F. Scott Fitzgerald:
-September 24, 1896-1940
-American novelist
-Married to Zelda Fitzgerald from 1920-1940
-Fame was difficult for the couple, F. Scott Fitzgerald was an alcoholic, and Zelda has a nervous breakdown that she was never really able to recover from
-He felt like an outsider from the upperclass
-Much of his writing clearly depicts his resentment

The Great Gatsby
-Published in 1925
-Fitzgerald based the novel around his own personal feelings and made it relatable for people living within that era
-Major themes included: The Decline of the American Dream, The Hollowness of the Upperclass, Isolation and Dissatisfaction

-The American Dream is a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity from prosperity, success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work
-This is "the striver," someone who won't quit

The Prohibition
-This legal act was passed in Congress to prohibit the manufacturing of alcohol
-Often referred to as "The Great Experiment"
-It "was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burdened created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America."

Arnold Rothstein
-January 17, 1882-November 5, 1928
-He was the leader of Jewish mob in New York
-Nicknamed "the Brain"
-Rothstein was believed to have been involved in the fixing of the 1910 World Series
-He made a living off of bootlegging and selling narcotics in the Prohibition era
-He died from an assassination carried out by George McManus
-After his death, his "empire crumbled since the gangs fought for control"

The 1920's
-The 1920's was the time of the Prohibition
-Due to the Prohibition, people started making their livings in a different way
-There was more illegal activity, and organized crime
-Bootleggers made their living by illegally selling liquor
-The women's movement was in full swing and many embodied a "flapper" which was a 1920s women who was fashionable in new ways, cut her hair, wore more revealing clothes, would go out more often and flouted conventional standards of behavior
-During this time society seemed to be 'upbeat' due to the roaring economy