Introduction: The purpose of this wiki is to inform passionate readers of the Great Gatsby the role that the historical/cultural/socio-political climate of the 1920s plays in the novel. The 1920's was a great period filled with innovations and discoveries. It was a period during history in which women started to become more liberal especially evinced in the new flapper image in which women would wear looser clothing and gaudy makeup. At the same time, Fitzgerald aptly shows us that it was a time period filled with corruption. In fact, the crime rate reached its peak during the 1920's. Fitzgerald, along with other prominent writers such as Ernest Hemingway, was part of a the "lost generation" of writers who were increasingly dillusioned by the American society they were living in, a society shaped dramatically by World War I. In the following page, we have categorized the passages into the topics they best reflect of the time period. In doing so, we seek to answer this question: Is the Great Gatsby an accurate portrayal of the majority of people living during the 1920's or is it merely a glimpse of a high class society?

 

By: George Abraham, Hojae Jin, Billy Min 

 

            

 

 

 

 

 Economy-

 

-Industry (technology)

-Middle class/rich differences

 

Will's Post

 

Who is he, anyhow, an actor?”

“No.”

“A dentist?”

“Meyer Wolfshiem? No, he’s a gambler.” Gatsby hesitated, then added cooly: “He’s the man who fixed the World’s Series back in 1919.”

The idea staggered me. I remembered, of course, that the World Series had been fixed in 1919, but if I had thought of it at all I would have thought of it as a thing that merely happened, the end of some inevitable chain. It never occurred to me that one man could start to play with the faith of fifty million people-with the single-mindedness of a burglar blowing a safe.

“How did he happen to do that?” I asked after a minute.

“He just saw the opportunity.”

“Why isn’t he in jail?”

“They can’t get him, old sport. He’s a smart man.” (77-78)

 

This passage is very important because it pertains to a certain type of people that were growing during the roaring 20’s: men who had a growing cupidity for wealth.  Meyer Wolfsheim is based on Arnold Rothstein, the real man who fixed the 1919 World Series, and is the epitome of someone who was doing anything for wealth at that time.

 F. Scott Fitzgerald utilized this character and scene for a number of reasons.  The first reason is to try and capture part of the zeitgeist of the generation of “New money,” such as those who lives in West Egg, like Gatsby.  He depicts these people as gaining wealth through dishonest means, and this character represents that.  At this time, there were notable “Robber Barons,” [FROM WHERE DID YOU GATHER THIS TERM?] businessmen who acquired wealth through dishonest manners.  Some notable “Robber Barons” were John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, who held great wealth, yet not always honest wealth.  Again, even the top businessmen from the era were participating in dishonest ways, and this pertains to the way Fitzgerald depicts Wolfsheim [I would not describe Wolfsheim as a "top businessman"--he is one operates in the margins of society--the underground world of gangsters.].  What Fitzgerald shows is that the “new money” was not always sought through just means, and though not everyone went to the extent that Rothstein did, dishonesty still happened- [well, neither did people of so-called Old Money, as you point out with Rockefeller and Carnegie--businessmen who were scene as respectable pillars of capitalism, philanthropists, indeed.]

 The second function of this scene is to show the contrast between Nick and Gatsby.  Gatsby casually speaks of Wolfshiem’s actions, while Nick thinks deeply about the act, and how one greedy man can affect the fate of so many.  This contrast is important, because it shows the ignorance of Nick towards the “New Wealth”-class, and the almost disturbing nonchalance that Gatsby has while discussing the fixing of a World Series.  Further, Gatsby’s calmness shows that he is immune to such kinds of actions proving that a great deal of dishonest money is circulating within the “New Wealth”-class. 

 A topic that was brought up in class, was the generalization made about Wolfsheim as “A small flat-nosed Jew,” who was greedy and deceitful in his gains for wealth.  This could be an indication that a great deal of anti Semitism was occurring at the time, and that even an educated writer, Fitzgerald, referred to stereotypes.  Then again, Fitzgerald may have been trying to get a point across that many people were, not necessarily himself, but that stereotypes were occurring at the time. [THIS MUCH ALSO BE TRUE OF FITZGERALD]

  The passage gives great insight on the many types of people who were merging during the unique years of the raring 20’s.

