F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby Research Project

1983 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Women's roles in the 1920s

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” takes place in the 1920’s portraying the Jazz Age, Prohibition, Organized Crime, also showing several examples of women and their attitudes/role in society. All four of these topics are tied together in some way shape or form in reality, whether it be women going against prohibition by buying alcohol off gangsters and going to speak easies or Americans completely changing all their basic roles in society in general. Women wore their tops much lower, skirts a lot shorter, and their hair was bobbed. They attended speakeasies just like men. Gangsters such as Al Capone took on a fairly large role in society (Hales & Kazmers) when prohibition, the ban of alcohol or any alcoholic substance, was put into place making it harder to obtain. The jazz age was focused around all the music and people who performed in nightclubs and speakeasies and bootleggers were a common thing. (History Learning Site)

When most people think of the 1920’s the first thing that pops into their brain, often enough is not prohibition or crime rates. At Least, that isn't what I personally thought of. When I think of the 1920’s the first thing that comes to my mind is the music and all the famous parties and celebrities that slowly surfaced through the time. It is commonly known as The Jazz Age, The Golden Age, or maybe you would better know it as The Roaring Twenties. (History Learning Site). During this time new artist surfaced and changed the way society looked at music. Some of these artists were for example: Louis Armstrong, Joe “King” Oliver, Edward “Kid” Ory, Jelly Roll Morton, and Duke Ellington. (UMN.EDU)

Joe “King” Oliver and his band were the most famous in the 1920’s, he was from New Orleans originally and eve...

... middle of paper ...

...gov/about-us/investigate/organizedcrime/italian_mafia

Hales, T., & Kazmers, N. (n.d.). Organized Crime - How it Was Changed by Prohibition. Retrieved March 30, 2014, from Umich.Edu: http://www.umich.edu/~eng217/student_projects/nkazmers/organizedcrime2.html

History Learning Site. (n.d.). The Jazz Age. Retrieved March 30, 2014, from The Jazz Age: www.historylearningsite.co.uk/1920s_america.htm

Meredith. (n.d.). What is Prohibtion? Retrieved March 25, 2014, from Albany.Edu: http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/what_is_prohibition_final.html

UMN.EDU. (n.d.). Jazz Greats of the 1920's. Retrieved March 30, 2014, from d.umn.edu: http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/tbacig/studproj/is3099/jazzcult/20sjazz/musicians.html

Weil, G. (n.d.). Women in the 1920s in North Carolina. Retrieved March 31, 2014, from Women in the 1920s: http://ncpedia.org/history/20th-Century/1920s-women

Show More
Related

  • The Roaring Twenties in Colorado

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Jazz Age which is also referred to as the Roaring Twenties began after World War I took place and lasted until 1929, when the Great Depression began. The 1920s opened up a world of change to Americans; some did not approve and others, especially those in the big cities, celebrated with music and dance every day. There were numerous inventions that were being created throughout the 1920s and because of nationwide advertisement; people all over America were able to buy all the same stuff as one another. But unfortunately, times were different for those that lived in Colorado.

    Read More

  • The Bebop and Cool Jazz Eras of the 40’s and 50’s

    1828 Words  | 4 Pages

    The popularity of jazz grew in the twenties, and its center changed from New Orleans to Chicago. From there it spread to Kansas City and New York. The end of WWI ushered in the Jazz Age in New York, and it came to be associated with the parties and wild behavior of the 1920’s (Verve). Music from this era is also sometimes called “The Chicago Style,” and includes artists such as Bix Beiderbecke on trumpet and Pee Wee Russel, Mezz Mezzrow, and Benny Goodman on clarinet.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Three Cities And Their Jazz

    1386 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jazz became popular during the 1920s and was developed from Blues and Ragtime. The 1920s was nicknamed The Roaring Twenties or the Jazz age because it was a time where many traditonal moral standards were not followed and people indulged in new danicng and dressing styles. Jazz is still important to us today but according to Nielsen‘s 2014 Year-End Report, jazz is continuing to fall out of favor with American listeners and has tied with classical music as the least-consumed music in the U.S., after children’s

    Read More

  • Anxiety And Intolerance In The 1920's

    628 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gangs are also a major problem, especially with the new prohibition laws. The prohibition laws and gangs of this time fit quite nicely with a novel published by F. Scott Fitzgerald - “The Great Gatsby,” which constantly mentions these themes. In this novel, Fitzgerald stresses the consumer culture and fascination with wealth that was overpowering in the 1920’s. Women are also trying to push ahead on the social ladder.

    Read More

  • Al Capone and Probation

    1261 Words  | 3 Pages

    Prohibition did not create organized crime#. However, it did create a new opportunity for lawbreakers and for the spread of criminal activity. It allowed Capone to expand his force and gain incredible power over the city of Chicago. P...

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby: America in the 1920s

    2392 Words  | 5 Pages

    Also known as the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties, the American people felt that they deserved to have some fun in order to forget the emotional toll and social scars left from the war. The Jazz Age was appropriately named due to the illegal activities and good times, which included music, parties, and flapper girls. Jazz was a new style of music that originated out of the New Orleans area, where one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time – Louis Armstrong – began his career. The energy of jazz was a very new and almost uncomfortable style for the very traditional, rigid family of the 1920s. Young people in particular seemed to enjoy this new music the most, as it made them feel carefree. The energy of jazz was symbolic of the era’s trans...

