“If the text had been written in a different time or place or language or for a different audience how and why might it differ?” The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells a story about the American Dream and social class dynamics in the 1920’s in New York. Fitzgerald takes careful notes on each of the social classes and what the American Dream means to the people within the social groups. The main social groups in The Great Gatsby include: old money, new money, and the working class. The 1920’s was a time of economic growth and work for everyone, however, a decade later all the social class suffered greatly. If The Great Gatsby had been published in the 1930’s rather than the 1920’s there would be stark differences in the novel itself and the way the audience perceived it. The differences between the cultures of the 1920’s and 1930’s include:
The attitudes of the people within social classes The opportunity and work available
The definition of the American Dream All of the above help emphasize the differences between the Roaring 20’s (1920’s) and the Great Depressions …show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald was a novel based in New York in the 1920’s. Along with the party culture in the 1920’s there was an even greater ideal of the American Dream. The idea that everyone has an opportunity to succeed as long as they put in the effort and hard work. This philosophy, in The Great Gatsby, most obviously drove Nick and Gatsby as both wanted to achieve and be more than what they were, especially in terms of money. However, every decade seems to re-define the dream for different social groups. From the glorious culture of industry and growth in the 1920’s to the devastation and crash of the 1930’s the American Dream shifted, especially among the social classes. The differences between the two cultures, despite the decade difference, resulted in different attitudes, opportunities, and how the American Dream was