 

 

 

 

Political-

 

-Corruption

 

1) Ary's Post

Page 23 “About half way between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land. This is the valley of ashes- a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powerdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up into the leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight” ( Fitzgerald 23)

             This passage had so many layers of symbolism that became more evident after I finished the book. At first, The Valley of Ashes represents the moral and social decay that results from belonging to the lower class, as the rich only worry for their pleasures. It symbolizes the unfortunate conditions of the lower class, like George and Myrtle Wilson, who live among the dirty ashes and lose their durability as a result. The ash and dust, is not only a reflection of the corruption of the American dream, but of the negative consequences of the pursuit of the American dream. The Valley of Ashes also embodies the decline of spiritual life and the degradation of values associated with the vulgar pursuit of wealth. Images of death and hopelessness are associated with the valley of Ashes, and this describes the consequences of striving to move up the social ladder.

However, farm images and images of death are juxtaposed in the Valley of Ashes. This “fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat” shows the ugliness of the failure of the American dream, but illustrates the necessity of this failure so people like Tom and Daisy Buchanan can live their lavish lifestyle. In addition, food, which is the main product of a farm, is replaced with industrial ashes.  This eludes to how innovation and industrialism is beginning to turn people away from humane characteristics.  This careless lifestyle comes at the cost of those in the Valley of Ashes, who are forced to realize the consequences of their actions. The death of Myrtle Wilson in the Valley of Ashes sets off the chain of events that lead to the death of Gatsby and his dream. As we talked in class about the vivid details of Gatsby’s death, of his body burning up in ashes, the image of the Valley of Ashes sparked in my mind. His death returns him back to the Valley of Ashes, with the sullen lower class who also failed to reach their aspirations. James Gatz spent his entire life pretending to be James Gatsby, an upper class elite, but ends up in the piles of ashes among the stark lower class. Fitzgerald’s diction and stunning descriptions of The Valley of Ashes were interweaved into many different passages throughout the book and kept bleak this image in my mind.

 

2) George's Post

 

“Can’t STAND them.” She looked at Myrtle and then at Tom.

 

“What I say is, why go on living with them if they can’t stand them? If I was them I’d get a divorce and get married to each other right away.”

 

“Doesn’t she like Wilson either?”

 

The answer to this was unexpected. It came from Myrtle, who had overheard the question, and it was violent and obscene.

 

“You see,” cried Catherine triumphantly. She lowered her voice again. “It’s really his wife that’s keeping them apart. She’s a Catholic, and they don’t believe in divorce.”

(Fitzgerald 38)

 

 

This passage from chapter 2 consists of the conversation between Nick and Catherine, Daisy’s sister.

 

 They don’t believe in divorce? How is Tom’s unfaithful relationship with Myrtle justified? After reading this passage, I realized the hypocrisy prevalent in this high class society that Fitzgerald portrays. There are these supposed rules and unwritten guidelines that everyone is supposed to follow, yet underneath this seemingly ethical society, there is an underlying corruption.

 

 

In this part of the passage, Catherine tells the perplexed Nick that Tom cannot get divorced with Daisy merely because she is Catholic. Does that really make sense? First of all, Tom is committing adultery, breaking one of the Ten Commandments. If Tom has a mistress in the first place, why does he care what Daisy wants? Again, Tom acts suspiciously when he breaks Myrtle’s nose later on in the chapter merely because she said Daisy’s name repeatedly. It seems that Tom wants his image in public to be intact. According to this high class society, getting a divorce is bad, but it condones engaging in secret, licentious activities.

 

 Tom is not the only character in the novel that acts contradictory; this is prevalent in people such as Meyer Wolfsheim. At first he seems like very a nice person, later on, however, we discover that he rigged the 1919 World Series. This reminds me of a boy who appears nice to everyone, everyone thinks he is an angel, but in actuality, he engages in indecent activities. All the characters in the novel are like this nice little boy, everyone has something to hide.

 

 It is interesting to see Nick juxtaposed with the other characters in the novel. He is this innocent bystander who is trying to mind his own business, but is getting sucked up into this lewd society through his curiosity and through the relationships he has with people. In the end, will Nick conform to this manipulative, hypocritical society? I hope not.

