Introduction
The 1920s, usually referred to as the “Roaring Twenties” or the “Jazz Age,” are an era that embodied a lot of flux in social life, a robust economy, and cultural vigor in America. The war saw the emergence of a new generation of writers and intellectuals, through which many of the disillusionments and turmoil caused were channeled via art, literature, and thoughts. Among these were the Fitzgeralds, F. Scott and his wife, Zelda Fitzgerald, who were symbols of the times in their lives and works (Busyeiri and Dinanti, 44). This paper focuses on the Fitzgeralds’ role in the 1920s, especially how their lives and literature epitomized the era, culminating in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic work, “The Great Gatsby.” It aims to highlight their enduring charm amid the decade’s turbulence.
The Roaring ’20s and the Lost Generation
The 1920s, known as the “Jazz Age” or “Roaring Twenties,” were an unprecedented era of progress and innovation in American society. In the wake of the World War I disaster, the country underwent remarkable economic growth, technological advances, and cultural exploration (Cunningham, n.p). Nevertheless, beneath this affluence lay a growing despair and disenchantment that was especially strong among the younger generation who had experienced the horrors of the wars.
Gertrude Stein used the title “Lost Generation” to describe the widespread disillusionment and existential sorrow that young Americans experienced during a stormy transition. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and T. S. Eliot rose to prominence as figures who embodied this generation’s mentality. Their writings explored themes of solitude, moral deterioration, and the search for meaning in a postwar society wrecked by battle. Fitzgerald’s legendary novel is a classic depiction of the era’s cultural decadence and spiritual emptiness (Zhang, 113). On the other hand, Hemingway’s spare style expressed the disillusionment and anguish felt by individuals who witnessed the violence of war firsthand. T. S. Eliot’s poetry, particularly “The Waste Land,” resonated.
The glitzy Roaring ’20s were peppered with many aspects of a vibrant cultural milieu, including flapper dress, jazz music, and a fresh sense of liberty. Despite outwardly appearing as a carefree era, the issues of social strata, economic inequality, and moral ambiguity uncovered themselves and shaped the decade in a way that no known generation before it had (Cunningham, n.p; Dolan, 18). Literature, art, and intellectual discourse were the tools by which the Lost Generation found meaning in the confusion and complexity of a nation in this reform period, thereby contributing to American culture and literature and leaving a deep and indelible mark for generations.
The Great Gatsby: A Portrait of the Roaring ’20s
The “Roaring Twenties” are eloquently described in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, which portrays the time’s heedless decadence, delusions, and moral decay. According to Wu and Shen (n.p.), the novel takes place in the wealthy East Egg hamlet of Long Island and centers on the mysterious Jay Gatsby and the dejected narrator, Nick Carraway. It is a moral story that almost entirely warns against the illusions of the American dream. Busyeiri and Dinanti (42) argue that Gatsby’s tale of ascent to wealth represents the age of the self-made millionaire. Fitzgerald exposes the erroneous idea of prosperity and the fleeting satisfaction of life in that period via the moving love tale of Gatsby and Daisy, the enigmatic beauty.
The movie’s themes, setting, and people in a realistic portrayal of theater in the 1920s show an intensely materialistic, extravagant, and ultimately ambiguous culture. The film presents a fascinating portrait of the unrestrained materialism, extravagance, and pervasive feeling of ambiguity that defined 1920s theatrical culture through its portrayal of characters, environment, and ideas. The author shows the hypocrisy in a society that chooses to entertain rather than reflect on the social problems at an opulent party at Gatsby’s mansion, where the rich and powerful make deplorable decisions (Busyeiri and Dinanti, 45). The imposition of social norms makes people unable to make criticisms or judgments.
