the great gatsby
Texts are a product of the cultural context in which they are produced, therefore they often present a critique of that society's moral and social values. Texts of a certain era will frequently reflect the moral and social values of the time. The Great Gatsby was penned in America in the Jazz Age, a period of great hedonism that reflects people's determination to forget the suffering and losses of the First World War. In America the Jazz Age was a period of great economic expansion (there was a population shift to the cities, the emergence of modern industry, high wages and lavish spending) which gave people unprecedented wealth; materialism was rife, and people struggled to capture the promise of the American Dream - that individuals can achieve whatever they set their minds to, with effort and determination. However, this mood of superficial optimism masked a pervasive sense of disillusionment and moral confusion. Consumerism was proving an inadequate substitute for the old moral certainties. Daisy's lamenting cry, "What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon...and the day after that, and the next thirty years?" expresses the restlessness and spiritual penury of the generation. The story of The Great Gatsby is told throu
Nick's assurance that he is honest and reliable as a narrator is undermined later in the story as we discover that, for one, Nick's infatuation with Daisy makes him less cynical of her and causes him to overlook several of her character flaws. Bored, disaffected, they fill their days with empty plans and frivolous gestures. gh the eyes of Nick Carraway, who promises, in the opening of the novel, that he will be an honest, reliable, objective narrator. Nick describes Tom's restlessness; "I felt that Tom would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game". In The Great Gatsby, the writer, F. Cars also feature prominently in the story, as newfound wealth fueled the American fascination with cars in the Jazz Age. The lifestyles of the Buchanans and the Wilsons, so different superficially, are each characterized by a sense of futility and lack of purpose, attributes which reflected the Jazz Age existence. Their accounts combined reflect the moral and social values of the time. Eckleburg, a mere billboard advertisement, with the eyes of God [page 152]. The Buchanans exemplify the truism that money cannot buy contentment. This limited viewpoint is then broadened by accounts from various other 'witnesses' to the story. Tom Buchanan's 'immorality' - his affair with Myrtle, and the less than savory way he treated women; Gatsby's corrupt business affairs and bootlegging activities; Daisy's affair with Gatsby; the extravagant, hedonistic and self-indulgent parties held at Gatsby's mansion; and Wolfshiem's "gonnegtions" exemplified the moral decline of the Jazz Age. The West is portrayed as being parochial, while the East is described as a lively, exciting place bursting with opportunity. Cars in The Great Gatsby had ominous connotations and were used to symbolize bad relationships (Jordan Baker called Nick a "bad driver", with the implied meaning that he was bad at relationships), and cars in the story had much to do with accidents (Jordan Baker was involved in a car accident, and the drunken men at one of Gatsby's parties were also involved in a car accident) and death (Myrtle was run over by Daisy, who was speeding along in Gatsby's car).
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