 

 

 

 

-Boss rule

 -Business  Run Politics

 

1) Will Maxfield:

 

We backed up to a gray old man who bore an absurd resemblance to John D. Rockefeller.  In a basket swung from his neck cowered a dozen very recent puppies of an indeterminate breed.

 

    “What kind are they?” asked Mrs.  Wilson eagerly, as he came to the taxi-window.

    “All kinds.  What kind do you want, lady?”

    “I’d like to get one of those police dogs; I don’t suppose you got that kind?”

    The man peered doubtfully into the basket, plunged in his hand and drew one up, wriggling, by the back of the neck.

    “That’s no police dog,” said Tom.

    “No, it’s not exactly a police dog,” said the man with disappointment in his voice.  “It’s more of an Airedale.” He passed his hand over the brown wash-rag of a back.  “Look at that coat.  Some coat.  That’s a dog that’ll never bother you with catching cold.”

    “I think it’s cute,” said Mrs.  Wilson enthusiastically.  “How much is it?”

    “That dog?” He looked at it admiringly.  “That dog will cost you ten dollars.”

    The Airedale—undoubtedly there was an Airedale concerned in it somewhere, though its feet were startlingly white—changed hands and settled down into Mrs.  Wilson’s lap, where she fondled the weather-proof coat with rapture.

    “Is it a boy or a girl?” she asked delicately.

    “That dog?  That dog’s a boy.”

    “It’s a bitch,” said Tom decisively.  “Here’s your money.  Go and buy ten more dogs with it.”

 

This passage is important because it gives insight on Tom, the way people acted during the “Roaring 20’s” and it contains a reference that I am still attempting to fully decipher.

 

             Tom only speaks twice during this passage, and what he says is abrupt, rude, and belittling.  His first line does not convey much about his character, besides the fact that Tim is not the friendliest man.  The second time he speaks he abruptly says,“It’s a bitch…Here’s your money.  Go and buy ten more dogs with it.”  Firstly, this shows Tom’s excessive splurging, and disregard for money, because he merely hands the man more than enough money and does not seem to care about the extra money he gave away.  This ‘wasteful’ spending was seen among many during the early 20^th century, and a term that became popular regarding the upper-class’s spending was “conspicuous consumption.”  This “conspicuous consumption” could be seen as the wealthy bought large homes, threw large parties, and drove nice cars.  What makes this passage special is that it shows “conspicuous consumption” on a lower scale that we can all relate to: an interaction with a small salesman.  Fitzgerald captured the behavior of so many during that time in such a down-to-earth example which gives the reader even better insight on the time period.

             Secondly, this shows Tom’s constant tendencies to make himself more dominant than those around him.  In this example he does so through the use of money, but he has also attempted to remain dominant amongst those around him by cheating on his wife, spending large amounts of money, hitting women, and racial superiority.  All these factors contribute to Tom’s zeal for greatness, yet he never seems to achieve what he once did during his years as a football star at Yale.  The fact that he never feels this dominance again “make(s) him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart.”  Tom has become weaker as he tries to become stronger than those around him.  By giving the man more money than needed and saying a condescending comment is an instance where Tom tries to make himself feel dominant. Further, this interaction between Tom and the man selling the dogs reveals a great deal about Tom, and gives insight on how the wealthy sometimes acted.

             The allusion that I am still in bewilderment over is the John D. Rockefeller reference.  Rockefeller was considered a “Robber Baron” during his day, which meant he gained wealth by sometimes dishonest means.  The man seems to resemble this slightly as he tries to sell a dog that they do not actually want, and succeeds in doing so, while making great profit.

 

 

2) Karl Foley

After a little while Mr. Gatz opened the door and came out, his mouth ajar, his face flushed slightly, his eyes leaking isolated and unpunctual tears.  He had reached an age where death no longer has the quality of ghastly surprise, and when he looked around him now for the first time and saw the height and splendor of the hall and the great rooms opening out from it into other rooms his grief began to be mixed with an awed pride.  I helped him to a bedroom upstairs; while he took off his coat and vest I told him that all arrangements had been deferred until he came. (Fitzgerald 176)

This passage shows the reaction of Gatsby’s father, Mr. Gatz, to his son’s house.  The giant beautiful house represents all of Gatsby’s wealth, but also his poverty.

