Time and Place in the Great Gatsby

The novel The Great Gatsby, written by F Scott Fitzgerald, has provided a sense of time and place of the society in 1920’s America. By clearly establishing the setting of the story, the author is enabled to rationally criticize the flaws he perceives in the social structure of his times. The context clarifies the issues that he explores, which includes the degradation of the American dream, the corrupted conquest of spiritual development by materialism, the inequitable class system and the imbalance of power between the genders.

The setting of this novel plays a significant role in distinctly establishing the historical perspective of events as well as the societal values prevalent at the time. The narrative is set in 1920’s America near New York. The First World War had just ended and an opposite reaction against the suffering and hardships of war swept through the nation. This came in the form of a diametric change to lifestyle, attitude and the general outlook on life. The austerity of war time was determinedly pushed to the boundaries of memory, to be replaced by gaiety, high living and the seeking of wild pleasures.

The parties hosted by Gatsby represent the attitudes of society as a whole – “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” Pertinent descriptions of the people who attend these parties can be made. Subsequently, their mindlessness and shallowness in their hedonistic behaviour are portrayed as the symptoms of an illness which festered in society.

This was also the Age of Prohibition in which the consumption and supply of alcohol were declared illicit. Due to the inability of this law to be effectively enforced, corruption became rampant and gangsterism saw its golden era. New easy money could be made. Wolfsheim is a sinister representation of these underworld activities, as do the true origins of Gatsby’s money – “… I carry on a little business on the side… a rather confidential sort of thing.” Jazz music, the Charleston dance and motor cars were introduced. This period, known as the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age and the Aspirin Age saw society profusely peopled with caricatures who cared for nothing except for the satisfaction of their pleasures. This led to amorality, insubstantiality in character and an increasingly vulgar decadence.

The degradation of the American dream – a dream of an ideal world where all humankind had equal rights to pursue happiness, freedom and hope – is reflected by the stagnation of society. The idealistic American dream seems to have been shattered by the corruption and materialism of the higher classes. What is additionally shown to be tragic is the loss of spiritual depth in the working classes, illustrated by the self-destructive ambition to climb the social ladder (represented by Myrtle Wilson) and the apathetic lack of aspirations (represented by George Wilson). Power based on gender has been addressed by the negative portrayal of female characters and the dominant positions that men hold in the patriarchal society.

Characterisation in the novel is especially important in drawing certain responses from the reader for the aspects of society that each character represents. Contrasts can be made between the lifestyles of the classes. The Buchanans, through their contemptuous dialogue when referring to “new”money, affected gestures and artificial responses, demonstrate that they are only alive when indulging in worldly materialism. They are dead to all sense of decency and genuine feeling.

Tom Buchanan’s power and arrogance is derived from his physical bulk and large inheritance of respectable “old” money. He controls everyone through implied physical intimidation, such as in – “… his determination to have my company bordered on violence.” This referred to Tom wanting to show the narrator his mistress, like showing off a prized possession. Daisy Buchanan is quickly indicated to be a shallow character. Her voice is described to be “full of money” and her graceful affectations – “[her] murmur was only to make people lean toward her” give her a façade of insincerity and emptiness.

Gatsby’s character, by contrast, is infused with energy and vigour. His hopes, dreams and subsequent actions to reach them gives him life and vitality – “He had thrown himself into [his dream] with a creative passion…” Gatsby’s had a purpose in life, in contrast to the Buchanan’s aimlessness, even though his one object of desire had to be gained through the construction of a façade and the ostentatious display of wealth.

The narrative point of view is taken through the eyes of Nick Carraway. A reason that pertain to him being a reliable narrator is his inherent nature in withholding judgment – “I’m inclined to reserve all judgments.” Other reasons include his background from the Mid-West, associated with traditional family values, his links between each character, his honesty – “I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known”, and finally, his naïvety in the corrupt relations among the wealthy. The retrospective plot enables him to tell the story with some consideration on what he had learnt from the course of events and with the benefit of fore-knowledge.

Tone of the narrator is important in defining his opinion of the comments made by other characters and in the description of setting. Nick occasionally injects sarcasm or a sense of irony in his critical analysis of various people. Through sarcastic replies and personal ironic thoughts, he can act as a mouthpiece for the author to ridicule society’s love for affectation and malicious gossip. The description of the setting is another medium by which Nick can give his negative impressions of society. The impression given of Myrtle’s apartment – “… crowded to the doors with … tapestried furniture entirely too large for it…” is a pretense of wealth. It is obviously overdone and instead of showing taste, she has only displayed her avaricious desire for money.

The audience is thereby positioned through these interdependent techniques to abhor the Buchanans because of their lack of spiritual insight and the people who attend Gatsby’s parties because of their innate parasitic nature – “People were not invited – they went there.”"Her laughter, her gestures, her assertaions became more violently affected.”"Can’t repeat the past?… Why of course you can!” Nick himself is placed as the balance point between the extremes of the forces of idealism, unreality and romanticism as opposed to materialism, insubstantiality and worldliness. Myrtle is also despised as she chases materialistic goals by putting on shallow performances – The audience, however, sympathises with Gatsby, even though we may disapprove of his overwhelmingly unrealistic fantasy of repeating the past -

Imagery and symbolism are the major constituents which give the story greater meaning and depth. A symbolic colour, yellow, which is mentioned frequently may indicate the colour of champagne and the gold of money, both of which, during the Prohibition, were a sign of corruption. This connection can be made with the knowledge of the context. Gatsby’s real person can be segregated from his façade by the symbolic differentiation of his room from the rest of the house – “His bedroom was the simplest room of all…” Gatsby’s true person had depth but the enormity and vast fantasy of his aspirations had forced him to don the all-concealing cloak of ostentation and insubstantiality. The imagery used to describe the “valley of the ashes” contrasts its oppressive, static environment with the airy, chaotic pulsation of Gatsby’s parties.

The opposition of the ways of life between the two classes is categorised by the broad division of East and West Egg. The initial descriptions of their physical appearance – “… identical in contour… physical resemblance a source of perpetual wonder” are ironically contrasted with the tags society places on them – “West Egg… the less fashionable, a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and sinister contrast between them.” That a person can be pre-judged by where he resides, the type of money he has (old or new) and the rumours surrounding his background – all display the foundation of social relations, based on fraudulence and facades.

Women in the novel are depicted as being overpowered by men both socially and physically. An example is when Tom casually resorts to physical violence to settle a meaningless argument with Myrtle – “… broke her nose with his open hand.” In a patriarchal society, the ideal woman should only have an ornamental role – “gorgeous, scarcely human orchid of a woman.” They are only possessions. Even Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy is due to his need to possess her and her total love – “tell [Tom] the truth – that you never loved him… and you loved only me.”

Fitzgerald has been able to convey the themes in a specific context though the use of the literary techniques. What he wrote challenged the values which dominated the American society, most of which had been influenced by the historical post-war conditions, the Prohibition and the changing national identity of the era. Despite the destruction of idealism by materialism, a fresh burst of hope is injected in the resolution, as expressed by Nick – “… tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther… So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly in the the past.”