In the aftermath of World War I, the 1920s glittered on the horizon with the promise of hope. Ended by the epidemic of 1920 and the Wall Street crash of 1929, the decade was a time of decadence, frivolity and escapism. Rich or poor, people lived in the moment, loved everything new and young people partied like there was no tomorrow. Readers' insight into this decade can be found in the greatest memoir of the era: The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald. F. Scott Fitzgerald applied the social and political issues of the 1920s and their myriad characteristics to enhance the plot of The Great Gatsby. The 1920s were also known as the "Jazz Age." Aptly named because of the emergence of jazz music. The word “jazz” took the country by storm. Clothing stores advertised “jazz styles,” poets wrote “jazz poetry.” In the early 1920s, classical jazz was at its peak, with either a solo pianist or a band consisting of banjo, horns, clarinets and drums supporting the singer. It was music that fit the mood of blacks newly arrived in the cities, who had abandoned the single guitarist or string bands of the South. And by the mid-1920s, jazz was being played in dance halls, roadhouses, and speakeasies across the country. Jazz, the product of wandering black musicians, the South's poorest, had become big business, and dance was sweeping a country that seemed convinced that wealth and well-being would never end. so that competitions called “dance marathons” were organized. The aim of these competitions was to see which couple could dance the longest. Dancers competed to win cash prizes of up to several thousand dollars. These exhausting competitions lasted for days. The dancers kicked, punched,...... middle of paper...... political issues of the 1920s and its myriad features to enhance the plot of The Great Gatsby. Jazz became very popular in the 1920s. Couples just couldn't stop dancing. Flappers defied norms of dress and behavior and their only goal was to have fun. The women who attended Gatsby's parties were flappers, including Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker, Gatsby's love interest. Prohibition was in full swing in the 1920s and Al Capone was leading the way in the illegal alcohol trade. The fictional character Jay Gatsby was deeply involved. Readers can take a look at the era's greatest memoir, The Great Gatsby, and other of Fitzgerald's writings and discover that the 1920s were a time of decadence, frivolity, and escapism. It didn't matter if they were rich or poor, people lived in the moment, loved their lives and the young (and sometimes old) partied like there was no tomorrow..