A Time of Ultimate Freedom

A Time of Ultimate Freedom

The 1920's was a very revolutionary time for America.

Everything was undergoing drastic changes. People were becoming more

independent and self-centered. It was a time of immense social and

economic development. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald captures

some traits that define the 1920's. He shows how people broke free from

their shells of conservatism and followed their hearts

and fulfilled their dreams. Acquiring material things and wealth was

considered as the same as acquiring happiness in America

during these roaring twenties.

Fitzgerald emphasizes cars as a new mode of transportation

as well as a prize possession. His story emphasizes

cars as the things to have and a party as a place to be. He shows that

cars were a possession to show off among men as well

as a symbol of prestige. In Gatsby's mansion we "occasionally saw a

line of grey cars crawl along an invisible track" (26)

and park up next to the mansion, clearly demonstrating how people

arrived in their luxurious cars one by one and then partied

all night long. Moreover, if people couldn't come, Gatsby uses his own

shuttles to pick them up. Gatsby went at great lengths

to make sure the guests came to his party. It seemed as though these

cars gave Gatsby mobility and freedom. Cars in this novel

are used as a sign to show prestige and wealth as clearly displayed by

Gatsby. Wilson wanting Tom's car, symbolizes a kind

of business that is emerging. Cars were now on the market as

commodities. They could be used as bargaining chips for people

who could afford them. Lastly, cars also showed signs of affairs.

Wilson has a very inquisitive nature that helps him realize

that his wife was having an affair. When Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Nick

switch cars, Wilson realizes somehow there is an affair

going on. The author uses the cars to symbolize deceit and death. He

portrays the story as though the cars are a tool that

if misused can cause severe damage. The car that "Gatsby" was driving

left Myrtle so scared "as though she suffered from a

chill in the hot night" (148). Cars truly told the story of the

extravagant Gatsby who proudly shows off his jazzy car totally

unaware of the fact that it would be the cause of his downfall and

untimely death.

Much attention is given to the freedom of women during this

changing era. Women were no longer tied to the man they married

and because of this, men also lost virtues of honesty and the meaning

of family. Family and commitment had no meaning in the

society. Even though freedom of women brought dynamic changes to the

society, it could not avoid bringing adultery, distrust,

and jealousy. Unfaithfulness and betrayal reached its peak during this

era, is clearly portrayed by the characters Daisy,

Jordan, and Myrtle.

In the 1920s emancipated girls were called flappers and these

flappers are what these three girls really are. This novel

attacks the parts where women were especially free and will cross any

limits in order to achieve the dream of an intangible

paradise. First off, Jordan seems like the woman who just goes along

with the people. She flirts with Gatsby, Tom, and Nick

as freely as she wants. She just clings onto Tom and Daisy as the

author portrays. This girl lives a life of luxury by just

looking good. Jordan is the type of girl that lurks around with men and

seems like a woman that would not really commit to

anything or anyone. Then we also have Daisy. Daisy is the girl in every

novel that the story revolves the most around. She

is