American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald published his novel, The Great Gatsby, which tells of a story of a wealthy man, Jay Gatsby, and his love obsession of Daisy Buchanan. Written in 1925, the novel portrays America during the 1920s including the crime, such as murder, bootlegging, and assault.
The Great Gatsby portrays life in America during the 1920s, particularly crime. A question in the mind of readers from the beginning of the novel is, ‘Where did Jay Gatsby’s wealth come from?’ A common crime committed during the 20s, or the prohibition area, was the illegal sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol, stated in the 18th amendment. Gatsby’s lavish parties conclude of many people consuming numerous amounts of alcohol and many instances of intoxication, such as the “owl-eyed” man in the library and the inebriation of Nick, the narrator. Another corruption that occurs in The Great Gatsby is murder. The death of Myrtle Wilson and the murder of Jay Gatsby touch on another occurrence during the 1920s and it brings about issues among the characters. These events depict crimes of passion during this time period.