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Delaney Guilou

Mr. Pace

Honors Junior Literature and Composition

December 21, 2022

Crimes Of The 1920’s Portrayed In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, highlights the scene of crimes

committed in the early 1920’s. The novel portrays the main character, Jay Gatsby, as a man who

uses illegal tactics to acquire the women he is in love with. The tactics Gatsby uses in the book

are a representation of regular crimes committed in the 1920’s. The Great Gatsby and the crimes

committed within the book gives readers a pessimistic view of the 1920’s. Including gambling

and bootlegging, the 1920’s are presented negatively, which gives the reader a conflicting image

of what is considered the roaring 20’s.

In The Great Gatsby we view Gatsby as romantic, becoming rich for Daisy, but that

wealth was a result of illegal gambling and bootlegging. From an article, “Gatsby as Gangster”,

the author, Thomas H. Pauly states, “He [Gatsby] is a dandy who buys expensive merchandise to

take on its desirability and to convince Daisy of his worthiness” (Pauly, Thomas). As seen,

readers do view Gatsby as this great, rich man, trying to impress the women he loves. Buying

expensive shirts and throwing excellent parties gives readers this view of a hardworking man in

love. Although he is hardworking, not all his money came from professional business, Gatsby

acquired most of his wealth from bootlegging and gambling, which was very popular in the

1920’s. The Great Gatsby follows a storyline similar to what life was actually like in the 1920’s.

From an article titled, “Mafia/Organized Crime”, Robert C. Cottrell stated, “With the ratification

of the Eighteenth Amendment, which officially ushered in Prohibition, criminals for the first
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time began to distribute illegal commodities on a nationwide basis. The number of syndicates

mushroomed. Smuggling, bootlegging, and brewing moonshine thrived” (Cottrell, Robert). The

evidence provided supports the criminal storyline in The Great Gatsby, the novel portrays these

negative, real aspects of the 1920’s that most people associate with the fun of the “roaring 20’s”.

These sources build on each other to read into the way Gatsby affirmed his money for Daisy by

illegal distribution of alcohol. The body paragraph supports the claim that the novel highlights

scenes of criminal activity in the early 1920’s by portraying the similarities within the book and

real life.

Speakeasies and saloons were also very popular in the 1920’s, and although extremely

illegal, these places became a prime stample of the “roaring 20’s”. Many folks disregarded the

legal aspect but when reading The Great Gatsby the popular crimes of the 1920’s became

apparent. In an article found on Gale Database, “Gangster Era” by the Gale Cengage Group it’s

stated, “There was still a strong desire for liquor. To meet this demand, a number of illegal

drinking establishments, called speakeasies and gin joints, popped up throughout the country.”

(Gale Database). The significance of this evidence highlights the popularity of illegally

distributed alcohol leading to the deeper understanding of the plot of Gatsby as a bootlegger.

This is demonstrated in the novel when Tom Buchanan calls out Gatsby for his wealth due to

bootlegging. In chapter 7 of the novel Tom quotes, "I found out what your 'drugstores' were. He

and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drugstores here and in Chicago and sold grain

alcohol over the counter. That's one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time

I saw him.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 133). The significance of this evidence helps shape the negative

view of the 1920’s for readers who may have portrayed Gatsby and other young millionaires in

the time of the roaring 20’s as hard workers, when most of their money came from the illegal
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distribution of alcohol. These two sources build on each other to provide context of how the

novel portrays how life wasn’t as glamorous as most people made it out to be. The evidence

provided here supports the idea that The Great Gatsby presented the 1920’s negatively by giving

reasoning as to why speakeasies and saloons were an illegal and an unfashionable way to live

life, contrary to what many may think.

Not only does F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, help to portray the illegal

actions taken place in the 1920’s, he also relates characters, like Meyer Wolfsheim, to real life

criminals. In the article, “Mafia/Organized Crime”, Robert C. Cottrell writes, “Although a

national organization had not emerged, talk abounded of conspiratorial fixes, particularly in the

wake of the 1919 World Series of Major League Baseball, in which several members of the

heavily favored Chicago White Sox cast their lot with gamblers to ensure a loss to the Cincinnati

Reds. The "big fixer" responsible for the scheme was reputed to be New York gambler Arnold

Rothstein” (Cottrell, Robert C.). The significance of this evidence is that this exact crime is

demonstrated in the novel, although as if one of the characters had committed it. This is

demonstrated in chapter 4 of the novel during a conversation between Gatsby and Nick. On page

73, Gatsby quotes, “Meyer Wolfsheim? No, he’s a gambler. He’s the man who fixed the World’s

Series back in 1919.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 73). The significance of this quote relating to an actual

crime that took place during the 1920’s gives readers another important instance where the

“roaring 20’s” were not as fabulous as one may have thought. These sources both confirm

criminal activity in the 1920’s, which is usually looked past, providing negative views for readers

within the book and real life. This body paragraph supports the claim that The Great Gatsby

gives readers a negative view of the 1920’s but outlining and showing no false truth to crimes

committed in the 1920’s.

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Bootlegging, gambling, and popular places like speakeasies and saloons, have all been

portrayed in the novel, The Great Gatsby, and hide no truth as to what life was really like during

the “roaring 20’s”. The comparison between all of these sources leads to the further question,

were the “roaring 20’s”, really so great, after reading about what crimes young up and coming

millionaires convicted to achieve money and status in life.

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Works Cited

Cottrell, Robert C. "Mafia/Organized Crime." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture Online,

Gale, 2013. Gale In Context: U.S. History,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/FHEJZG524062875/UHIC?u=mlin_n_newhigh&sid=bookmark-

UHIC&xid=64c01a11. Accessed 20 Dec. 2022.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott, et al. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.,

2020.

"Gangster Era." Gale U.S. History Online Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale In Context: U.S. History,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/WTPHIL563246847/UHIC?u=mlin_n_newhigh&sid=bookmark-

UHIC&xid=fd5207d1. Accessed 20 Dec. 2022.

Pauly, Thomas H. "Gatsby as Gangster." Studies in American Fiction, vol. 21, no. 2, autumn

1993, pp. 225+. Gale Literature Resource Center,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A14769861/LitRC?u=mlin_n_newhigh&sid=bookmark-LitRC&

xid=150a5669. Accessed 20 Dec. 2022.