《17 Jazz Age Elements》.ppt

* * Previous class The Jazz Age refers to the 1920s, the years between the end of WWI and The Great Depression in 1929. The traditional values declined greatly while the US economy soared. It was a time marked by frivolity, hedonism and excitement in the life of the youth. The Jazz Age is brought vividly to life in The Great Gatsby. The entire story takes place in one summer in 1922. The commercial growth of the 1920s resulted in rampant materialism. People idolized wealth and indulged in wild and extravagant lifestyle of parties and decadence. Daisy: A shallow aristocratic with a strong desire for wealth, fun and pleasure. “Her voice is full of money.” Gatsby’s parties are extravagant and fashionable, but pointless; it is only a show-off of Gatsby’s riches and material success. Gatsby’s Parties The parties are characterized by excess: there is a wide variety of expensive foods, lots of (illegal) alcohol, lots of colored lights and a whole orchestra to provide the music. Two suppers are served, champagne is served in glasses ‘bigger than finger bowls’ and most of the guests drink too much. It takes eight servants most of Monday to clean up the mess created on a Sunday. The party-goers at Gatsby’s house are rich and fashion-able: ‘hair shorn in strange new ways’ with expensive shawls. Their only concern is to have a good time. They never bother to learn each others names or to meet the host. Many come and go without invitation. “…In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.. .” “…on weekends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bus go meet all trains. “When the Jazz History of the world was over, girls were putting their heads on men’s shoulders in a puppyish, convivial way, girls were swooning b