F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Reflections on the Roaring Twenties

If the average reader were to pick a book that best characterized its time period, the choice would most likely be F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.” Fitzgerald, writing of the 1920s in the 1920s, proves to be an accurate judge of American character. His characters develop along lines of self indulgence, ignorance, and disregard for those outside of their realm (with the exception of Nick Carroway, who is the lone voice of disconcern). The story winds through flashbacks of moments never to be relived, inane conversation, and bouts of frustration with the culture of the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald’s book proves to be an astute observation of the time, capturing the angst and sadness lurking beneath the roar.

Fitzgerald’s characters were a reflection of the very vices he engaged in his personal life. The author was a renowned drinker, dancer, and carouser, marrying Zelda Sayre, a woman of similar temperament. Fitzgerald would leave the United States for Paris to live in an expatriate community of writers. His writing was not seen as soaring past his competitors until his first publishing success, “This Side of Paradise.” “The Great Gatsby” was born out of over 200 drafts and several short stories. Reviewers felt the book was a dud, citing its lack of substance as a reason for its failure to meet expectations. Fitzgerald’s life was difficult following this, with many articles to write in order to make money, Zelda passing on, and his less than stellar attempts to make it in Hollywood. Much like his characters, Fitzgerald proved to ensure his own demise.