Many people in the 1920s lived very extravagant lives. The time of the "jazz age" or the "roaring 20s", when girls were flappers and men were bootleggers. People loved to have fun and be carefree. However, alcohol addiction was becoming a problem and many began to realize this. Taking action to stop this was the hard part. Alcohol was corrupting the 1920s even if some didn't realize it. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the corruption during the 1902s through his main character, Jay Gatsby, and his illustration of Prohibition. Prohibition was a long period of time in United States history that lasted nearly fourteen years. The production, transportation, and sale of liquor were made completely illegal. The period of time known as Prohibition led to the first and only time an amendment to the United States Constitution was repealed. Prohibition was also known as the “Noble Experiment.” Intoxicating liquors were outlawed, and many people were greatly disturbed by this. Speakeasy, glamor and gangsters emerged in this period and characterized this historical period. Even the most average citizen was known to break the law (Rosenberg). After the American Revolution drinking was definitely on the rise 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 drinking seem glamorous and fun (PBS). The intention of making the production, transportation, and sale of liquor illegal was to improve the lives of all Americans, to protect families, individuals, and society as a whole from the dangerous effects of alcohol abuse (Burns) . This led many faith-driven Americans to reconsider their morality and the true... middle of paper... Americans seemed to be having a lot of fun during Prohibition. No book captures the wild and messy times like F. Scott Fitzgerald did in The Great Gatsby. Although Gatsby's wealth did not come overnight, we must respect him because he worked for it. He may have had to do some things wrong to get there, but at least he was motivated and dedicated. All Gatsby wanted to do was impress Daisy. He loved her more than he knew he loved. It's sad but in the end love really kills Jay Gatsby. Works Cited Avey, 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. 27 February 2014. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gastby. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 2008. Print.Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Prohibition." History of the 20th century. Education, Web. 24 February. 2014.