Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how Prohibition in the 1920s had very little structure and increased the amount of alcohol consumption in America. The paper specifically discusses how, in F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, "The Great Gatsby", Prohibition is portrayed as historically accurate because alcohol was easily obtainable, socially acceptable and because the government did not heavily enforce Prohibition laws.

From the Paper:

" Alcohol has already become a part of American culture and many citizens did not want to make changes to their lifestyle as well as personal values. Living hard and fast was a major theme throughout the Roaring Twenties. "-After the first drink Mrs. Wilson and I called each other by our first names." (Fitzgerald 34) Fitzgerald portrays alcohol in The Great Gatsby as a trigger for familiarity as well as a social agent. In the party at Tom's city apartment, every guest drinks until they are drunk and even break out a second bottle of whiskey, representing the role and importance of alcohol in social gatherings. In the Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby, alcohol is portrayed as a necessity for sociability and compliments the fast-living lifestyle at the time. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Prohibition in the United States." 1920's Prohibition. 2005. Web. 11 Feb 2010. <http://www.1920-30.com/prohibition/>.
• "Speakeasies." Speakeasies. 2000. Web. 11 Feb 2010. <http://alliance.ed.uiuc.edu/cdrom/hononegah/prohibition/speakeasies-s.htm>.
• Sann, Paul. The Lawless Decade. 1. Crown Publishers, 115-119. Print.
• Scott Fitzgerald, F. The Great Gatsby. 1. New York: Scribner, 1-180. Print.

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