The pride Mr. Gatz feels is clearly described as he sees all that his son had made of himself.  James Gatz set out many years ago to try to achieve his dream, and in the eyes of his father, he did.  Gatsby expertly built his fortune from practically nothing, and by this his ardor and skill is obvious.  Still, he was just as deprived as he was great.  What success he had in the business world he terribly lacked in his personal life.  We’ve all heard money cannot buy you happiness, but Gatsby epitomizes this, and in the end we feel truly sorry for him.   As he is laying in his pool, realizing he has “paid a high price for living too long with a single dream” (169), and so it seems Gatsby died a regretful, unhappy man – a “poor son-of-a-bitch” (183).

Although Mr. Gatz’s pride is heartwarming, the irony mocks the sentimental moment.  Gatsby was lacking love and friendship, and from this we see how he was not truly wealthy at all.  Despite all his attempts, he was never truly accepted in the eyes of the East Egg rich.  His grand house represents his accomplishments, achieving the American dream in the economic sense, but the emptiness of it is a clear symbol for the remaining gap between him and the wealthy social class as wells as his loneliness.

Overall we see Gatsby gets the worst of both social worlds (the poor life he was born into and the new rich life he achieved) as he still seems to be discriminated against as an outsider and also experiences the crooked, morally depraving life of a “rags to riches” businessman .

How attainable is this “American dream” nowadays? Is our version any different? In America today, are we honestly more morally concerned/aware?

 

 

  Cultural-

 

-Lost Generation

-Jazz Age

-Harlem renaissance

-sports

 

Hojae's Post

 

pg. 49-50 On a chance we tried an important-looking door, and walked into a high Gothic library, panelled with carved English oak, and probably transported complete from some ruin overseas.

            A stout, middle-aged man with enormous owl-eyed spectacles was sitting somewhat drunk on the edge of a great table...

            “What do you think?” he demanded impetuously.         

            “About what?”    

            He waved toward the book-shelves.  “About that. As a matter of fact you needn’t bother to ascertain. I ascertained. They’re real.”  “The books?”  He nodded.   “Absolutely real – have pages and everything. I thought they’d be a nice durable cardboard. Matter of fact they’re absolutely real.” (49-50) 

 

            This passage says many things about the time period in which this novel is portraying. This book was published in 1925, in the midst of the Roaring Twenties, what is also known as the Jazz Age. After WWI, America’s stock market soared, and materialism and individualism became a new trend as well. Gatsby is also one of the people who became very wealthy in this era. However, as the stock market crash of 1929 showed, many of these wealthy were somewhat superficial and shallow, showing their wealth conspicuously. However, their moral and human values inside their wealth were deteriorating, at least according to Fitzgerald.

            This middle-aged man sitting in Gatsby’s great library first thinks Gatsby is another wealthy person whose wealth is only superficial and conspicuous. However, after checking the books, he realizes that the books are real – that they are not cardboard but authentic books. This shows that Gatsby is different from “normal” wealthy people of that age. This difference is also shown in Gatsby’s unending love towards Daisy, and the fact that Gatsby does not drink. While many guests in Gatsby’s parties and Tom illustrate the delusion of the age, cheating on their spouses, drinking, gambling, and constantly parting, Gatsby stands firm as a person with integrity, trying to be conventional in a sense that he is not following the trends of the new era that is sweeping all the people.  

            So I think this passage says a lot about the setting and the time era in which the novel is written, in addition to Gatsby’s defiance of the disillusioned trends. We see that Gatsby is struggling to keep his integrity, because although he might be denying all the trends, he is still very wealthy, and we do not know for sure how he got all his money from. 

 

 

Social-

-Immigration Laws 

-Classes

 

1) Jeremy's Post

 

Page 22: “The instant here voice broke off, ceasing to compel my attention, my belief, I felt the basic insincerity of what she had said. It made me uneasy, as though the whole evening had been a trick of some sort to exact a contributory emotion from me. I waited, and sure enough, in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.”

