...and deontological views apparent in the Victorian and Jazz age dictate the individual’s actions within the given society, often transpiring to intrinsic expectations. Ethical and moral justification emerges in ones actions often leading to infatuation and obsession in order to achieve society’s expectations. This is predominantly exposed within the texts “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald and “Sonnets from the Portuguese” by Barret Browning. Within the Victorian era individuals were bound by strict moral code. This impacted the way literature was written evident in Barret Browning’s poems. Deontological ethics bound Barrett to write in a sense of selflessness which included concepts of moral absolutism. Barrett also adapted concepts of preference utilitarianism in her relationship with Robert. Sonnet 22 “What bitter wrong, Can the earth do to us, that we should not long, Be here contented?” The rhetorical question emphasizes Barrett’s contentment with Robert whose relationship fits in her view of a utilitarian world. In this way Browning meets society’s expectations and succeeds in her role as a woman. Comparatively within the Jazz age moral code was loosened to the point where previous norms were set aside as mores and values evolved into a self-focused frame of mind. This mindset persists through ‘The Great Gatsby” as characters are governed by concepts of hedonism, majorly seen in the character Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is blinded with obsession and infatuation of Daisy who will...
Words: 853 - Pages: 4
...THE GREAT GATSBY The Great Gatsby is a tale of luxury, lust, deceit, and murder. In Long Island, New York, Nick Carraway lives next door to the mysterious Jay Gatsby, the owner of a huge mansion and host of frequent and lavish parties. Although prohibition has made alcohol illegal, Gatsby always has a surplus available at his wild social gatherings. As Nick starts to spend more time with Gatsby, he begins to learn about Gatsby’s past, his strange profession, and his love for Nick’s cousin, Daisy. The story that unfolds truly highlights the scandalous and risky nature of the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald had encompassed many literary devices in order to make this novel effective and more appealing. He has used techniques such as imagery, similes and the strongest one is symbolism. Fitzgerald has very smartly constructed his novel. "And only let me leave it in the soap dish when she saw that it was coming to pieces like snow.”(page 76) is an example of simile used in the text. This sentence suggests that Daisy was holding onto that letter until there wasn't really anything left of it. The letter obviously meant a whole lot to her if she took a bath with it. A representative of imagery used in the novel is "Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes.” This sentence paints a picture in our heads of Gatsby feeling cold with his hands in his pockets, while standing in a puddle...
Words: 1179 - Pages: 5
...representing the corruption that resulted from the rich having so much power during the Jazz Age. Nick starts by describing Gatsby’s car as having “fenders spread like wings” to create the image of a car moving so fast that it flies, scattering “light through half Long Island City” with its bright headlights under the “twisted pillars” of the railway. By scattering light across the road, Gatsby and his car are symbols of new money, radiating their wealth along the highway as opposed to those who come from old money and live in a more reserved manner. Nick then continues by explaining the sound...
Words: 1175 - Pages: 5
...Great Gatsby Essay Test Prompt 1 Judgement is an action that has its moral degradations when used incorrectly. In fact, it is almost impossible to use judgement and be a human being that has good moral standing. Past has proven with bullies that judgement has led to suicide in peoples lives and hence is frowned upon. However, time after time people judge others with haste and make them feel that their actions are incorrect. A big question is whether to judge or not because if people aren’t judged on something they do that is incorrect they very well may end up doing it again. Nick Carraway, a character in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a person who claims to not judge others. His remarkable ability to not place his judgement on others leads him to extraordinary circumstances because of the resulting friendships. Throughout the whole novel, Nick develops the theme that judgement is almost impossible to reserve for one’s whole life because at one point you will eventually feel ill will towards someone who has hurt you on a personal level, or simply just because they seem inferior of your thoughts. On the few first pages of the book, Nick describes himself and his illustrious friend Gatsby, and how he comes up through different circumstances because of the advice his dad once gave him “ just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had,” (1). That advice is that criticizing others is not fair to him or the person on the other...
Words: 802 - Pages: 4
...The great effection of Freud’s psychoanalytic on literature is beyond doubt, though it was unpopular when he first proposed this theory.Still psychoanalytic had created a significant impact on American literature,especially on Fitzgerald’s works.Fitzgetald has already became a symbol of the Jazz Age, his honor and disgrace of life are extremly similar with Nick and Gatsby’s in the novel, but there is a lot differences after perusing. Personaly, Frued’s theory of Personality Structure is the key clue of main roles’ birth. Id, ego and superego these three personalities exist in the relationship between Gatsby and Fizgerald all the time. According to Frued’s concepts,id, ego and superego these three co-operate to make each of them can operate nomally,none acts independently. In the other word, the person who own the personalities will be dissatisfied when the relationships among the three parts have any contradiction. First, id——as the lowest level, which is isolated from the basic desires of all human kinds, meanwhile, id is out of constrains by social customs,logical and rational. The ego, which is usually contradictory. In the Creative Writers and Day-dreaming Fruede pointed out that there is two kinds of authors, one is kind of Epic writer, every work is based on real history; another one is who always tried to creative their own stories. Obviously, Fitzgerald belongs to the later one. The conflicting thoughts of Fitzgerald’s embodies on The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald had...
