn sold it to prohibited retail establishments known as speakeasies.

As a result of prohibition America experienced economic loss to amusement and entertainment establishments. Restaurants quickly failed because they could no longer make a profit without selling liquor. Movie theaters declined for the same reason. The first economic effect of prohibition was purely negative. The closing of distillers, brewers and salons led to the elimination of thousands of namely dependent jobs, and in turn had a big impact on more downstream jobs had to be eliminated for barrel makers, truckers, waiters, bartenders and other related trades. Next prohibition affected the tax revenue received by federal government in a big way. Prior to prohibition many state depended on excite taxed received from sales of liquor to fund their budgets. This easy source of revenue was completely lost. For example prohibition enabled a loss of eleven billion dollars in tax revenue, while costing only three hundred million dollar to enforce. Subsequently prohibition left enough loopholes and exception allowing Americans to benefit, royally and economically during this era. In the novel Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan refers to Gatsby’s drug stores aka “speakeasies” ‘I can tell you right now,’ she answered. ‘He owned some drug stores, a lot of drug stores. He built them up himself.’(http://www.planetebook.com/ebooks/The-Great-Gatsby.pdf Page 116) On the social level alcohol could be purchased for religious purposes, this caused high attendance at churches and synagogues as many preachers obtained wine for their congregation. Soon prohibition forced bootleggers to sell tainted liquor on the black market causing death of thousands of innocent American. In the novel Gatsby, Jay is often referred to as a bootlegger as indicated by Tom Buchanan comments “Who is Gatsby anyhow? Demanded Tom suddenly. Some big bootlegger?” (http://www.planetebook.com/ebooks/The-Great-Gatsby.pdf Page 115). Prohibition also enabled law enforcement officials at the federal state, and local level to taking bribes or enjoying in bootlegger activity because it was very lucrative. In the novel Gatsby, Tom Buchanan states, “I found out what your ‘drug-stores’ were.” He turned to us and spoke rapidly. “He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t wrong.” (http://www.planetebook.com/ebooks/The-Great-Gatsby.pdf Page 143). At last the greatest consequence of prohibition was in plain sight. For over ten years the law that was meant to discourage drinking instead enabled excessive drinking leading to alcohol abuse and problems associated with it.

Prohibition had a big impact on the lives of the characters in the
Novel as it created wealth, fame and social problems.

The outlaw of alcohol failed and made the desire for it much more powerful. Gatsby took advantage of the demand and setup pharmacies selling bootlegger alcohol. This action led to Gatsby becoming filthy rich. In addition to wealth, Gatsby used his wealth to acquire fame by hosting numerous parties where he supplied a steady stream of alcohol and music. This ensured his popularity in society on West egg. Furthermore prohibition caused additional family problems as evidenced in the novel. Gatsby ability to throw extravagant parties in order to gain Daisy’s attention and affection caused a bitter loved triangle resulting in Gatsby’s death. Equally important was the constant physical and verbal abuse experienced by Daisy Buchanan at the hands of her jealous husband Tom.In the novel Gatsby the author shows through the characters Daisy and Jordan, their feelings toward drinking alcohol. They enjoy drinking as Daisy becomes flirtatious with men and in the first chapter she says ‘I’m paralyzed with happiness’. Also Daisy turned to drinking when she has to make a difficult decision whether to marry Tom Buchanan. While under the influence of the alcohol she let out her feelings she wanted to cancel the wedding then she “cried and cried” for Gatsby. Nick a very reasonable and conservative man wakes up at Pennsylvania Station waiting for the train at 4:00 am his memory a blur barley unable to recall the events of the party but

remarks "everything that happened has a dim hazy cast over it." (http://www.planetebook.com/ebooks/The-Great-Gatsby.pdf Page 33) The remark indicates Nick’s negative feelings toward drinking alcohol. Tom Buchanan's personality changes drastically when he is drinking. At the party Nick attended Tom has been drinking all afternoon and into the evening. He becomes threatening and combative with Myrtle basically breaking her nose during a violent quarrel because she talks bad about Daisy. Also Tom has been drinking when he confronts Gatsby in the hotel room in New York his ego, scorn , and loathing for Gatsby are released in a torrent of insults and accusations to make sure daisy still live his over Gatsby. He would have attacked him physically if the others have not intervened.

