Homosexual In The Great Gatsby

Famous- known about by many people. How does the son of an unsuccessful salesman become amongst the most famous American authors of all time, and the author of a book discussed in high school curriculum all across the nation? He does something unprecedented, taboo. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a man of his times. He wrote during the Jazz age, about the Jazz age, in all of its glory. A less discussed attribute of this time period was that, along with the rise of independence instilled in women and the growing number of automobiles, there was also a rise in homosexuals being open about their sexual orientation. Although gay liberation had still not happened at this time, there was a change in “the necessity of hiding one's sexual orientation to avoid punishment and shame” …show more content…
Because of World War One, “young people were dispersed even farther,” and young people began moving out of the small towns in which they were raised (Tina Kafka).The new era of independence spawned by the 1920s rang of opportunity for homosexuals to leave their restricting backgrounds, and instead move out and embrace their sexuality in cities. “Gay and lesbian communities developed in the cities, giving gays and lesbians both strength in numbers and increasing visibility.” (Tina Kafka). This proves relevant to Nick in The Great Gatsby as he moved to New York and visits the city often. This issue was seldom written about in novels. So why would Fitzgerald write