Ancillary Topic



in The Great Gatsby

Music of the 1920s is unquestionably marked by the Jazz Age.
      The Jazz Age began as a movement of nonconformist ideals and attitudes. Americans who were tired and not attracted to the materialism of the post-war period wanted a way to relish the present and express themselves at the same time. People of this period were unique because they abandoned previous traditional standards of living and searched for a new form of self-expression and rebellion. The Jazz Age provided them with this. Jazz is one of the only forms of music whose creation is attributed entirely to Americans. Its creation and development was unique in that it focused on improvisational techniques, in contrast to earlier forms of music that were precise and more traditional. More specifically, the development of jazz is credited to African Americans in New Orleans.

      Another element unique to the genre of jazz was the introduction of the saxophone. Many would agree that the sound of this instrument promoted and provoked intimate and close dancing, something that had never been apparent or acceptable before this time period. Traditionalists thus argued that jazz was a scandalous movement and cited the music as a cause for a new, younger generation inspired by a cultural rebellion.





Connection to The Great Gatsby


Music of the 1920s


Musicians of the 1920s





Page last updated on April 28, 1999.
Curator: Melissa Tran