Period 6 Main Page Chapter Summaries Literary Topics About the 1920s Gatsby Project

The Great Gatsby

Literature of the Twenties: The Lost Generation

"You are all a lost generation"

Gertrude Stein




The Twenties was a period known for its prosperity, which in turn made many fortunes overnight. The gap between the wealthy and poor in society was still painfully obvious, and many writers chose this social inequality to make statements about through their novels.
Many changes were taking place in the 1920s which seriously affected the younger generation. Capitalism was losing its popularity, and many looked to other forms of government, such as socialism, to satisfy their needs. The attitude of the Twenties was also a backlash against the experience of World War I. Young people turned their backs on the values of their parents, and Fitzgerald was one of many writers to make social comments on this phenomenon. In The Great Gatsby, Daisy portrays perfectly the carefree, self-absorbed attitude of the time. Nick even says, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy. They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they made" (187). Fitzgerald, and other "lost generation" writers based their characters on the attitudes and opinions of real people.

Fitzgerald

Disillusioned by Materialism

The economy of the 1920s was booming, and as people began receiving higher wages, there was a rash of spending on conveniences which advertisements stated people could not live without. Materialism spread rapidly throughout the country, and people became more greedy and self-obsessed. Fitzgerald explores this deepening flow of consumerism and how it affects people. Through his novels, he shows how while they might have everything they'll ever need, none of them are really happy. For example, Daisy and Tom possess many things and are still miserable people; Gatsby is a millionaire, and he is very unhappy. People gain material wealth, but remain spiritually bankrupt.

The Others
Fitzgerald was not the only noteworthy writer of the 1920s. Other members of his "lost generation" were Gertrude Stein, who coined the term "lost generation"; Ernest Hemingway who wrote many novels that display the changing morals of post-war society; Sinclair Lewis, whose portrayals of small-town American greed and materialism created stereotypes in Europe that were difficult to live down. Each writer of the "lost generation" portrays the volatile situation of the Twenties in his or her own creative and unique style.

How Gatsby and Nick Fit in the "Lost Generation"


Gatsby was "lost" because he is different from the rest of the characters in the novel. He seems to realize that his money does not mean anything, and he searches for a broader meaning in his life. Nick is clearly an example of the "lost generation" because he sees the problems with the material nature of his friends, and he tries to set himself apart from that. He identifies the greed in other people and believes that he cannot be part of that.

Literary Allusion


Fitzgerald makes a significant reference to Goddard's Rise of the Colored Empire for a very important reason. He wants to show the change in race relations from bad to worse during the Twenties. During this time of prosperity for white people, African-Americans were actually subjected to more discrimination than during Post-Reconstruction times. Although many talented black Americans achieved great success, especially in the arts, racial hate escalated. Fitzgerald describes this growing racial attitude through Tom, who reads Rise of the Colored Empire and comments on how "the White race will be utterly submerged" (17). The hate in America built up throughout the 1920s, and Fitzgerald shows how this affects society as well.

Works Cited


Blum, John M. The National Experience: A History of the United States. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Harcourt, 1993.

Page created on May 10, 1999.
Curator: Jackie Jacobs