The Gatsby Show is by far, the best representation of the early 1920s in American history and culture. The classical author of the novel makes not only an impressive portrayal of the so-called Lost Generation but crafts an indelible record of an era. The Roaring 20s was marred by a 38-million World War I casualty, the phenomenal rise of the U.S. economy, and The Prohibition.
With the Gatsby Show, the era becomes unforgettable to future generations who are now tasked with unlocking the powerful symbols of the life and times that are as unique as they are unerasable. In fact, the Gatsby Show has been immortalized in motion pictures with the image of ladies clad in tight-fitting and glittering gypsy outfits while dancing on bar tables. Permanently etched in the collective consciousness, the said image beckons if not tempts other generations to revisit the Jazz Age and see it for all it’s worth.
Upon first glance or visit, the main image portrayed in the Gatsby Show may seem like a picture of 20th-century excess, glamor, and sophistication. Yet actually, there is more than meets the eye. The year 1922 was marked by the illegality of alcohol, so the scene portrayed could have only originated from the underground economy.
Meanwhile, the utter ubiquity of fast cars portrayed the era when car buying first took off in the American economy. At this time, three out of four people owned a car, and hence the moniker, The Roaring 20s. Also, although the US and the rest of the world were still technical mourning the tremendous casualty of war, the exuberance in the air was representative of the American emergence into a super power both militarily and economically.
More importantly, however, the most memorable imagery represents the ascendancy of the Black culture into the stratosphere of arts, literature, and entertainment. Welcome to the Jazz Age, the powerful images from both the book as well as the movie versions–appear to convey. So deep is the portrayal that readers and viewers alike can literally feel the angst that the rest of American society felt at the unexpected rise of a race that less than a century ago was confined to slavery.
So, while an observer witnesses the seemingly nonstop barrage of glamor and merrymaking, the racial tensions run deep at the same time in a novel that from its publication was destined for greatness. The subtlety and the juxtaposition of opposing elements apparently do a better job in words and pictures much more than any painting during the period can. Finally, nothing paints a more stark picture of the era of modernity pushing aside nobility and moral values from atop a cliff.