Franklin 1

Kelsey Franklin

Hitchens, 1

AP Lang

16 November 2016

Gilded Glamour

The roaring twenties. An era of new freedoms, jazz, and big parties all a prelude to the

economic depression of the 1930s. Old morals and traditions flew out the window, and even

under the constraints of Prohibition, the affluent young rose up, changing society for good. The

twenties have been immortalized and romanticized by hundreds of works of literature, notably

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The award-winning novel follows the tumultuous lives

of the wealthy, mysterious Jay Gatsby, and Daisy Buchanan, a married woman with whom he is

obsessed, and is told through the eyes of Daisys cousin, Nick Carraway, who one night, attends

one of Gatsbys famous weekend-long parties. Fitzgeralds depiction of the the events before,

during, and after the party reveals that the upper class, while beautiful and glamourous on the

outside, is destructive and meaningless at its core.

Even before the guests arrive, Fitzgerald makes it evident that the rich despite seeming

glamourous are quite destructive and empty. To carry the masses of partygoers to West Egg,

Gatsbys Rolls-Royce becomes an omnibus. Rolls-Royce cars are incredibly high-end, even by

today's standards. For something so luxurious and expensive to serve the function of something

as ordinary as a bus may seem absurd to someone lower on the social hierarchy, but the

unfathomable wealth of the upper class allows them to be so flippant and carefree, that the cars

value is meaningless. Before the party, servants bustle about Gatsbys mansion to [repair] the
 Franklin 2

ravages of the night before. In describing the house in the aftermath of a party as [ravaged],

Fitzgerald highlights the destructive nature of the upper class. Not only was the party the night

before destructive, but Gatsby has servants cleaning it up in anticipation of doing it all again. The

nonchalant way the servants regard the disaster implies that they are used to the careless,

destructive ways of the wealthy, who are unconcerned, either because it is not their property

being destroyed, or because within the next day, all will have been repaired. Similarly, at the

press of a button, a butler juices hundreds of lemons and oranges for the party, leaving behind a

pyramid of pulpless halves every week. Having an apparatus to juice lemons and oranges may

seem lavish, but the pulpless halves begin to resemble the partygoers themselves. At the

beginning of the weekend, they are whole, bright youths who, through their endless partying and

indulgence, are squeezed out of their happiness and become empty. Their partying in itself is

self-destructive. Though the preparations for the party may seem over-indulgent, they pale in

comparison to the party in full swing.

During the party, the glamour and happiness gives way to destructive and meaningless

behavior. People from all over New York city flock to Gatsbys party, inciting introductions

forgotten on the spot. Although the guests are following societys norms though polite

greetings, these are just formalities. There is no purpose behind introducing yourself to someone

who will not bother to remember, rendering the action, and the people, meaningless.

Furthermore, Gatsbys guests [conduct] themselves according to the rules of behavior

associated with an amusement park. This is yet another example of the degradation of societal

norms instead of acting proper, as is expected, the guests act childish and irresponsible,

highlighting the careless, destructive behavior of the wealthy. Upon meeting an owl-eyed man
 Franklin 3

inside the library during the party, he tells Nick that he has been drunk for about a week now.

Even during Prohibition, the wealthy show a unique gift for inebriation. Getting drunk every

once in awhile is one thing drinking is considered by many to be a social activity, but to be

drunk for an entire week shows dangerous and unhealthy over-indulgence. The need of the upper

class to escape their reality through drink demonstrates their ruinous nature. The destructive,

meaningless tendencies of the upper class are conveyed throughout the chapter, even as the party

ends.

As the party winds to a close, the true destructive nature of the upper class is brought to

light. After the band leaves and people begin to find their way back home around two in the

morning one woman begins singing, her broken sobs and quavering soprano are

accompanied by tears and mascara running down her face in slow black rivulets. Makeup,

generally used to disguise or hide the face, is stripped away, revealing nothing but sadness. The

slow descent of the party into destruction and meaninglessness is reflected in this deterioration.

Moreover, the guests are surprised to find that two men, while trying to drive away, crash their

car into a ditch. The driver, clearly drunk, has trouble coming to terms with the fact that wheel

and car were no longer joined by any physical bond. The drivers ineptitude and decision to

drive while seriously impaired demonstrates the calamitous mindset of the privileged class. In

the wake of the party, all that is left is destruction and chaos. Finally, devoid of guests, an

emptiness seemed to flow through Gatsbys house. Without the lights, the glamour, and the

booze to distract people, all that is left is a cold and empty house.

Through his depiction of Gatsbys party from before guests arrive, to the middle of the

party, to the lastest hours of the party, Fitzgerald gives us a glimpse into the realities of the
 Franklin 4

seemingly happy upper class. While the twenties are known for flappers, booze, and dancing,

these were the lives of the wealthy. The lives of every other American was nowhere near as

outwardly glamorous. And though their carefree lives seem appealing, it is the overconfidence

and greed of the upper class that contributed to the stock market crash and the Great Depression.