the great gatsby is
a 1925 novel written
by
american author f. scott
fitzgerald.
the book provides a
critical social history of
america during the „roaring twenties“.
that era,
known for unprecedented
economic
prosperity, the
evolution of jazz music,
flapper culture, and
bootlegging and other criminal
activity, is plausibly depicted in
fitzgerald's novel.
the remake movie is inspiring people about 1920s fashion, classic cars, book covers and f. scott fitzgerald quotes.
what was it like to live in the 1920's?
in the 1920's new kinds of dancing evolved along with the new jazz and
blues music.
the new music and dances were fast paced and energetic, like the
optimistic 1920's themselves. they were an escape from the horror of war, and
an opportunity to release pent up emotions created by the restricted lifestyles
forced on the public by the war effort.
freed from the restrictions of tight corsets and the large puffed
sleeves and long skirts that characterized dress during the late victorian era,
a new generation of dancers was swaying, hugging, and grinding to the new
rhythms in dances.
it is worth pointing out that in the early 1900's both the waltz and the
tango were considered scandalous dances because they involved physical contact
between partners during the dance. once the dance crazes which took off in
paris were demonstrated in america, they were embraced by the public and close
dancing became a social norm.
young people introduced their own fashion styles and so the
"flapper" and "sheik" came into existence. young women with
short bobbed hairstyles, close fitting hats and short skirts were referred to
as flappers, and young men with racoon coats and bell-bottom trousers were
called "sheiks".
the dance that epitomizes the 1920's is the charleston.
.
.
fashion has always been influenced by the mode of transportation, the
architecture of the period, and the customs of the people, and so it was in the
1920's.
1920's dresses were lighter and brighter and shorter than ever before.
fashion designers played with fabric colors, textures and patterns to create
totally new styles of dress.
shoes and stockings assumed a greater prominence now that they were more
visible. silk stockings in all the colors of the rainbow, often with patterns,
were designed to match the coordinated outfits of stylish women.
thus, the roaring twenties redefined womanhood — a new woman evolved; it
became more acceptable to smoke and drink in public, closer body contact in
dancing, shorter hair, make-up, different styles of dress, and greater
participation in the workforce - all contributed to the new woman.
in the 1920's food production, storage and availability improved
significantly.
the introduction of refrigerators enabled healthier and longer storage
of perishable foodstuffs, with consequent health benefits as well as time saved
due to less frequent purchases.
food was plentiful and cheap thanks to the large quantities produced by
american farms. the american diet in the early part of the century consisted
for a large part of meat and potatoes. a lot of time was taken up in preparing
and cooking meals.
as vitamins began to be discovered from 1912 on, fruit, vegetables and
milk became much more important than they had in the earlier years. for the
first time people could drink fresh orange juice year round due to improvements
in storage and transport.
the "woman's institute of domestic arts" ran a correspondence
cooking course to teach women how to prepare, cook and serve food using the
most up-to-date information available. tens of thousands of women in rural and
suburban areas in america and worldwide benefited from this educational
program.
it seemed as if the good times would never end, however the prosperity
and optimism of the 20's came to a halt with the stock market crash on black
monday in september of 1929. america's mood changed significantly during the
great depression that followed.
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