The 1920s was widely known as the age of prosperity. With the economy booming, daily life was much easier and more enjoyable because of new technological advances and emerging forms of entertainment. The development of cars, both negatively and positively impacted America. The influx of automobile ownership was very demanding and became a part of everyday life. Henry Ford’s contribution to the auto industry revolutionized society and bettered the economy. Autos gave people more freedom, expanded social interaction, paved roads and traffic lights, created jobs, and etc. Even though the positive effects seem to outweigh the negative impact, it’s necessary to take into consideration the cons cars have. Car accidents, rebellious behavior, and pollutions …show more content…
Many people felt the urge to flaunt their possessions because they could with the help of the growing economy. This era was also known as the unprecedented affluence due to the unexpected abundance of wealth, property, and riches. Henry Ford transformed society for the better by introducing the assembly line, which was a line of workers and machines, assigned to one task and working on a product that would be passed and assembled at each point. This method allowed for autos to be produced faster and more efficiently, which was considered mass production. Mass production resulted in cheaper prices of consumer items, therefore, American citizens, including the middle class, could potentially afford it. Although prices dropped, not everyone could afford it. Owning a car displayed the clear distinction between the inhabitants of American society because vibrant colored and uncommon models of cars were expensive and something the wealthy could only possess. Gatsby, a wealthy man who lives in West Egg, occupied by new-money families, owns a yellow, “rich cream color” Rolls- Royce(68). When Nick first gazes upon his car, he’s astonished and describes its luxury as “bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous length” (68). Gatsby altered and molded his lifestyle to adapt to one that could reel in Daisy. His bright yellow car is a representation of his material wealth and he flaunts it in hopes of attracting Daisy. It …show more content…
The 1920s were called all sorts of names, ranging from the Roaring twenties to the Lawless Decade. This decade was viewed as a prosperous period, but the American citizens used it to their advantage in their own selfish ways. In general, people didn’t care about the environment and proceeded to pollute it by dumping pollutants and particles in essential sources like the waters and soil. They had little regard for their actions because they thought it didn’t affect them or that money was key. For example, Gatsby sped on the way to Wolfshiem with Nick and is pulled over by a police officer. After showing his identification card, he’s let go. This reflects the time period because people were thinking so recklessly and selfishly, knowing that they’ll be able to use their money and bail themselves out of trouble. Automobiles were used in a way that decreased family unity. It promoted freedom and provided people with the mobility of leaving the household. They attended social events more often than having dinner with family. During his and Daisy’s honeymoon, Tom snuck out with a chambermaid and “ran into a wagon on the Ventura road one night, and ripped a front wheel off his car” (82). He uses his auto as a getaway to experience the thrill of having an affair, but the adrenaline clouds his mind and causes him to impulsively drive his car into another. It was in the papers for a while, but the scandal
“Was the frivolity of the Jazz Age… masking the stock-market greed? Were the truly positive aspects of the economy… destined to be pushed into the background?” ("The 1920s: Business and the Economy: Overview." American Decades- STA database source) When people think of the 1920s, they often think of “flapper girls” and the famed Harlem neighborhood in New York City. However, this era was far more complicated than modern-day media and movies like to paint it as.
The 1920s were the start of a decade when people demanded that Americans take on new responsibilities to reject the feelings of sorrow and sadness after World War I. There was a time before the Great Depression and after World War I when people aspired to change. Americans did not want to remain in the past; thus, they sought freedom to live a happier and improved life. During the Roaring Twenties, the younger generation was tired of elders dictating their lives. Throughout this historical period, people desired more freedom in dressing, singing, and spending money. The Roaring Twenties were an era of freedom, as seen in fashion trends and the economy, contrary to the drawbacks associated with enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment.
The 1920s in America was a decade of great contrasts. It was a time of unprecedented cultural growth and advancement, but it was also marked by growing social unrest. Many Americans were looking forward to a new and exciting future, while just as many were longing for a return to the past. This essay will argue that the 1920s was an era defined by both economic and cultural prosperity and advancement. The prosperity of the 1920s was a period of economic growth, technological innovation, and cultural advancements.
1920’s DBQ The 1920’s were a period of tension between the traditionalists and modernists. The tension between these two groups was aroused by the economical advancements, social developments, and cultural changes in the 1920s. These tensions were manifested by the economic outburst and the passing of certain laws.
