Many of us recently read The Great Gatsby for English class, and the novel is considered by many to capture the period in American history known as the Roaring Twenties. Since I know many of us were making connections to Gatsby during the last few classes, I decided to go a little further in making connections.
Prohibition and Grain Alcohol Sales
Prohibition started in January of 1920, and all drinks containing more than 1% alcohol were supposed to be illegal. Obviously many didn't follow the law. It actually completely backfired and made the production and sale of alcohol a risky but highly profitable trade. In the story Gatsby makes his way from farmer to millionaire through grain alcohol sales. Many people made their fortunes this way, including the notorious Al Capone in Chicago. During the twenties Capone averaged 100 million dollars a year from the industry. In the novel Gatsby's group of fellow alcohol smugglers doesn't seem to be that violent, though his servants do seem a little weirdly accustomed to the sound of gunshots. But alcohol was a million-dollar illegal industry, and gangs usually fought for monopolies over certain areas. In 1933 the 18th amendment enforcing Prohibition was amended to become more lenient, but before that happened several enterprising men were able to "get rich quick."
Meyer Wolfsheim
Gatsby's friend Meyer Wolfsheim was actually based on a real person. Arnold Rothstein was one of the first to realize the money that could be made from Prohibition. His job was to supply alcohol to gangsters to sell to the common people. Rothstein obtained the alcohol from Canada, and had it shipped illegally over the Great Lakes or by the Hudson River. However, he was wealthy even before Prohibition. He came from a fairly well off family, but he built gambling casinos in New York and fixed horse races in Maryland, leading him to become a millionaire by 30.
One event connected to Meyer Wolfsheim in the book is the fixing of the World Series in 1919. This actually occurred, and the fixing of the World Series was organized by Rothstein, who apparently had members of the White Sox paid to play badly and lose the game. However, Rothstein was never convicted of fixing it, nor was it ever proved in court that the game had been fixed at all. Apparently records from earlier parts of the trial and signed confessions from the players who had been bribed mysteriously disappeared and were never found again.
The Wilsons, the Valley of Ashes, and Those Who Didn't Profit from the Roaring Twenties
Though most of the photographs from the Roaring Twenties make it look like one big American party, the majority of America was not invited. Fitzgerald captures this aspect of the twenties with Myrtle and George Wilson and the other inhabitants of the Valley of Ashes, a desolate place near New York City where the poorer people live. Most of the people here never got their share of the abundance of wealth that characterized the upper class part of the Roaring Twenties. In this apparent time of prosperity more than half of Americans lived below subsistence level and weren't even able to make ends meet.
One aspect of the Twenties that did change Wilson's life was the growing popularity of cars. Unlike earlier times when cars were often slower and less reliable than horses and buggies, during the twenties cars became really popular, and along with the growth of the car industry came growth in side industries such as gas stations and mechanic shops. Wilson owns a garage and gas station in the story. The first station where gas could actually be bought was built in 1905, but a drive-in station where gas wasn't sold as a side product at a hardware store was built in 1913. By the time The Great Gatsby takes place gas was in high demand, though relatively low prices and lack of many unified gas station brands prevented the industry from being super profitable to station owners. Most of the money was made by the people who mined and processed the oil. Wilson does manage to scrape by in the book, but like most other station owners at the time, his life wasn't exactly one of luxury.
Hope this was somewhat interesting to you guys!
Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/aug/26/lawless-prohibition-gangsters-speakeasies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Rothstein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station#United_States
Mr. Stewart :)
Prohibition and Grain Alcohol Sales
Prohibition started in January of 1920, and all drinks containing more than 1% alcohol were supposed to be illegal. Obviously many didn't follow the law. It actually completely backfired and made the production and sale of alcohol a risky but highly profitable trade. In the story Gatsby makes his way from farmer to millionaire through grain alcohol sales. Many people made their fortunes this way, including the notorious Al Capone in Chicago. During the twenties Capone averaged 100 million dollars a year from the industry. In the novel Gatsby's group of fellow alcohol smugglers doesn't seem to be that violent, though his servants do seem a little weirdly accustomed to the sound of gunshots. But alcohol was a million-dollar illegal industry, and gangs usually fought for monopolies over certain areas. In 1933 the 18th amendment enforcing Prohibition was amended to become more lenient, but before that happened several enterprising men were able to "get rich quick."
Meyer Wolfsheim
Gatsby's friend Meyer Wolfsheim was actually based on a real person. Arnold Rothstein was one of the first to realize the money that could be made from Prohibition. His job was to supply alcohol to gangsters to sell to the common people. Rothstein obtained the alcohol from Canada, and had it shipped illegally over the Great Lakes or by the Hudson River. However, he was wealthy even before Prohibition. He came from a fairly well off family, but he built gambling casinos in New York and fixed horse races in Maryland, leading him to become a millionaire by 30.
