The purpose of this paper is to analyze how F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby offers a view into the "Roaring Twenties." Fitzgerald relates prohibition and crime into his book due to the period in which the book took place. Prohibition and crime were combined in this period because of rebellion. Fitzgerald stresses the need for hope and dreams to give meaning and purpose to man's efforts. The Great Gatsby is about what happened to the American Dream during the 1920s, an era when the dream had been corrupted by the relentless pursuit of wealth. In this book, the pursuit of the American Dream and the pursuit of a romantic dream are the ultimate causes of the downfall of the book's main character, Jay Gatsby. The American Dream is based on the idea that any person, no matter what they are, can become successful in life by his or her hard work
             The beginning of prohibition took place in the twenties, the Roaring Twenties. It was a major turning point in American history. In 1920 the eighteenth amendment was made, that very night every saloon was closed down. "Prohibition is an awful flop. We like it. It can't stop what it's meant to stop. We like it. It's left a trail of graft and slime; it doesn't prohibit worth a dime, it's filled our land with vice and crime. Nevertheless, we're for it." (Franklin P. Adams) Bootleggers trafficked alcohol into the United States from Canada, Mexico, and the West Indies and sold it to many people. These criminals also opened some places where they could sell their beverages at very high prices. These places were called 'speakeasies,' and they were found mostly in the attics and highest floors of various hotels. There all kinds of people gathered, from criminals to corrupted chiefs of police and mayors. These people drank, smoked, and danced all night long. Drinking was accepted in society and those who threw the parties were those of high class. "The Great Gatsby is an exploration of the American d...