In America the Jazz Age was a period of great economic expansion (there was a population shift to the cities, the emergence of modern industry, high wages and lavish spending) which gave people unprecedented wealth; materialism was rife, and people struggled to capture the promise of the American Dream - that individuals can achieve whatever they set their minds to, with effort and determination. However, this mood of superficial optimism masked a pervasive sense of disillusionment and moral confusion. Consumerism was proving an inadequate substitute for the old moral certainties. Daisy's lamenting cry, "What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon...and the day after that, and the next thirty years?" expresses the restlessness and spiritual penury of the generation.

The story of The Great Gatsby is told throu

Cars also feature prominently in the story, as newfound wealth fueled the American fascination with cars in the Jazz Age. Cars in The Great Gatsby had ominous connotations and were used to symbolize bad relationships (Jordan Baker called Nick a "bad driver", with the implied meaning that he was bad at relationships), and cars in the story had much to do with accidents (Jordan Baker was involved in a car accident, and the drunken men at one of Gatsby's parties were also involved in a car accident) and death (Myrtle was run over by Daisy, who was speeding along in Gatsby's car).

The wealthy Buchanans; and the underprivileged Wilsons, who inhabit the 'valley of ashes', a 'wasteland' of grey, dead landscape dwelled by people who live like ghosts and considered to be insignificant by society; it symbolizes despair and alienation owing to lack of money and how wretched existence can be without it. The lifestyles of the Buchanans and the Wilsons, so different superficially, are each characterized by a sense of futility and lack of purpose, attributes which reflected the Jazz Age existence. By contrast, Gatsby, for all his illusions, at least has something to believe in. The Buchanans exemplify the truism that money cannot buy contentment. Bored, disaffected, they fill their days with empty plans and frivolous gestures. Nick describes Tom's restlessness; "I felt t

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Approximate Word count = 922
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)