Grapes of Wrath/Great Gatsby Context

When was The Great Gatsby written?

When was The Great Gatsby written?

1923-4 written

1925 published

Fitzgerald’s life

During the 1920s in New York Fitzgerald and Zelda a lavish and hedonistic lifestyle that reflected the morally permissive ideals of the Jazz Age

In 1924 he moved to Europe to finish his novel The Great Gatsby- similar to Nick who moves back West to reflect on his life in New York

Fitzgerald’s influences

Many of his own life events influences his works

• Zelda = Daisy- pursued her romantically and she married him only after his success with This Side of Paradise

• move to Long Island 1922- saw first-hand the lavish parties and division in wealth (West & East egg set in Long Island)

Jazz Age culture represented heavily in his works

Why were the 1920s called the roaring 20s? (economic and cultural factors)

Decade of economic growth and widespread prosperity is driven by:

• recovery from war

• boom in construction

• rapid growth of consumer goods

Spirit of Roaring 20s marked by a general feeling of modernity and a break away from tradition, through technological advancements

• Also known as the Jazz Age as it prospered during this time became mainstream style of music in cities and for youth

• increased artistic and cultural freedoms and expression

• dance clubs, partying and drinking was very popular during this time

What is a ‘New Woman’/ Flapper?

New Woman- a feminist ideal that had a profound influence and the ‘Flapper’ is closely associated with this ideal

• Flapper- cultural symbol that usually elicited an image of a young woman with short bob hairstyle, short dress, painted lips, usually smoking and going to jazz clubs to dance

  • also not just a physical change they were characterised as being more reckless, sexually liberated and unfazed by previous social taboos

  • changes in fashion interpreted as deeper social change

    • liberated from restriction clothes but also restricting traditional views

What was the position of women in the 1920s?

Time of change for women- the struggle between traditional gender roles that kept them confined to the domestic sphere and developing times that gave women more freedom

• 19th amendment- gave women right to vote

• increased women in workforce

• actively participating in consumer culture

What is conspicuous consumption/ consumerism?

Due to economic prosperity and technological advancements consumerist culture thrived during the 1920s

• conspicuous consumption became popular

  • purchase of goods or services for the specific purpose of displaying one’s wealth/ social status

• consumerism encouraged those to buy goods in increasing quantities as this would enhance your social status

  • expansion of credit allowed for sale of more consumer goods especially automobiles

What was the Prohibition Act?

Prohibition was the ban on the manufacture and sale of alcohol that lasted from 1920-33

• primarily introduced due to religious reasons

• negatively it increased criminal activity

  • bootlegging and illegal manufacture and sale of alcohol were widespread

  • notorious prohitibtion-era gangsters such as Al Capone

  • creation of speakeasy were illegal establishments for American to access alcohol and the nightlife that comes with it

Gatsby accumulates his wealth through boot-legging

Old Money vs New Money

Old Money- inherited wealth; money that has been passed down through generations (old industrialists, former plantation owners)

New Money- ‘noveau riche’ recent earning of wealth usually through new emerging industries of that time (entrepreneurs/ celebrities)

• one is inherited other is earned

• perceived difference- spending habits and social perceptions

  • old money wealth is usually saved to be able to be passed down

  • new money wealth- spent liberally to lead a lavish lifestyle

Old World vs New World

Old World (Europe)- place of tradition and rich historically and culturally (place of decaying morals)

New World (America)- land of opportunity, person’s wealth is defined by hard work rather than social status

When was The Grapes of Wrath written?

1930s written

1939- published

Steinbeck’s life

California, rural environment

• Grew up in California in small rural valley

• laboured with migrant workers on a farm

• witnessed first-hand the influx of migrant workers to California during the Great Depression

• lived in a rural environment hence putting much importance on land and nature

Steinbeck’s influences

Ed Ricketts

Socialism & Communism

Proletarian novel

Ed Ricketts- marine biologist developed ideas about interrelationships of life

• close friend and mentor to Steinbeck taught him a lot about biology and philosophy

Socialism & Communism

• denounced as a ‘red’ GoW met with controversy due to its messaging

• held socialist and communist beliefs as many of his books advocate these ideals that centre around workers

• GoW seen as a Proletarian novel- genre of writing written by left-wing mainly by workers for workers

1. as it advocated for social change and exposes the working conditions/ exploitations of the working class

When and what was the Great Depression?

Period of economic depression (1929-39) following the Wall Street Crash in 1929

• mass unemployment

• sharp increase in poverty and homelessness

• steep decline in industrial production

• deflation (steep drop in prices)

lack of work and poverty for Joads due to this

What was the Dust Bowl?

• period of severe dust storms

• → severely damaged ecology and agriculture of American prairies during the 1930s

• → agricultural depression (contributed to Great Depression, closure of banks/ loans)

• severe droughts and dust storms → forced to abandon farms → homeless/ unemployed

Transcendentalism/ Emersonian Oversoul

Ralph Waldo Emerson central figure in this philosophical movement

• Promotes intuitive spiritual thinking embraced idealism, focusing on nature and opposing materialism

• Emersonian Oversoul- idea of unity between mankind and also with nature

Jim Casy- represents these ideas

Jeffersonian Agrarianism

philosophy advocated by Thomas Jefferson

• believed in a society based on agriculture

• rural society took precedence over urban society

• most of the land should be used for farming

Literary Modernism

• 1900s-40s

• self-conscious break with traditional ways of writing

  • experimented with literary form and expression

  • driven by a conscious desire to overturn traditional modes of representation (due to rapid industrialisation and advancements and social change)

  • sense of disillusionment and loss pervade American Modernist Fiction

Lost Generation Writers

• group of American writers- felt ‘lost’ as their inherited values seemed no longer relevant in the postwar world

• sense of disillusionment felt by this group of writers following the war

  • link to modernism

• nihilistic image of America exposing the realities and sometimes expressing hope of change

Grapes of Wrath highlights the realities of agricultural America during the Great Depression

Great Gatsby- Fitzgerald skewered the American Dream

Explain the ‘self-made man’ and ‘rags to riches’ tales

Self-made man- Henry Clay coined this term and it indicated the success of an individual lies within themselves and not with outside conditions

Rags to riches- Horatio Alger wrote these tales that depicted those achieving wealth and greatness with hard work and perseverance

Gatsby embodies this self-made man as he came from relative poverty (but his wealth was achieved through illegal means)

How did Benjamin Franklins ideas contribute to the ‘American Dream’?

Franklin’s autobiography became an important document in shaping American character and expectations

• talked about what would later be known as the ‘American Dream’ saying one could fashion their own economic and social status through possible merits

• limitless possibilities to those who were honest and virtuous

What is the link between the American Constitution?

‘all men are created equal’ with the right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’

perpetuated the myth that everyone would have equal opportunity in America and this ‘dream’ could be achieved through hard work