1920s America
English Lit: AQA A Level The Great Gatsby - Specification A, topic 2.1.2
Roaring Twenties
The Great Gatsby is clearly set in the 1920s: an era sometimes labelled the ‘roaring Twenties’ and also the ‘Jazz Age’.
Reaction against World War One
- Some people regard the decade as a reaction against the gloom of World War One, when people became more secularised (i.e. they eschewed traditional Christianity and its moral codes), when they became more materialistic and when issues such as modern media, music and fashion started to influence society.
- Love and the way it was dealt with and explored by society also changed.
Age of Excess
- The result was that the 1920s was often regarded as something of an Age of Excess. This resulted in various clamp-downs in the next decade.
- In the United States of America, the 1930s witnessed the Great Depression and Prohibition.
Settings in The Great Gatsby
The novel is set in 1922 in the United States of America. The action takes places on the East Coast of America, close to New York City.
Macro (wider) settings
- Wider settings include:
- Long Island.
- East Egg.
- West Egg.
- The ‘Valley of the Ashes’.
- New York City.
Micro (smaller) settings
- Smaller settings include:
- Gatsby’s mansion.
- Wilson’s garage.
- Tom’s apartment.
- The Plaza Hotel.
- Central Park.
Test yourself on 1920s America
What did Americans experience in the 1930s?
Which were the 1920s NOT labelled as?
In which decade is The Great Gatsby set?
Which of these are true of The Great Gatsby?