Jay Gatsby's Accomplishments

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The 1920’s was mostly a time of prosperity for Americans and also a huge social change. Americans became wealthier and many different cultures blended together. The nation's wealth more than doubled during the 20’s due to the amount of opportunities created during this time. The main goal for every American during this time was to achieve” the American dream”. The American dream was essentially the goal of becoming as rich and successful as possible. “The American dream is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking and hard work, not by chance”(Grantham 1). Jay Gatz, the main character in The Great Gatsby, achieved the American dream. Gatsby was not the only character in the story to achieve the American dream; Tom Buchanan, the husband of Gatsby’s …show more content…
Prohibition banned alcohol in the 1920’s and some of the 30’s. It was banned for many reasons, many people abused it and used it irresponsibly. Others used it responsibly, but it was too expensive and “a waste of money”. People were considered destructive to themselves rather than helpful. This did not stop the wealthy people that could afford the alcohol, from buying it and using it. Men were also considered “unproductive” when intoxicated. “A bottle of whiskey is in constant demand by everyone”(Fitzgerald 33). This holds true as we see almost every person of wealth is always at parties in The Great Gatsby. Gatsby held the biggest parties in all of West Egg. People whom he had not known were at his parties. Nick referred to these people as “random moths.” Alcohol also caused fights between husbands and their wives. “Most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands’’(Fitzgerald 51). Alcohol was causing disputes between families that sometimes turned violent and this is another reason prohibition existed during this time. Although most people disagreed with the banning of alcohol others found it to be helpful. It made men more productive and boosted the economy. It caused other goods to skyrocket such as clothing and household goods. Bars and Saloons closed and neighborhoods became more
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