Discuss the significance of the Jazz Age in the Great Gatsby with reference to at least two critics.

Duncan Harvey

The Jazz age (a phrase originally coined by Fitzgerald) began as an ideal of non-conformity of attitudes and ideals, Americans who were tired and not concerned to the materialism of the post-war era wanted a way to enjoy the present and express themselves at the same time. People of this period were unique because they abandoned previous traditional standards of living and searched for a new form of self-expression and rebellion. The Jazz Age provided them with this. The Jazz age ended with of the great Wall Street crash of 1929, which left America as an impoverished nation. In New York, which is one of the settings in the Great Gatsby, during the time of the book it was a time when hardly anyone worried about money, “It was in such profusion around you”. Prodigality belonged to almost every ones life style, this is also the reason why the hospitality that was indispensable for all the parties that that were given. But the most obvious reference to the Jazz Age occurs in the party scene in chapter 3, “Ladies and gentlemen, the orchestra leader cried, at the request of Mr. Gatsby we are going to play for you Mr. Vladimir Tostoff’s latest work… Vladimir Tostoff’s Jazz History of the World”. This request for a work, which defies tradition, and defeats the purpose of having a full sized orchestra in the grounds, is in fitting with his character. He himself has defied tradition, becoming a self made man regardless of his methods. The music therefore symbolises the “newness” of the times and of his money.

The expression is shown throughout the book and particularly the way in which the houses and the styles of living are described. For example Gatsbys “house” is described as “a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden”, thus showing the grandeur in which Gatsby lives and a insight into how people lived at that time. I believe that this model of Gatsby’s wealth through out the book is trying to prove the point that money can buy you everything except love, which Gatsby continually is wanting from Daisy through out the book.

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The Jazz age is not only portrayed through description but also by the actual words used in the book. Henry Dan Piper a critic believed that the more traditional Latinate words were pushed aside and instead replaced with more colloquial and less formal words such as ‘recognised’ became ‘knew’ and also ‘altercations’ became ‘fight’ to name but a few. I agree with the argument of Piper as it is showing a change in the words used in his novel and using more primitive language than writers of the pre 20th Century era. This is because of the reason that the novel was written when culture and society was changing and because of this the language used and the way in which things were done was also changing. Henry Dan Piper has influenced my opinion on this and I agree with what he has said in that Fitzgerald used different language form and structure to represent and shape meanings within the book. This shows therefore that the Jazz age had an affect on the words used because it was a time of change and non-conformity and with the use of this colloquial more Anglo-Saxon writing style Fitzgerald is showing his own personal rebellion against conformity. Fitzgerald uses this to shape meanings and our understanding of the books ideas. For example Fitzgerald shows how the Americans during that period lost all sense of spiritual purpose as their material success especially in the lives of the Buchanans wiped out all spiritual goals. The lives of the Buchanans, therefore, filled with material comforts and luxuries and empty of purpose, represents this condition. Daisy shows this especially when she says “ What’ll we do with our selves this afternoon?” cried Daisy, “ and the day after that and the next thirty years”

During the Jazz age the rich were seemingly untouchable and even thought that they were above the law. I believe that this is shown in the book the way that they lead their hedonistic life styles. During a time where alcohol was banned Gatsby had huge alcohol fuelled parties, which could go on for days at a time with out having to hide what he was doing. This shows the rebellion against the law as he is not hiding what he is doing and this tells me that because he does not have any respect for it. As K.P says, she believes that it was because of prohibition that the Jazz age began and that bootleggers were partly to blame. This could confirm the story of Gatsby’s mysterious source of wealth as K.P has also put forward the point that he could be based on the great bootlegger of the time Edward Filler who was prolific during the time that the book was written. This could confirm that rumour that Gatsby was a bootlegger as this could be the character that he was based on thus proving that the Jazz age has a lot of significance in the book.

This also partly echoed Fitzgeralds life style as he was said to drink heavily even at a time when it was banned. This therefore shows how Gatsby is partly portraying Fitzgeralds own conceptions about the age and of course alcohol. This is again shown at Gatsbys parties where “people are not invited-they went there….. came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission.” For this spontaneous society Gatsbys huge “party lawn” is an amusement park, a place animated with chatter and laughter where “ casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot” are on the agenda. Since these parties are very large, there is time for privacy when anybody wants it and time for intimate moments with out any body realising. I believe that the Jazz age is epitomised in the Great Gastby by the parties, which are held in his house. His house is like a microcosm where there are different groups of people and different cultures all there at the same time. This shows Gatsby to be a very lonely man, as he has to hold these parties so that everyone will notice him. This is shown to be true after Nick comments during Gatsby’s first party where the guests “turn up uninvited and behave according to the rules associated with an amusement park”. I support K.P’s view, as she believes that the guests exploit the kindness of Gatsby.

In my opinion Gatsby’s relationship towards Daisy in the book is also affected by the age in which it is written. During the Jazz age gambling, heavy drinking and also prostitution was a huge part of every day life especially for the wealthy. I think that he treats Daisy much like a prostitute during the book. For example his house as described earlier is the house, which he feels he needs in order to win happiness, it is an elegant mansion; that of which an excellent symbol of carelessness is displayed and is part of Gatsby"s own persona. Every Monday after a party, his house is kept by eight servants. It has its own entrance gate, and is big enough to hold hundreds of people at a time. His careless use for money to impress others is portrayed through his clothes; a gold metallic hat, silver vests and gold jackets. The shirts and clothes that are ordered every spring and fall show his simple ness in expressing his wealth to his beloved Daisy. He tries to buy her love but she is not impressed as she already has or is able to have what ever he possesses.

On the other hand Toms relationship with Myrtle is that of one between a prostitute and a customer. Tom goes to her, he gives her things and they have sex, Tom believes their relationship to be this simple but Myrtle thinks that it may be something more. In my opinion their “love” is fake shown by “ the room rang with her artificial laughter”, therefore showing the point that she putting on an act, which is exactly what prostitutes do, if you pay them enough they will pretend to be anyone. Kathleen Parkinson believes that Myrtle is only in the relationship with Tom because of the connections, which he could bring her. I do not agree because when she saw him for the first time in his dress suit and patent leather shoes she would not have known anything about him and so therefore would not know that she was to become affiliated with an extremely rich man. Also she calls him his “sweetie” during the book thus showing affection. This relationship truly is the epitome of the jazz age, it was quick and fast, was fuelled by alcohol was mostly about sex and did not last very long. They also had a false sense of security with each other much like the people with their money during the Jazz age.

The way in which Fitzgerald writes is done so that it can shape meaning through its language and form. It is particularly prominent during such scenes as Gatsby’s parties. The way in which he describes things through colour, for example “blue gardens” and “yellow cocktail music”, this is trying to put through the feeling of happiness and the jubilation associated with the summer, especially with the reference to the cocktail music. Everything is seen as bright as even the garden is seen as a “fairground”. Also Gatsby lives by the sea and the sun and sand are always yellow and the sea is blue, this therefore leads me to the conclusion that Fitzgerald was trying to make the feeling of the book seem bright at this point in time and to have a feeling of summer sea and sand put forward in it. This use of colour is again prominent in the description of the valley of ashes; he uses dark colours such as grey and black and words such as dank and dismal. This gives the reader a feeling that the valley is a place of sadness where people live in unhygienic hovels with little money. Although I believe that the way that many people look down on those that live there is put through by Fitzgerald as ironic as they soon will have no money left and will be living like that due to the great crash.