The Great Gatsby is an awesome novel set in the 1920s during the Prohibition. The fact that the story of Jay Gatsby and his elite clan is set during the time when consumption of alcohol was against the law becomes all the more important for two reasons. One, that bootlegging is the hinted at reason for Gatsby's wealth and secondly that in spite of the law the wealthy are constantly seen drinking expensive alcohol. The elite were obviously exempt from the laws of the time. Much as they were unaffected by the growing poverty and debt of a large population of America during this age, which Fitzgerald termed 'the Jazz Age.' The American Dream constantly alluded to in the novel becomes the struggle to be accepted into a society that cares little for politics or matters of spirituality. The overriding need of the 'old money' that Jay aspires to is purely of social acceptance and conforming to certain standards. Touching upon issues such as organized crime, infidelity, mortality and deceit, The Great Gatsby is largely a novel of class distinctions and insurmountable contrasts. I found several interesting insights into the novel at Shmoop- A literature study guide. Check it out.