    Read More

  • Louis Armstrong And The Jazz Age

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    its abilities to bring people together and sometimes even make people happy. Although the jazz era ended almost a century ago, this time influenced by Louis Armstrong was a huge cultural shift that still remains in our society in which African-Americans are a vast part of our music industry amongst pop, rap, reggae, and more.

    Read More

  • Jazz and The Charleston in The 1920's

    1664 Words  | 4 Pages

    What comes to mind when thinking of the 1920’s? Most people think of the freedom the United States felt after World War I and that is exactly what jazz and the Charleston symbolize (Boundless.com par. 1). Jazz and the Charleston were extremely controversial in the 1920’s because they promoted a new way of thinking, which outraged the older generations (Knowles 160). Older generations did not like the fact that young people were becoming more and more daring with their actions just by playing music and dancing (Boundless.com par. 6). Today, jazz and the Charleston are thought of as out of date, but without them, music today would be completely different. Jazz and the Charleston revolutionized modern music and dance by altering the rhythm of classical music, changing the culture of American society (Boundless.com par. 1).

    Read More

  • Historical Analysis Of The Great Gatsby

    1887 Words  | 4 Pages

    The word visually stunning could be used to describe the 2013 Baz Luhrman directed adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel The Great Gatsby. Speaking of the director, I enjoyed his portrayal of the lavish lifestyle and carefree party like attitude in such a beautiful visual experience. The way in which the party scenes were filmed in the movie made perfect sense compared to the source material and were something I have never seen done by any other directors in a live action film. Another positive for me about this film was the soundtrack. When I first started watching the film I expected to hear old time music prevalent in the 20s. I however was pleasantly surprised when I learned the soundtrack was compiled by Jay-Z and featured many tracks I enjoyed featuring him either alone or accompanied by another musical guest. While Jay-Z is not exactly an accurate representation of the music of the 20s, the soundtrack adds a modern flavour over the previously mentioned beautiful backgrounds and architecture. The story however is where the movie at times falls flat. When stripped down to basics it is nothing more than a generic love story with a few twists added in for extra kick. The characters in the same vain can be very bland and not make you care much for them due to their backstories not being deeply explored. The only character that I found to be interesting was Jay Gatsby because of the mystical aura that surrounds his character at the beginning of the movie that leads you to want to uncover more of this ever mysterious man. All in all the visuals clearly outpace

    Read More

  • Prohibition in the Great Gatsby

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    Prohibition was passed to eradicate the demand for liquor but had the inadvertent effect to raise the crime rates in American. Robert Scott stated, “Prohibition was supposed to lower crime and corruption, reduce social problems, lower taxes needed to support prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America” (Scott 2). As the demand for alcohol increased, people began to find new methods to mask the production and consumption of liquor. It became easier to break the rules. Organized crime blossomed and many law-abiding citizens turned into criminals. Court and prisons systems became over run and the drinking habits of American's changed for the worse.

    Read More

  • Free Great Gatsby Essays: Criticism of American Society

    869 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald is criticizing American society of the 1920s. He uses the characters to demonstrate the power than men had over women during these times, as well as their mindless, self-indulgent actions, where consequence was only an afterthought. The attitude towards and the role of women is shown throughout the novel. Fitzgerald also shows how many people in America during this time were delusional and had meaningless existences.

    Read More

  • Harlem Renaissance Thesis

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Roaring Twenties a period when a dramatic social and political change happened. Researching about Harlem was learning about how the people contributed more the music to America’s New Urban Culture. The Harlem Renaissance was a significant movement during the 1920s were African American artists were brought together, explored what it means to be an artist, what it is to create art and literature, as well as what it means to be a proud African American in a community, that influence each to stand-up together in a white-dominant culture, furthermore Harlem was a hotbed of political, cultural and social activity. While researching about the 1920’s, I found out so

    Read More

  • How Did American Culture Change During the Jazz Age?

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    What was the Jazz Age in America? Also known as the Roaring Twenties’, it was when American ways were beginning to modernize. Before the stock market had crashed and the Great Depression started, culture was booming in America. Dance was changing rapidly and new styles of dances were being created. Women began to wear shorter clothes, cut their hair, and some even had jobs, while the Flapper girls gave other young women an outlook of freedom. People began to go see films and movie stars became famous worldwide. During the Jazz Age, American culture was changing and Americans were becoming more finically affluent.

    Read More

  • Influence of Jazz on American Culture

    1953 Words  | 4 Pages

    Now a days, many believe that jazz is not that important of music genre, but with our history, jazz plays a big role. “Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but it is a gift that America has given to the world.”, quoted by Ahmad Alaadeen. Jazz in the 1920’s opened the eyes of whites and invited them into African American culture; it evolved Americans to where we are today since it brought a change to the music scene, an acceptance of African Americans, and a change of lifestyles.

    Read More

  • Jazz Age Research Paper

    1435 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cardel Blalock                                            5/4/17                                                    English                                                                      The Jazz Age:                    What is the Jazz Age ?The Jazz Age was a period in the 1920s , ending with the Great Depression in which jazz music and dance styles became popular in the United States. Despite of social and economic upheaval , the 1900s prospered as a whole. Society was experiencing a total new way of life , characterized by new technology that enabled Americans to relax and enjoy what life had offered to them . During the 1920s , America had felt weary and optimistic after the previous events from World War I but after new advances

    Read More

More about F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby Research Project

Open Document