During the early 1920s in New York City and Long Island, these two areas were known as the “West Egg” and the “East Egg”. This was the time of the Roaring Twenties when the economy was prospering. The 1920s were also a time of the modernist era. In Fitzgerald’s book, the Great Gatsby, Social breakdown is one of those characteristics of modernism. Social Breakdown is when the society and the social life of people are declining. An example of this in the story is two characters who are married aren’t having a good relationship with their counterpart because their having a different relationship with other people. The Great Gatsby shows readers the modernistic views and social breakdown in the 1920s.
The Great Gatsby talks about the social …show more content…
“Taking a white card from his wallet, he waved it before the man’s eyes”...”Right you are,” agreed the police tipping his cap.” and the reason Gatsby was able to get away was because “I was able to do the commissioner a favor once, and he sends me Christmas cards every year. This scene in the book tells us the police is corrupt and if you are rich you can do anything you want. This is why the society is breaking down because the cops won’t punish the wealthy like everyone else. Another example of social breakdown is when Tom tells Daisy why Gatsby is so rich. “I found out what your ‘drug stores’ were.”.....”He and his Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter.” This scene tells us corrupt society is because back in the 1920s alcohol was illegal and since Gatsby was selling through drug stores he was making a lot of money. If Tom knew Gatsby was selling illegal alcohol he should of went to the police and told them. Gatsby probably was paying off the commissioner and the commissioner gave Gatsby that white card, so the cops wouldn’t mess with
The Great Gatsby talks about the social …show more content…
“Taking a white card from his wallet, he waved it before the man’s eyes”...”Right you are,” agreed the police tipping his cap.” and the reason Gatsby was able to get away was because “I was able to do the commissioner a favor once, and he sends me Christmas cards every year. This scene in the book tells us the police is corrupt and if you are rich you can do anything you want. This is why the society is breaking down because the cops won’t punish the wealthy like everyone else. Another example of social breakdown is when Tom tells Daisy why Gatsby is so rich. “I found out what your ‘drug stores’ were.”.....”He and his Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter.” This scene tells us corrupt society is because back in the 1920s alcohol was illegal and since Gatsby was selling through drug stores he was making a lot of money. If Tom knew Gatsby was selling illegal alcohol he should of went to the police and told them. Gatsby probably was paying off the commissioner and the commissioner gave Gatsby that white card, so the cops wouldn’t mess with