Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is the illustration of the contemporary American society of the Jazz Age. It is noted in the text that social status and class prevail there and play very significant roles concerning various issues in the light of American Dream. This classification is mainly an aftermath of World War One because of disillusionment and pursuit of wealth. Three types of social class people, upper class, middle class, and lower class, are nicely presented by Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby. The dominance of the rich over the poor is a noted effect of this social stratification in this novel. People try to change their existed social class and upgrade reputation by any means. As a result, the characters of the novel become…
On the surface, The Great Gatsby reads as a story of thwarted love between a man and a woman. The real theme of the novel, however, encompasses a highly symbolic meditation on 1920’s America as a whole, and, in particular, the disintegration of the American dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920’s as an era of decaying social and moral values, evidenced in its overarching cynicism, greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure. The reckless jubilance that led to decadent parties and wild jazz music—epitomized in The Great Gatsby by the opulent parties that Gatsby himself hosts every Saturday night—resulted ultimately in the corruption of the…
1. How does Nick describe himself at the beginning of the novel? As tolerant, and smart…
The Gatsby lived in disillusionment about the kind of person he was he wanted to have the wealth and grace of the old money to impress Daisy. “An Oxford man!" He was incredulous. "Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit." "Nevertheless he’s an Oxford man" (Fitzgerald 122). Although Gatsby sees himself as part of the wealthy he lacks the class that the rich see themselves as having, because he cannot buy class. The West and east egg are examples of the difference between the old and new money. “My god i believe the man’s coming’” said Tom. “doesn't he know she doesn't want him”(Fitzgerald 179). Gatsby created a god like persona for himself but although he does have the money to blend into the wealthy East eggers he lacks the knowledge about the snobbish attitudes of the rich.Tom and Daisy grew up with the lifestyles of the rich, they viewed themself as decent people although that was not the case. “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made...”(fitzgerald, 179) Tom and Daisy went around life having the ability to throw money at all there problems which in consequence turned them into carless shallow…
The Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” is a chronicle of its times. Times of prohibition, bootleggers and economical prosperity, but also the times of people still recalling the World War I, those who try to forget its horror and compensate all the harms suffered, with the life full of luxury. The period of 1920s, so called Roaring Twenties, is the time when the United States experienced cultural revolution. The lifestyle changed and the old values, such as morality disappeared, replaced by money and corruption. As the one who lived in that era, F. S. Fitzgerald became a strong critic of his contemporary’s lifestyles. One of the major themes of the novel is the criticism of the society for its trend to waste everything.…
Living in West Egg was less respectable then living in East Egg. The social structure was not of much concern to Gatsby and he paid little attention to etiquette or class. His obsession with Daisy took top priority, and while his intentions were sincere, Gatsby put himself in positions to be made a fool. My God, I believe the mans comingDoesnt he know she doesnt want him?(Fitzgerald.6.109). When invited by the Sloanes, a wealthy couple from East Egg, to eat dinner with them, Gatsby innocently accepts, not realizing it was merely a formality. His pure love for Daisy shows through in all aspects of his life, affecting his judgment and ability to see through those with less than genuine…
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses on the wealthy class that live in New York, and takes place during the “Roaring Twenties”, and era of economic prosper and recklessness after World War I. Fitzgerald highlights the irresponsibility and lack of morality that derives from wealth. Throughout the novel, there are a number of characters that abuse their wealth or power in a way to excuse their moral irresponsibility. Through Gatsby’s disputed accumulation of wealth and Tom’s unceasing trysts, Fitzgerald paints a vivid picture of two men who choose to use their wealth and objectives as an excuse for their immoral habits.…
An author can create criticism and comment on injustice by examining the society of the time. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses an insightful perspective in the novel The Great Gatsby to illustrate the faults within society and perhaps bring awareness to the audience that there is a need for change. The words “American Dream” offer hope for a life filled with possibilities, including fulfillment and meaningful relationships. Fitzgerald, however, shows how the deterioration of American values leads to the failure of the American Dream. While everyone is so interested in drifting through life accumulating material possessions, they fail to see how the chase has a negative effect on…
Many themes were shown by F. Scott Fitzgerald from the novel, The Great Gatsby. One…
Don’t judge a book by its cover. In the novel The Great Gatsby, an aura of lies becomes an outward appearance. Gatsby creates a false background which is believed by most characters. Also, Gatsby pretends to be prestigious through the schedule he makes modeled after Benjamin Franklin’s virtuous schedule. Furthermore, Gatsby is a parallel to Biloxi such that he is the epitome of what Gatsby wants to be. Jay Gatsby puts on a mask of lies to court Daisy as shown by his false origin, his mockery of Benjamin Franklin, and his parallel to Blocks Biloxi.…
F. Scott Fitzgerald shows many themes in his novel The Great Gatsby. One of the themes…
Fitzgerald witnessed one of the most transformational times in American history affectionately referred to as the “Roaring Twenties”. The country’s economy was rapidly shifting and wealth was reaching tremendous heights. To grasp with these changes, Fitzgerald wrote his novel The Great Gatsby, which focuses on the aforementioned topics. In The Great Gatsby, capitalizes on the death of Jay Gatsby to reveal the theme of the corruption of the American Dream due to industrialization, resulting in the lost of control by the usage of allusions, diction, and the motifs of water and time.…
What makes “The Great Gatsby” so “Great”? Is it the charm the protagonist displays in his efforts to impress his love? Is it the vivid descriptions of the ostentatious ways the wealthy live? Perhaps one of the biggest lures for this novel is the representation of Jazz era America it paints. F. Scott Fitzgerald paints a vivid and eloquent, if somewhat dark, picture of the Jazz Age and the American dream that resonates in one's soul.…
While reading the classic novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the reader can clearly see how this story can be viewed through the Marxist Lens. Through tales of trial and desperation, the story reveals what can happen when money and social class come into play. The author clearly portrays how the American dream can cause people to lose sight of the important things in life, and how people always want to make it to the top, no matter who they have to step on during the way up. Living in post-war America, the character’s visions are quickly clouded by greed and their egocentric desires, and tragedy strikes when lust and passion mix with sinful desires.…
16. Compare George Wilson and Tom. What did each man learn about his wife and how did they each react?…