Essay On The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties as seen by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Introduction

When you say „The Roaring Twenties” there are a thousand ideas that come in your mind :jazz music, parties, prosperity, wealth, opulence, luxury, consumer society. Also, the first figure that pops up in your mind is F. Scott Fitzgerald. The period between 1920 and 1930 had a great impact on the American history, as it was a time of change in many aspects.

I. The 20s

The Roaring Twenties were a period of drastic social change and prosperity in the economic department. The First World War had a great influence on the American society as, after it ended, America went under a radical change including a tendency towards materialism and a life where people enjoyed themselves and luxury, opulence, richness became their

„The New Woman” was a term that defined the women’s tendency in the `20s. The term was for the first time used by the writer Sarah Grand in her article „The New Aspect of the Woman question” published in March 1894. The term was later used to describe the feminist, educated, career woman.

In opposition with The New Woman was the flapper girl who became more and more popular. The only thing they had in common was that both of them had an image and an attitude. Women got the chance to express themselves through short skirts, bobbed hair, makeup, drinking, and smoking. They were seen as attractive, reckless, and independent. Also, their style defined the fashion trends from the period. Straight and loose dresses with bare arms and the waistline to the hips made out of silks or rayon, skirts to just below the knee, high heels were a must have in their wardrobe.

F. S. Fitzgerald’s works, such as” The Great Gatsby” , “The Beautiful and the Damned” , “The Side of Paradise”, perfectly captured the era’s moods and style and the idea that money will bring