Many people in the 1920s led very extravagant lives. The era of the “Jazz Age” or the “Roaring 20s” where girls were flappers and men were bootleggers. People liked to have fun and be carefree. However, alcohol addiction was becoming a problem and many were beginning to realize it. Acting to stop this was the hardest part. Alcohol was corrupting the 1920s even if some didn't realize it. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows corruption during the 1902s through its main character, Jay Gatsby, and his illustration of Prohibition. Prohibition was a long period in United States history that lasted almost fourteen years. The manufacture, transport and sale of alcohol became completely illegal. The period known as Prohibition led to the first and only time an amendment to the U.S. Constitution was repealed. Prohibition was also known as the “Noble Experiment.” Intoxicating drinks were banned and many people were very unhappy about this. Speakeasies, glamor and gangsters emerged during this time and characterized this period of history. Even the most average citizen was known to break the law (Rosenberg). After the American Revolution, drinking definitely increased and most people were doing it. According to Burns and Novick, Prohibition turned law-abiding citizens into criminals, made a mockery of the justice system, and made illicit alcohol consumption seem glamorous and fun (PBS). The intent of making the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol illegal was to improve the lives of all Americans, protect families, individuals, and society as a whole from the dangerous effects of alcohol abuse (Burns ). This caused many faith-motivated Americans to rethink their morality and the definition...... middle of paper ... it seemed Americans were having a lot of fun during Prohibition. No book captures the carless, wild times like F. Scott Fitzgerald did in The Great Gatsby. Although Gatsby's wealth did not come about overnight, we should respect him because he worked for it. He may have had to do some bad things to get there, but at least he was motivated and dedicated. All Gatsby wanted was to impress Daisy. He loved her more than he thought. It's sad but in the end, love really kills Jay Gatsby. Works CitedAvey, Tori. “The Great Gatsby, Prohibition and Fitzgerald.” PBS. PBS, May 14, 2013. Web. February 26, 2014. Burns, Ken and Lynn Novick. "Prohibition." PBS. PBS, Web. February 27, 2014. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gastby. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 2008. Print. Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Prohibition." History of the 20th century. Education, Web. February 24. 2014.