One event connected to Meyer Wolfsheim in the book is the fixing of the World Series in 1919. This actually occurred, and the fixing of the World Series was organized by Rothstein, who apparently had members of the White Sox paid to play badly and lose the game. However, Rothstein was never convicted of fixing it, nor was it ever proved in court that the game had been fixed at all. Apparently records from earlier parts of the trial and signed confessions from the players who had been bribed mysteriously disappeared and were never found again.
The Wilsons, the Valley of Ashes, and Those Who Didn't Profit from the Roaring Twenties
Though most of the photographs from the Roaring Twenties make it look like one big American party, the majority of America was not invited. Fitzgerald captures this aspect of the twenties with Myrtle and George Wilson and the other inhabitants of the Valley of Ashes, a desolate place near New York City where the poorer people live. Most of the people here never got their share of the abundance of wealth that characterized the upper class part of the Roaring Twenties. In this apparent time of prosperity more than half of Americans lived below subsistence level and weren't even able to make ends meet.
One aspect of the Twenties that did change Wilson's life was the growing popularity of cars. Unlike earlier times when cars were often slower and less reliable than horses and buggies, during the twenties cars became really popular, and along with the growth of the car industry came growth in side industries such as gas stations and mechanic shops. Wilson owns a garage and gas station in the story. The first station where gas could actually be bought was built in 1905, but a drive-in station where gas wasn't sold as a side product at a hardware store was built in 1913. By the time The Great Gatsby takes place gas was in high demand, though relatively low prices and lack of many unified gas station brands prevented the industry from being super profitable to station owners. Most of the money was made by the people who mined and processed the oil. Wilson does manage to scrape by in the book, but like most other station owners at the time, his life wasn't exactly one of luxury.
Hope this was somewhat interesting to you guys!
Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/aug/26/lawless-prohibition-gangsters-speakeasies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Rothstein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station#United_States
Mr. Stewart :)
Awesome Post Maya, I love the connection you made with the book we read in English class and this whole era. I feel that Fitzgerald (the author of Great Gatsby) was looking at America during this time and analyzing it. So this book could really be looked at his thought on American Society during the twenties. One important thing that Fitzgerald commented on that I feel is true for the era is people are not always what they seem. Take Gatsby a man who had riches and seemed to be having a great time with his life constantly needed more and let materialism drive him which ultimately led to his death. Therefore, this idea that he was content and happy did not exist. This era can be looked at in a similar way. Though on the outside it may have looked good many suffered and illegal businesses and trades brought out the worst in American Culture. So to conclude, I feel that Fitzgerald story is a way of explaining that American culture and society was in no way what it seemed to be.
ReplyDeleteAnd interestingly enough, just as Gatsby's luxurious life came to a sudden end, so did the Roaring Twenties when the stock marked crashed in 1929 and the country plummeted into economic depression. Gatsby's life was ended by a commoner, just as the Roaring Twenties era was ended largely as a result of the maldistribution of wealth among common men.
ReplyDeleteAnother point of interest is that just as characters in The Great Gatsby gave up basic human morals in their efforts to stay rich and maintain their status, so were the '20s filled with moral corruption, as seen in the form or street gangs and alcohol dealers such as the Mafia.
Sources: American Pageant textbook
The Great Gatsby
Unfortunately I have yet to read the Great Gatsby, so I can't relate to the majority of this post. But it was really interesting to hear about how Fitzgerald documented the 20s! Also, I know that prohibition obviously does not exist today, but I was unaware that the 18th Amendment was amended as early as 1933.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same situation as Annie, but I agree it's cool to see how the story can be based on so many real facts. I find it very interesting that a law can be passed to help people, but a man can become a millionaire by breaking that law. It's funny how the government can restrain some yet give advantages to others through the same act.
ReplyDeletespeaking of the roaring 20's and the prohibition that went along with them, when i was in san francisco last week we drove past an ice cream shop with a speakeasy in the back. i was all like HISTORY!!!! but ya, back to the point. the prohibition law was one of those things in american history where i am just absolutely mind blown. But to understand it, as Ryan said, you have to realize that the mindset of the time was so different from the one we hold today. at the time there were tons of huge changes going on. Industry was going crazy, African Americans were asserting their new found rights, and women were utilizing their vote. However, at the same time, as there always is with change, there was fear. Fear of things that were not fully understood. We see this in today's society as well. We see fear at the new movement to create a country in which the LGBTQ is accepted. We see it also in the new healthcare system. both of these things present ideas to people who do not fully understand them. This lack of knowledge thus causes fear of the thing leading to hatred. In the 20's this fear was directed toward African American's by the KKK and at activities deemed sinful by religious beliefs, such as alcohol. Unfortunately for us there is no way to really solve this problem other than just going with it and realizing change is never avoidable, and even if you try to avoid it you will still change.
ReplyDelete