The values that were typical of Robert Louis Stevenson's age were the honor and morality of one's self and one's family. An individual must never do anything that would diminish reputation but strive to maintain it or better it. Individuals were to be characters of good moral standing. There was a firm belief in the upkeep of outward appearances of dignity and restrain. Individuals were also supposed to uphold the law above all else, except God. In the middle classes, the idea of self-made men and entrepreneurship was born and this fostered the "American Dream".
Hoodwinked means to deceive or trick (someone).
"The magician hoodwinked the crowd"
Fitzgerald presents the problem of abundance in American culture in the city by showing that the more we have, the less things make sense or bring happiness.
<h3>Fitzgerald and the problem of abundance</h3>
In his famous novel "The Great Gatsby," among the many criticisms Fitzgerald delineates there is the criticism concerning excess. According to the author, the seemingly endless abundance in American culture in the city does not bring much of a benefit to people's lives.
The narrator describes those who live in such a fast-paced, alcohol-filled and party-stricken environment as "hard and languid at twenty-one." He also mentions that nothing seems to impress them anymore, as if they have lost their capacity to see novelty with wonder.
Therefore, Fitzgerald criticizes the abundance or excess culture as something that numbs people.
Learn more about Fitzgerald here:
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