Comparing The Great Gatsby And Roaring 20's

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The time periods in which the two novels are set dictate what is moral and what is immoral. Both novels are heavily grounded in their specific periods and each define a unique era in American history, with values that are exclusive of each other. The definition of moral decay differs between the two novels because of this distinction, but the characters in both stories take actions that go against the beliefs of their time. The Great Gatsby is set in the ‘Roaring 20’s’, a period considered an age of excess. After the first world war, the American economy flourished, prompting the popularization of the ‘American Dream’: a belief that anyone can achieve success, provided that they work hard for it. Sacrifice, determination, and initiative were important …show more content…
Additionally, Nick has a distaste for the actions Jay Gatsby took to achieve his wealth, stating that he “represent[s] everything for which [he] has an unaffected scorn.” (2). While he exempts Gatsby as a person from his disdain, Nick is unforgiving of the lies and corruption that lead to Gatsby’s money. The full truth of the origin of his fortune is never divulged to the reader, but it is suggested by Tom that Gatsby is a criminal who “sold grain alcohol over the counter.” (142). To Nick, Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby contribute to a society with decayed morals. Daisy and Tom do not participate in the hard work that characterized the time period and Gatsby lied and cheated his way into a wealthy lifestyle. The characters are corrupt, and oppose the accepted morals of the 20’s, which Nick accepts as his own.

The excessive and glamorous setting of The Great Gatsby contrasts the strict, ultra-religious period in which The Scarlet Letter is set. Boston in the mid-17th century, where the events of the novel primarily take place, was inhabited by Puritans. Puritanism was brought to North America by members of the Catholic church in England who sought out to
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