Words: 1344 - Pages: 6
...Gatsby In the book The Great Gatsby by some guy, the American Dream is depicted as something that can be either achieved or neglected by several characters of different age and personality. Through the novel readers can learn how hard it is to obtain this dream because at any given moment, individuals can be faced with obstacles and barriers. Despite the great amount of wealth that he inherited, Jay Gatsby never truly achieves his American Dream because his love for Daisy is never rekindled after he returns from war since Daisy is never able to fully let go of Tom and his money. First and foremost, Daisy’s love for Gatsby is never rekindled after he comes back from war. Jay Gatsby says that he embraced the war and it gave him a new life...
Words: 929 - Pages: 4
...Coming of age is a life-long process all humans inevitably go through. This process of maturity can often be examined from fictional characters, such as Scout and Jem from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsb by Scott Fitzgerald. Each of these characters encounters different processes of coming of age. When these characters process of maturation and coming of age are compared, the most relevant coming of age best exhibited by Holden from The Catcher in the Rye, following with Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird and Mr. Gatsby from The Great Gatsby; however, differences in coming of age are apparent in the different time periods of each novel setting, practicality, and present social issues. Holden Caulfield, the main character in The Catcher in the...
Words: 1855 - Pages: 8
...The Age of The Great Gatsby In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald tells a legendary love story from the perspective of the narrator named Nick. The reader sees and hears about all the crazy parties, love stories, breakups and much, much more that all seem to stem from a dynamic character named Jay Gatsby. The story takes place in a promiscuous and rebellious period called the roaring twenties, the time period right before the great depression, and to make it worst in the city that never sleeps. The roaring twenties period is the backbone of this story, characters in the novel directly correlate with the illegal, rebellious, and careless behaviors that are seen in the twenties. The prohibition caused lots of problems in this time period when it came to crime and binge drinking. First It is important to understand the social, political and economic effects of prohibition. In 1917 the Eighteenth Amendment was passed and stated that you couldn’t make, sell or transport any alcohol. The prohibitionist movement had a wide variety of supporters, including: Women, Church’s, employers and politicians. In the 1928 Presidential campaign Herbert Hoover won by calling prohibition “a great social and economic experiment, noble in motive and farreaching in purpose; " this is interesting because it shows to the public that he is in favor of prohibition, but by calling it an experiment it shows that he may have some concerns about it .It definitely was an experiment...
Words: 1569 - Pages: 7
...mAmerican Dream A symbol of hope, a goal, a desire is what only a little green light represented. Gatsby reached out for that goal of his, he strived to obtain it and refused to give up. My “green light” in life is to create a future for myself that my parents weren’t able to create for themselves. I’ve always been told “you have a bright future ahead of you” and I never really understood what that meant until I actually got to highschool and realized this is where I start deciding what I want to do with my life, these are the “bigger” baby steps for my journey into life. My parents, like other parents at the age of 16 through 18, dropped out of highschool to raise a family. Therefore they didn’t get to achieve the goals they might have...
Words: 385 - Pages: 2
...In the novel The Great Gatsby the author F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a multitude of literary devices to create the beautifully written piece. Foreshadowing and symbolism are the most important techniques used by him to make the reader have a stronger interpretation of the novel and to allow it to have a greater meaning. One of the key elements that Fitzgerald uses symbolism and foreshadowing for is death. Death is a main occurrence in the novel and Fitzgerald often alludes to it to give his novel a second dimension and allow the reader to become interactive with the reading. Many important characters of objects in the novel are symbols of death and destruction and these use of these symbols help to foreshadow when a death may occur. Thus...
Words: 1230 - Pages: 5
...Fitzgerald illustrates the common characteristics of perseverance, hard work, and wealth in 1920s America through the protagonists of The Great Gatsby and how those certain ideals inevitably clash. In a time period swelling with the prospect of wealth and aspiration, The Great Gatsby twists the common ideals of the 1920’s by illustrating the iniquity of these prospects. The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, plays the role of the wealthy cultural icon, throwing grand parties while being adored by many. His intentions, however, resonate on a deeper level than simply rising above in social status. All that Gatsby does is based around winning the heart of his deep-rooted love, Daisy Buchanan. While Daisy is beautiful, her beauty is not what mesmerizes...