Automobiles were affordable and were designed carefully. The majority of these cars were produced by the Ford Motor Company, led by Henry Ford, who designed a different model each year to satisfy the insatiable crowd. Many of the automotive innovations that we think of as being modern—like electric powered cars, four wheel drive, front wheel drive, hybrid fuel and electric cars—were introduced during the 1920s. The automobiles had various different colors in order to get the attention of people, especially woman, and through time, they evolved to become more comfortable to drive for men (Scott ,1). The automobiles were beneficial to the U.S because they expanded the area of habitat.
The groups of people that were most changed by these new innovations were factory workers, middle-class urban residents, and midwestern farmers. There were many effects that these creations had on these groups of people. These innovations allowed travelling and the transporting of goods to be easily accomplished, made communication between others simpler and more efficient, and allowed for better and safer ways of lighting to be established. Automobiles allowed for travelling and the transporting of goods to be easily accomplished. The creation of the automobile was extremely beneficial for midwestern farmers, middle-class urban residents, and factory workers.
Automobiles gave people the opportunity to travel and go further from their homes within a short
The magnificence of his car can be related to the idea that Gatsby reflects himself through his belongings. The “rich cream color” of his car, obviously, symbolizes his wealth and his exaggerated self image. The quote also mentions his car as being a “green leather conservatory.” Green is the color of money, which bolsters the fact of Gatsby’s wealth.
Throughout the 1920s, the United States of America experienced drastic changes in economy, lifestyle, and technology. These alterations helped shape the future of the country, while improving the American way of life. The most influential creation during this time period was the automobile. It majorly impacted average Americans through the development of roads, changed structures of buildings, and establishment of new businesses. As automobiles became popular throughout the country, roads had to be built.
The 1920s carried much change in society. Some of these changes were more rights for women, jazz music, and prohibition. The people of the 1920s were disillusioned by society lacking in idealism and vision, sense of personal alienation, and Americans were obsessed with materialism and outmoded moral values (The Roaring Twenties).Cultural changes were strongly influenced by the destruction of World War I ending 1918. America needed to recover and with it youth rebelled against the norms of the older generations.
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man 's needs, but not every man 's greed.” As humans, we work hard in order to have the greatest opportunity to succeed in life, which will fulfill our wants. F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, utilizes effective language and punctuation in the text, which helps him accomplish his purpose: Illustrate what material goods does to a society. From a rhetorical standpoint, examining logos, ethos, and pathos, this novel serves as a social commentary on how the pursuit of “The American Dream” causes the people in society to transform into greedy and heartless individuals.
The Moral Decay of the Materialistic Although F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby debuted in 1925– before the Great Depression– it serves as a prophetic exemplification of the the material excess of the 1920s that drowned out signs of the coming Great Depression. The book’s plot follows the bootlegger Jay Gatsby as he pursues his old love Daisy Buchanan through flaunting his new extravagant lifestyle, mainly by throwing ostentatious parties. Yet, in the end, Daisy chooses her unfaithful husband Tom over Gatsby. Through Fitzgerald’s use of wealthy, materialistic characters, he comments on the effect of the material excess of the roaring twenties: moral corruption.
By the 1920’s, cars had become a signature in celebrity homes, and was considered a luxury to have. Anyone who had money or wanted to look like they had money, also had a car. In the early years of the automotive industry, when not too many people were interested, appealing to anyone was the goal, trying to increase demand. The automotive industry quickly realized that mostly richer people purchased cars. So how could they appeal to other groups?
The Roaring Twenties, known as the decade of the 1920s in the Western World, consists of dramatic changes in social values. The cultural differences between the 1920s and the Victorian era changes people's behavior, where they become more free-will, youthful and carefree, despite of being more conservative before. People are more open-minded and found satisfaction through the “open pursuit of sex, money, and booze” (Berman 53) as they suggest their wealth and status in the society. New York City had become one of the cities where materialistic wealth has become the key of happiness and the standard to judge people's success, further leading Americans to pursue each other in a negative, acquisitive way. Through the different scenes and characters of the famous novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores how the society twisted the original idea of
The nobility who were financially powerful, preferred this car to showing off their high status and wealth. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby owns a customized yellow Rolls-Royse race