A Guide to the Great Gatsby

One of the best novels of the 20^th Century was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The novel was set during the roaring 20’s and was a perfect depiction of the devil may care attitude of the people during that era.

Since the end of World War I, the United States started to enjoy life, and the people that began to earn a good living started to live life to the fullest. The roaring 20’s were a time when some people lived like there was no tomorrow, while other groups such as advocates of prohibition of alcohol, believed that alcohol was evil and needed to be banned. These vocal groups led to the approval of the 18^th Amendment to the Constitution which outlawed alcohol.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 in St Paul, Minnesota. Fitzgerald has been considered one of the finest writers of the 20^th Century, with The Great Gatsby being his most famous. Fitzgerald’s work often portrayed life during the Golden Age of the 1920’s, and many of his works borrow from experiences in his own life.

The Great Gatsby is the story of Nick Carraway, who is the narrator of the novel, and living his modest life among the rich and famous in the wealthy Long Island community of West Egg. Nick rents a modest cottage between mansions in the newly affluent community. Across the harbor is East Egg, which is another well off community of old money, including Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Another major character is Jay Gatsby, who is a neighbor of Nick. Gatsby is very wealthy and throws very big parties; however, not much is known about him. Other characters that appear in the novel include Jordan Baker, who is a friend of Daisy, and George, and Myrtle Wilson, who are a garage owner and wife who is having an affair with Tom.

The Great Gatsby has been one of the most talked about novels in the 20^th Century, with its depiction of the morals of the Roaring 20’s, and it was a foreshadowing of the problems that would occur in the United States during the Great Depression. The novel was also adapted into a Broadway play and has been made into a movie on several occasions.

Here is a collection of resources on F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Roaring 20’s and The Great Gatsby:

· The Brief Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald

· F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography

· Novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald

· Writings by Fitzgerald

· F. Scott Fitzgerald and the 20’s

· F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Jazz Age

· Tales of the Jazz Age

· The Great Gatsby Resources

· Summary of the Great Gatsby

· The Great Gatsby Library Guide

· The Great Gatsby Plot Summary