More often than not, decadence and lavish lifestyles ultimately lead to failure. The 1920's worshipped money, alcohol, and sexuality which is made clear through Fitzgerald's writing. The generation that fought in the war turned to wild and extravagant living. "To the young Gatz, resting on his oars and looking up at the railed deck, the yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world." (Fitzgerald 75) Gatsby was given his first taste of the high life and lived trying to achieve that euphoria for the rest of his life. "The minister glanced several times at his watch, so I took him aside and asked him to wait for half an hour. But it wasn’t any use. Nobody came." (Fitzgerald 125) Gatsby threw the most decadent parties outside of New York that were attended by many and yet no one could be bothered to see his end. Fitzgerald, like Nick, saw through the glitter of the "Jazz Age"; the moral emptiness, and the carelessness of upper class society. Tragically, Gatsby failed to realize that the American Dream changed for the worse. The "Roaring Twenties" in the novel portray the decayed social and moral values, and the empty pursuit of pleasure.

The 1920's