Furthermore, Fitzgerald shows that in a stratified society, the theme of social class and the walls that separate people occur. Gatsby’s dream to win back Daisy, a woman from a higher social standing, depicts the profound gaps even for the highly courageous individuals who choose to confront the entrenched social order of the Jazz Age (Wu and Shen, n.p). The novel showcased perennially valid motives and created an emotional atmosphere for its audience through Scott Fitzgerald’s prose for the portrayal of the human condition and the gloomy side of the American Dream (Busyeiri and Dinanti, 46). As a testament to the enduring legacy of Fitzgerald, the book is still a cultural landmark that offers readers an opportunity to understand the complexity of the past while exploring the universal truths about ambition, love, and the pursuit of happiness.
Fitzgeralds in Hollywood
Hollywood’s glittering charm attracted Todd and Zelda Fitzgerald and offered both satisfaction and trouble while they were trying to deal with the artistic path and the tempestuous life they had. As the couple journeyed into the cinematic world (Hollywood fights to tell the tale of Jazz Age muse, 36), the same characteristics of their fiction line were mirrored in their works, symbolized by ambition, extravagance, and the ending stage where tragedy happened. Zelda Fitzgerald was especially challenged by finding her niche in Hollywood, fighting mental health issues, and the pressures of fame. As a result of her determination to become a successful writer and artist, she found herself in a position to fall short of the growing fame and glamorous atmosphere of Hollywood (Daniel, 15). Despite some success as a screenwriter, including his adaptations and hiring world-renowned filmmakers such as MGM’s Irving Thalberg, Fitzgerald’s Hollywood job was saturated with creative obstacles and difficult personal experiences.
Anne Margret’s storytelling of the Fitzgeralds through Hollywood gives an insightful view of their journey to stardom. By preserving their paintings and songwriting, respectively, Zelda and Scott endeavored to remake themselves whenever cultural norms changed (Daniel, 15). Nevertheless, his Hollywood journey became a wrenching experience for Scott, while Zelda’s mental health ended badly in the end.
Notwithstanding the difficulties they experienced, the Fitzgeralds’ time in Hollywood was a memorable and known experience in their life and history. Their exposure in the movie world reflects the complexity of how fame works, the weight of money, and artist preferences in a rapidly changing cultural sphere (Hollywood fights to tell the tale of Jazz Age muse, 36). Besides the struggles of fame and artistic greatness, Fitzgerald’s case could illustrate a lesson of turmoil from success and the weaknesses of human understanding.
Conclusion
In summation, the lives and works of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald provide an extraordinary canvas that helps explore the complications of the “Roaring Twenties” and the lost generation. Initially, they represented the laid-down style and catchy characters of the “Jazz Age.” Still, conflicting experiences in show business exposed more to the contradictions and difficulties of their time. The “American dream” theme, which is so bluntly portrayed by F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of the classic book, will remain forever significant in historical and modern times through a look into this dream’s symbols and the moral complexity of wealth. Just as their story still grips the reader and scholars alike, the ’20s are now well-known as the era of the great rise and fall of the human spirit. The Fitzgeralds serve here as icons of that special decade, an era of great triumphs and great misery, and thus a reminder of the mysteries of the human condition reflected in the backdrop of the Jazz Age.
Works Cited
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Cunningham, John M.. “Roaring Twenties”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Feb. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roaring-Twenties. Accessed 13 March 2024.
Daniel, Anne Margaret. “Two hearts: The Fitzgeralds in Hollywood, as drawn by Zelda.” TLS. Times Literary Supplement 5694 (2012): 15-16.link.gale.com/apps/doc/A667421493/GPS?u=tel_p_memshel&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=f474635b
Dolan, Marah. “A Generation Lost? Exploring the 1920’s through the Eyes of The Lost Generation.” (2009).http://www.petersmagorinsky.net/Units/FSU/FSU2009_Dolan_A%20Generation%20LostExploringthe1920sthroughtheEyesofTheLostGeneration.pdf
Wu, Yue, and Jinsong Shen. “Place, Class, and the Destruction of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby From the Perspective of Space.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies 13.10 (2023): 2500-2505.link.gale.com/apps/doc/A770050124/GPS?u=tel_p_memshel&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=391da44c
Zhang, Yixin. “The Lost Generation of American Literature in the 20th century——Take The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises as examples.” Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences 5.9 (2022): 111-114.https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2022.050917
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