THE GREAT GATSBY Introduction The modern age began in 1915 and ended around the year 1946. During that time American Literature changed in many ways. A lot of the changes were due to the impact of World War I. To truly appreciate literature written during this era you must understand the nation's involvement in the war. Before World War I began the mood of the American society was confident and optimistic, but when hundreds of thousands of …showed first 75 words of 2792 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2792 total…affluent characters portrayed in the The Great Gatsby were derived from Fitzgerald's own life and that of his wife and friends. However, they reflect only one side of a writer whose second and final decade of work portrayed a life marred by alcoholism and financial difficulties, troubled by lost love, and frustrated by lack of inspiration. Much like his personal experiences, Fitzgerald's works mirror the headiness, ambition, despair, and disillusionment of America in his lifetime.