In comparison to the wild frenzy of Gatsby’s city, 1920s America was rather tame; still, it was a time of progress and innovation. The horrors of World War I revolutionized American thinking and culture and brought a new era of prosperity. Famously dubbed the Roaring Twenties, this time raised living standards for many urban working class families, “. . . people had a little extra money to spend and more leisure time than ever before, as technology and industry gave them automobiles and household appliances” (Benson, Brannen, and Valentine, “Roaring Twenties”). Although it was nowhere near the extravagance of The Great Gatsby, people enjoyed a higher quality of life and were free to pursue their own desires. However, this newfound freedom led
