Grace Beaulieu

Ms. Johnson

Expository Writing 110

05 May 2017

The Great Gatsby: A Satire of the 1920s

During the 1920s, the United States was roaring because of the exuberant and changing

culture that existed. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a book that highlights

these events. Within the book, Fitzgerald writes of grand parties, wealthy people, and love.

These events, people and themes are shown through the eyes of Nick Carraway, a young man

from the Midwest (Fitzgerald 03). However as Fitzgerald writes about these things, each main

character [including Nick] faces a struggle of some sort that heavily affects their lives. F. Scott

Fitzgerald uses these struggles and other events throughout The Great Gatsby to support his

writing of a satire that comments on the lifestyle and ideals of Americans during this time.

Throughout the story, the life of each character is used in some way to create a satire that

specifically comments on the lifestyle of Americans during the 1920s, the impossibility of the

American Dream, and how some American ideals were being forgotten.

Throughout The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald satirizes the lifestyle and habits of

Americans in the 1920s. One of the aspects Fitzgerald uses satire to show is how the exuberance

of Americans became truly materialistic. To show this, Fitzgerald writes about the extravagant,

over-the-top parties thrown by Gatsby, and how he spends tons of money on things that, to

certain people in certain times, are not necessarily needed. At each party Gatsby threw there was

a feast: gallons of juice made from lemons and oranges, baked hams, pigs, turkeys, and many
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appetizers. There were also drinks constantly circulating throughout the events, along with at a

bar, so guests rarely ever left without being highly intoxicated (Fitzgerald 40). In addition,

Gatsby always went above-and-beyond by hiring a full orchestra, filling his home and yard with

bright lights, and surrounding the party goers with flappers, singers, and very loud music

(Fitzgerald 41). The exaggerations of the parties thrown by Gatsby help to show how many

Americans went overboard when spending their money. Following World War I, the U.S.

economy was thriving and the profits being made were rising due to the fact that industries and

production of products in the U.S. had improved while fighting took place overseas. This was a

time when Americans were anxious to live enjoyable lives again, so their new, exuberant

lifestyles came out. Because of this new lifestyle, many Americans began to possess a need for

material things, and this need was caused by the need to impress others. In the case of Gatsby, he

used his wealth and his large amount of material things in attempt to impress Daisy Buchanan.

By exaggerating this lifestyle, F. Scott Fitzgerald is showing that the newfound materialism

during this time caused American society to fall into a downward spiral.

One of the biggest items that F. Scott Fitzgerald satirizes throughout the book is the

American Dream. While doing this he creates his own definition of the Dream. Through

Fitzgeralds eyes, the American Dream is a flawed fantasy made by having too much, which

relates to the wealthy of the 1920s. Those who went after the dream were those that had many

material and expensive things, and these things are what gave them the idea that they could one

day live the American Dream. However, they would at some point lose sight of their actual

dream and become wrapped up in the dreams of others, along with dreams that no longer existed.

To show this, Fitzgerald uses Gatsbys life events and efforts from throughout the book to
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exaggerate how the American Dream was nearly impossible. One main example is that Gatsby

spends a large part of his life doing everything he possibly can to have his American Dream,

which is to be with Daisy Buchanan, but no matter what he does she is always out of his reach.

To be more specific, Gatsby hosted such extravagant parties in hopes that Daisy would wander in

one night. He also purchased such luxuries as his piles of fancy shirts, which actually interested

and impressed Daisy very much (Fitzgerald 92). Although some of the things Gatsby did or

possessed had drawn Daisy in, there were other factors that kept her in Gatsbys reach (such as

her husband, Tom Buchanan). This shows that even if people like Gatsby have somewhat equal

opportunities and are a part of the wealthy class of Americans, nothing makes a difference in

their attainment of the American Dream. The American Dream was, at some time, something

that was easy to live/attain. However, because so many people began to take it for granted, by the

1920s most people (similar to Gatsby) struggled to have even a slight grasp at it. These failures

were something that altered how Americans continued to live their lives and approach future

opportunities.

Over the course of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses multiple characters to

create a satire commenting on how traditional American ideals were falling out of society during

the 1920s. One of the ideals Fitzgerald comments on is the decrease in the belief that all men are

created equal. To show this, Fitzgerald uses the example of how Tom Buchanan views George

Wilson as a useless person. Because George has less money and is struggling with his business,

Tom believes that it is okay to take advantage of his unstable state and see his wife, Myrtle

Wilson. Tom also has very harsh opinions of other people, including Gatsby, which you can tell

when he calls him Mr. Nobody from Nowhere while fighting with Daisy at The Plaza hotel
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(Fitzgerald 130). The exaggerations of Toms treatment of others help to show how during the

1920s privileged individuals began to act as if ordinary people didnt matter. This decade was a

time when many immigrants were entering the United States, and many of them were a part of

the lower class of new Americans. So the fact that many average and respectable people were

beginning to face more disrespect and cruelty from individuals that were a part of the upper class

is something that upset American society.

The second ideal that Fitzgerald uses satire to comment on is the falling out of loyalty

Americans had to their country. To show the falling out of this ideal, Fitzgerald exaggerates the

rumors about Gatsbys past choices of joining in business with Meyer Wolfsheim and serving as

a bootlegger of sorts. Crime was something that was somewhat prevalent during the 1920s, but it

was [of course] against the law and was frowned upon by many of those who didnt partake in it.

It can be gathered that Fitzgerald is commenting on this ideal because he uses an example that

shows that even a respectable individual (such as Gatsby) who has worked and wanted to

improve himself/herself could somehow be persuaded to disobey the rules of his/her country. It

was very common during the Prohibition even for high-ranking officials, such as police captains

or mayors, to take bribes and help assist bootleg operations in some way. Beginning in the

1920s, acts and events like these were leading to corruption and the damage of America.

Many of these are things that F. Scott Fitzgerald comments on in his satire that is The

Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald satirizes the lifestyle and habits of Americans throughout the decade,

the American Dream, and uses satire to show home commonly traditional American ideals were

dwindling from society. He also demonstrates how most of those who were a part of the lower

class felt a need to be part of the upper class of Americans in the 1920s. It matters that Fitzgerald
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made this satire because it shows that he viewed the 1920s as something different than it was.

The plot of the story seemed very similar to Fitzgeralds life because he had everything at the

beginning then it all unraveled in the end (F. Scott Fitzgerald). His point through all of this was

that there was a more complicated side to everything that took place and that some things may

not have been how they seemed. By writing a satire that comments of the American ideals of the

time, F. Scott Fitzgerald challenges them with his own [slight] opinions, and also gives readers

another way to view them.

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WORKS CITED

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Alchin, Linda. Effects of WWI on America. American Historama. Siteseen Ltd., Feb. 2017,

05 Apr. 2017.

Amadeo, Kimberley. What is the American Dream? Quotes and History. The Balance. About,

Inc.,

20 Feb. 2017, 25 Apr. 2017.

Boggs, Christina. Satire in The Great Gatsby. Study.com. Study.com, 2017, 05 Apr. 2017.

Examples of Satire About American Ideals in The Great Gatsby. Seattlepi. Hearst Seattle

Media,

LLC, 2017, 05 Apr. 2017.

F. Scott Fitzgerald. Biography. A & E Television Networks, LLC., n.d., 02 May 2017.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Charles Scribners Sons, 1925.

Materialism. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2017, 27 Apr. 2017.

The Roaring Twenties. History.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC., 2010, 06 Apr. 2017.

Themes and Construction: The Great Gatsby. Student Resources in Context. Gale, 2003, 27

Apr.
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2017.