 

Daisy seems to represent the typical upper class female in the early 20th century. Interestingly enough, despite her good economical fortune and social status, she is extremely uneasy and makes awkwardly imposing remarks to others, in particular the narrator. As a part of this upper class, she has an ego that needs to be nourished quite frequently, and she thirsts for recognition of her social ranking. She throws herself out there, flirting frivolously and begging others to acknowledge her marital achievements and her economic status. This recognition fuels her to continue her charade despite her inner contempt.

Daisy also tries to appeal to everyone and please people with her comments. Her remarks are meant to produce approving gestures from others rather than convey anything that she actually feels. In addition, she constantly asks people if they want to hear what she is about to say, presumably so that she has confirmation of their interest. Once again, this confirmation feeds her conscience, making her feel important and recognized.

         Her character appears to be a criticism of the time period. The early 1900’s, sometimes called the “Gilded Age,” was a time filled with ostentatious displays of wealth. However, the character of Daisy shows us the tension and reality underneath the grand parties and ballrooms. Fitzgerald is also showing us that economic gains are achieved at much emotional cost, for here is a woman with everything imaginable who is tainted with cynicism and sorrow.

         Finally, Daisy believes that she and Tom are part of a special secret society. This might explain why she still remains powerless in her marriage. It seems as though she is still in love with him, as she was when her marriage began. This becomes evident because despite her husband having an affair right in front of her eyes, she has done little to resolve what makes her uncomfortable. True love for Tom seems to be a viable reason, and perhaps she feels that speaking her mind would only anger him and thus hurt her even more. As the book progresses, we will definitely have to pay attention to how her role in her marriage evolves, and considering her inner turmoil, this change seems inevitable. 

 

2)

Eunice Pak's Post

 

Passage:

“I see you’re looking at my cuff buttons.” I hadn’t been looking at them, but I did now.

They were composed of oddly familiar pieces of ivory.

“Finest specimens of human molars,” he [Mr. Wolfsheim] informed me.

“Well!” I inspected them. “That’s a very interesting idea.”

“Yeah.” He flipped his sleeves up under his coat. “Yeah, Gatsby’s very careful about women. He would never so much as look at a friend’s wife.”

When the subject of this instinctive trust returned to the table and sat down Mr. Wolfsheim drank his coffee with a jerk and got to his feet.

“I have enjoyed my lunch,” he said, “and I’m going to run off from you two young men before I outstay my welcome.”

“Don’t hurry, Meyer,” said Gatsby, without enthusiasm. Mr. Wolfsheim raised his hand in a sort of benediction.

“You’re very polite, but I belong to another generation,” he announced solemnly. “You sit here and discuss your sports and your young ladies and your——” He supplied an imaginary noun with another wave of his hand. “As for me, I am fifty years old, and I won’t impose myself on you any longer. (76-77)

 

Analysis: 

Fitzgerald craftily uses the “show not tell” policy; rarely does he have his narrator, Nick, say anything direct about the people around him – instead, he chooses to leave his readers with an ample amount of clues concerning their characters, via visual description, names, particular actions the character takes, or even through a simple conversation. The reading audience is then left to take the role of placing judgment, a role which Nick wishes to avoid.

 

In chapter four, such method of character revelation can be especially pinpointed when Mr. Wolfsheim, a Jew, is first introduced. In this scene, Fitzgerald doesn't hesitate to dive right into his character and to leave a trail of crumbs for his attentive readers to follow and savor.Mr. Wolfsheim’s immediate change of heart, for example, from “This is a nice restaurant here,” to “but I like across the street better!” (74) upon the sight of the Presbyterian nymphs on the ceiling hints at the religious hostility of the era. The story of Rosy’s tragic death which follows gives the impression that his suspicious background could partially, or largely, have stemmed from religious discrimination. Then, his curious inspection of the people around him could be an indication of the insecurities triggered by the surrounding crowd, a crowd which he did not belong to. The emphasis on his accent on page 76 – saying “Oxford” like “Oggsford” – further isolates him from the surrounding people as being different. The sudden, seemingly random, mentioning of his cuff buttons, made of human teeth, could have been an attempt to show off, or to portray himself as a tough man superior to Nick – perhaps because he felt threatened in such an area which he did not belong to, and he felt the need to prove himself stronger. Finally, after feeling intimidated and isolated due to exterior factors, Mr. Wolfsheim reveals himself to be a contributor to that distance when he classifies himself as “belong[ing] to another generation.” (77)