Words: 1814 - Pages: 8
...which The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald illuminates this. In the novel Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton explores the themes of imprisonment and entrapment. The characters portrayed in her novel are trapped and imprisoned by many elements including their environment, loveless marriage, predestination, mind-set, religion and many more. These themes are also explored in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Firstly, one of the key factors that Edith Wharton presents imprisonment and entrapment is the setting and environment of Ethan Frome. The bleak and isolated town of Starkfeild is immediately imagined by the reader due to Wharton’s description of the landscape through the narrators eyes and how it seemed to be “emerging from its six month siege like a starved garrison” This brutal simile of the town suggests to the reader that the Starkfield is under attack from the elements and subsequently they begin to imagine how this type of environment may affect the characters life’s and particularly their freedom. Indeed, Wharton portrays the main character, Ethan Frome, as a reflection of Starkfield and “an incarnation of the frozen woe”. This metaphor, in part, epitomises Ethan’s personality of a slow, illiterate man whose motivation has halted or froze. This instigates sympathy from the reader that will be ever present throughout the novel. Similarly, F. Scott Fitzgerald presents Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby with feelings of isolation as a result of his environment. Gatsby resides...
Words: 1404 - Pages: 6
...Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald Sean P. Conway Teacher Period 27 April 2013 Class System in the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald Topic: F. Scott Fitzgerald Purpose: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s stories show the demise of the “American Dream” by Demonstrating that the American class system determines your manner, Lifestyle and character 1. Introduction: Fitzgerald believed the American dream was false and distorted. 2. Stories showed the decadence of the Jazz Age but with a jaded view 3. 1920s a. About the time period b. “The Jazz Age” c. Wealth d. Social values e. Fashion 4. Works by Fitzgerald a. This Side of Paradise b. The Great Gatsby c. The love of the last tycoon 5. Symbolism a. Great Gatsby i. Green light ii. Valley of ashes (poor’s lack of values, unfaithful’s lack of morals) iii. Beat up car b. This Side of Paradise i. Speed and cars ii. Alcohol as means to forget c. The Love of the Last Tycoon i. Car ii. Sheep /people iii. Light/darkness as reality/fantasy 6. Theme a. American dream b. Class system c. Relationships 7. Conclusion The death of the “American Dream” was a notable part of the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald. His use of symbolism and extensive writings on the large gap between the social classes demonstrated why he felt this way. According to his...
Words: 3183 - Pages: 13
...The Great Gatsby Essay Karema Williams December 12, 2013 The Great Gatsby based in the 1920’s written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A Victorian story centered on wealth and power. During the 1920’s many people were born into wealth, money that’s been in the family for generations. Although, some inherited their wealth others were forced to work extremely hard for minimum pay, start a business or engage in illegal activities in order to secure wealth. The social stigma in the 1920’s was predicated on wealth. If you weren’t privileged to be born with wealth you weren’t socially accepted. Those who became wealthy by working or illegal activity still weren’t allowed to shake hands with high society; leaving the privileged in a league of their own. This novel remains a timeless piece do to the human behaviors in the 1920’s that can be seen almost 100 years later. For example social drinking, smoking, partying, infidelity, a division amongst economic backgrounds, lies, love, betrayal and death (Fitzgerald, 1925.) During the 1920’s which has been referred to as the jazz years, during an era when women were encouraged to marry men of power and wealth. Many became obsessed with money, material processions and the glamorous lifestyle in hopes to maintain a spot in high society. High socially partied and socially gathered with the likes of their own, invitation only affairs. Throwing expensive parties and dressing to impress; catering the best food possible, serving illegal alcohol throughout...
Words: 1638 - Pages: 7
...most notable writers of the twentieth century. His prodigious literary voice and style provides remarkable insight into the lifestyles of the rich and famous, as well as himself. Exploring themes such as disillusionment, coming of age, and the corruption of the American Dream, Fitzgerald based most of his subject matter on his own despicable, tragic life experiences. Although he was thought to be the trumpeter of the Jazz Age, he never directly identified himself with it and was adverse to many of its manifestations. The life of F. Scott Fitzgerald was deeply divided, in that his early successes in the 1910’s and 1920’s contrast noticeably with the years full of personal happenings and self doubt. It was divided, among all, between the pursuit of the artistic ideal and the continual lure of easy success. He became a victim of the myth of success and money instead of the perpetrator. Nevertheless, Fitzgerald’s incredible prose style and beautiful talent shined through his tragic, disillusioned life and he was able to successful create a beautiful world for his readers to escape to. In the early 1920’s, Fitzgerald was accepted as a symbol of youthful sophistication. He became intensely aware of the strangeness and mystery behind the rich at a young age, and tried so hard to echo their actions through sheen curiosity and characterization. It was then that he established a rich and enduring symbolic value throughout his stories and was led into a dazzling world full of...
Words: 1489 - Pages: 6