Prohibition has affected a lot of things in the night teen twenty including the characters in The Great Gatsby. It affected their decision and these choose could change someone's life for good and worse. “You're morbid, George;” said his friend. “This has been a stain to you and you don't know what your're saying. You'd better try to sit quiet till morning.” “He murdered her.” “It was an accident, George.”(Planet Ebook .com/ebooks/The Great Gatsby.pdf Page 169.)George want to get revenge at the person who killed his wife and started to drink to calm his nerves at the crime scene right in front of his own garage. Even though the accident wasn't Gatsby fault George went to kill Gatsby at his house and ended up taking his own life. The only person who knows the truth about Myrtle's death was Gatsby and Nick plus Daisy who was responsible for killing her but Gatsby took the blame to protect Daisy till his own death.

Gatsby was trying to hide his past and was trying to become a new man that daisy would fall in love all over again. But his past caught up to him, during the argument in the hotel Tom did some digging into Gatsby and his past found out that he was a bootlegger. (The mysterious Jay Gatsby indeed does become “filthy” rich by selling illegal booze. During Prohibition doctors could prescribe “medicinal liquor” for their patients for literally dozens of ailments, including alcoholism. Gatsby sees this as an opportunity and establishes a chain of drugstores with the help of organized crime and corrupt politicians. Mark, Thornton . "Prohibition Caused the Greatness of Gatsby." Mises Institute. Mises, 15 May 2013. Web. 21 Dec. 2015. ). Gatsby decision to keep these secret about his past and what he did end up losing the one he loved over an argument. This made Daisy leave the hotel getting into a car and ran over Myrtle, after the accident Gatsby looked for help from Nick Caraway. But end up being murdered by George at his own house as a gift for killing Myrtle then George took his own life.

Prohibition was implemented to reduce crimes, corrupt, solve social problems and reduce tax by providing other goods and services. Instead of fixing these problems it just made it worse. (Although consumption of alcohol fell at the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased. Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; crime increased and became “organized”; the court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point; and corruption of public officials was rampant. No measurable gains were made in productivity or reduced absenteeism. Prohibition removed a significant source of tax revenue and greatly increased government spending. It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition.) ( Mark, Thornton . "Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure." Cato Institute. Cato Institute, 17 July 1991. Web. 27 Dec. 2015. .) Prohibition indeed led to crime and stretched the court and prison system to their limits. Public official were bribe and new drugs were switched out for drink. But on good thing came out of the prohibition it increased the government speeding money.

Alcohol can’t drown the all problem you face in life soon or later.

Gatsby founded that on his own working under his friend Dan Cody. (He was employed in a vague personal capacity—while he remained with Cody he was in turn steward, mate, skipper, secretary, and even jailor, for Dan Cody sober knew what lavish doings Dan Cody drunk might soon be about and he provided for such contingencies by reposing more and more trust in Gatsby. The arrangement lasted five years during which the boat went three times around the continent. It might have lasted indefinitely except for the fact that Ella Kaye came on board one night in Boston and a week later Dan Cody inhospitably died. I remember the portrait of him up in Gatsby’s bedroom, a grey, florid man with a hard empty face—the pioneer debauchee who during one phase of American life brought back to the eastern seaboard the savage violence of the frontier brothel and saloon. It was indirectly due to Cody that The Great Gatsby drank so little. Sometimes in the course of gay parties women used to rub champagne into his hair; for himself he formed the habit of letting liquor alone. Planet Ebook .com/ebooks/The Great Gatsby.pdf Page 107-108.) Gatsby realized how alcohol can change someone's personality. They become a completely different person for when you know them normal. Their actions also change when there under the influence of alcohol, that why Gatsby decide to stay away from alcohol in the first

place.

Prohibitions fix some of the problem back in the 1920 and help the character in the book The Great Gatsby throughout their hard time. But alcohol can’t fix all the problem that you face in life.