 

Yet despite these identified differences and the obvious gap which sits between Mr. Wolfsheim and both Gatsby and Nick, I believe that Fitzgerald also intends to show us the similarities which links these different groups of people together.In fact, I dare venture to say that all characters of The Great Gatsby thus far relate in that they all have an appearance that they wish to keep up: Daisy wants to give off the impression that she is living the perfect life; Tom wants to show himself off as a wealthy, strong, and intelligent person; Myrtle wants to assert herself as a wealthy girl, deeply in love with someone who reciprocates those feelings just the same, etc.

 

Perhaps Fitzgerald is trying to make a point – that despite the discrimination between these diverse groups of people during this time period, unaware of it themselves, they are actually all related in that they each have their own fair share of insecurities. Maybe if they could just see past those differences, they would come to realize that.

 

3) Jacob's passage

Passage:

“Out of the corner of his eye Gatsby saw that the blocks of the sidewalk really formed a ladder and mounted to a secret place above the trees-he could climb to it, if he climbed alone, and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder” (117). 

This particular passage points to the heavenly nature of Jay Gatsby, the very qualities that give the novel its name as "The Great Gatsby". Though the imagery provided in the above passage is beautiful and romantic, with the sidewalk "white with moonlight" and the cool atmosphere and "quiet lights," the message Fitzgerald is attempting to convey is saddening from a retrospective viewpoint (117). Knowing that the story ends with the tragic murder of  Gatsby and the failed romance between him and Daisy, the incarnation that occurs in this scene, with Gatsby kissing Daisy, with her lips blossoming like a flower, seems to be the regrettably temporary demonstration of the American Dream, an analogy to typical notions in the roaring 1920s. Apparently, the dream can never completely be fulfilled. While one may possess love, he cannot possess wealth. It must be noted that the sidewalk scene occurred five years prior to the present, and while Gatsby may have attained a level of divine, almost heavenly romanticism on that one autumn night, he did not protract a fiscal glory. He was not a citizen of West Egg; nor did he host lavish parties at a mansion home. Fitzgerald is providing foresight into Gatsby’s sanguine future life: the concept that, though he may obtain wealth, he can only do it alone. The wonder of the “incomparable milk” that wealth provides can only be gulped alone: love must wait (117).

It is unfortunate that even as Gatsby is kissing Daisy, he knows that his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. He would never feel that same sense of overwhelming warmth and divinity that love so sensuously provides. The close parallel between Gatsby and the moon and stars makes him into a sort of heavenly figure, shortly capable of the American dream. When we return to the present, Nick is breathless and mute. Fitzgerald writes “what I had almost remembered was uncommunicable forever” (118). The whole illustration conveys a sort of God-man encounter, in which Gatsby represents a deity and Nick is the secular entity. The description of Gatsby as the son of God multiple times throughout the story confirms the importance the dream has in American urban society during the 1920s. Jay Gatsby is this heavenly body capable of being the extraordinary, the unprecedented, and Nick, who knows him well, stands in awe. The image illustrated in the above passage places the “Oxford man” above everything else: his suit radiates in the glow of the moon and stars. This depiction serves to define Gatsby as a man looked upon in favor by the heavens.

 

The retrospective glance that finishing this book provides is a testament to the disaster of change. Time transforms both Gatsby and Daisy, and five years later, the scenario is far less romantic, optimistic, and poetic. Society kills off Jay Gatsby, initially figuratively, but later, physically. Gatsby is haunted by economic stigmas and his dark past, his older name. He is assaulted by the antagonist, Tom Buchanan, who manifests the anti-American dream entity, the obstacle to James’ attainment of love. Ultimately, the “Great Gatsby” is murdered by George Wilson, and any possibility of fulfillment of the dream perishes. Thus, Fitzgerald defines the 1920s as an age of people driven towards an impossible goal, an intangible dream.