Why Is Prohibition Important In The Great Gatsby

905 Words2 Pages

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Prohibition does not apply to the wealthy. The temperance movement believed that men went to bars and spent all the family’s money on alcohol and Prohibition (the 18th Amendment) passed in January 1920. Prohibition outlawed the manufacture, transportation, importation, and sale of intoxicating liquors in America. Congress felt that this would help improve society and show that the government had control over the citizens. After the start of Prohibition, bootleggers started smuggling alcohol in from Canada and overseas. They would forge prescriptions to get “medicinal” whiskey, and would make their own alcohol. Gatsby uses Prohibition and the drug store business to build his wealth. His business is likely known by authorities and Prohibition agents because drug stores fill prescriptions, which were likely forged or obtained illegally, for “medicinal” whiskey. Because of the demand and limited ways to get alcohol, drug stores grew and profited greatly. Even Walgreens in Chicago grew from just 20 stores to over 400 during the 1920s. Tom Buchanan is determined to find out how Gatsby became wealthy, because he is convinced that Gatsby is a fraud and accuses Gatsby of being a bootlegger. After having him investigated, Tom finds out about how Gatsby acquired all of his money because of the “‘drug stores’ [that Gatsby and] Wolfsheim bought up […] in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. [Tom adds that] that’s one of …show more content…

As the police man comes up to Gatsby and Nick, Gatsby pulls out “a white card from his wallet, waved it before the man’s eyes. [The policeman response to the white card with] ‘Right you are know you next time, Mr. Gatsby. Excuse me’”. The officer apologizes to him because Gatsby probably did something for the policeman in the past like supply him with alcohol or pay him to look the other

Open Document