Danubius International Conferences, 15th International Conference The Danube - Axis of European Identity
Symbols of the Roaring Twenties Lifestyle in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Novel The Great Gatsby
Last modified: 2025-06-17
Abstract
. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby serves as a vivid literary mirror of the Roaring Twenties – a decade marked by economic prosperity, cultural transformation, and moral ambiguity in the United States. This study examines key symbols in the novel that encapsulate the lifestyle and values of the 1920s, including material excess, social mobility, and the illusion of the American Dream. Through a close reading of emblematic elements such as Gatsby’s lavish parties, the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock, and the Valley of Ashes, the research explores how Fitzgerald uses symbolism to critique the hedonism, disillusionment, and class divisions of the era. The paper situates the novel within its historical context to illuminate the ways in which these symbols reflect broader cultural anxieties and desires. Ultimately, the analysis reveals how The Great Gatsby portrays the Roaring Twenties not as a golden age, but as a deeply conflicted period of broken ideals and fleeting grandeur.
