Fitzgerald's deep, thoughtful words tear off the shroud surrounding the human brain during the the revolutionary 1920's. Conservatives and liberals clashed throughout this time period over morals. These clashes inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald to take up his pen and express his thoughts on the issues.
Fitzgerald's thoughtful use of sexual references throughout the passage continually reference the time period. The "green breast" of the New World and the "orgastic future" allude to the current moral dilemmas of the flapper. The traditional woman of the new century was becoming increasingly nontraditional. Low-cut dresses, shorter skirts, and alcohol became associated with the new woman of the 20th century. Fitzgerald's use of sexually loaded words throws the reader back into the time period.
The conservatives, bred by the 2nd Great Awakening of the 19th century, were "boats" fighting "against the current" in Fitzgerald's eyes. The future was coming. Fitzgerald's metaphor expresses the desire of the more conservative groups to drag society back into the Old World. The world that "flowered" in the "Dutch sailor's eyes." Fitzgerald becomes aware of the "old island" as the New World additions begin to melt away. The future that "eluded [them]" only made them reach farther for the future. The desire to reach the future will always best the desire to stay the same. Desire is the current and stubbornness is the boat.
"The wild women, the wild women," these famous lines may have never come existed in our society today. Fitzgerald expresses his opinions on the fight for the existence of these words in this passage. His sexually loaded words and metaphors force the readers to truly think about the time period as it was: a series of brutal clashes over moral opinions.
