"Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay. The lawn started at the beach and ran forward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens-finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of it's run. The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold and wide open to the warm windy afternoon." This quote, is the description of Tom and Daisy's house, because Materialism in the 1920's materialism was born, it was a time when people looked beyond daily chores and family. They started to focus on material things and who had more possesions than others. This was a time where social status was all people cared about, and Nick might have given a lot of detail to the house because he looked at all the material things that they had.
Mrs. McKees said, "Chester, I think you could do something with her," she broke out, but Mr. McKee only nodded in a bored way, and turned his attention to Tom. "I'd like to do more work on Long Island, if I could get the entry. All I ask is that they should give me a start." "Ask Myrtle," said Tom, breaking in to a short shout of laughter as Mrs. Wilson entered with a tray. "She'll give you a letter of introduction, won't you, Myrtle?" "Do what?" she asked, startled. "You'll give McKee a letter of introduction to your husband, so he can do some studies of him." His lips moved silently for a moment as he invented. "George B. Wilson at the Gasoline Pump, or something like that." During these times people were somewhat religious and maybe they didn't want to get a divorce because they didn't believe in divorces.
"I have gotten drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon; so everything that happened has a dim, hazy cast over it, although until after eight o'clock the apartment was full of cheerful sun." Everyone gets very drunk, including Nick. He says the party is only the second time he’s been drunk. In 1920 alcohol was prohibited in the United States. Every saloon and bar ran dry immediately. Although the supply took a hit, the demand was still there, and was growing. This gave birth to the moonshine and bootlegging era. The moonshine was a very raw and potent form of alcohol. It was made in the deep woods in order to mask the smell and the noisy contraption that made it. Most Bootleggers of the time were poor farmers and saw this as a way to make quick money. While the elder supervised the youngsters did the dirty work and delivered the potent substance. Because the law was after these bootleggers their cars had to be fast. So they “souped” up their cars and couldn’t be stopped. Because this was a weekday job the Bootleggers often sat around and boasted about who's car was fastest. And of course this led to the Sunday races, which would son bring crowds of over 5,000. These races led to the forming Nascar. As Nascar’s popularity rose quickly, so did the funding, this led many Bootleggers to abandon the outlaw life and become a race car driver.
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