...“The best work of literature to represent the American Dream is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It shows us how dreaming can be tainted by reality, and that if you don't compromise, you may suffer.” Azar Nafisi (BrainyQuote). The Great Gatsby is a famous american novel that tells a story about a man, Gatsby, constantly trying to pursue his version of the American Dream. As much as he strives for his dream, the American Dream is an unrealistic expectation that cannot be achieved In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s dream is for things to be like how they were in the past, and get back together with his lover, Daisy. We are first introduced to Gatsby at the end of chapter one when he is standing on his lawn with his arms stretched out towards...
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...In his novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald centers the plot around the titular character's pursuit of Daisy, a wealthy young woman. In the passage provided, Fitzgerald explains Gatsby's desire for Daisy in a manner that simultaneously explains his quest for wealth, essentially equating Daisy to her money. He does this by juxtaposing Gatsby's then-poverty with Daisy's wealth, providing detailed imagery of both Daisy and the luxuries surrounding her, and deliberately choosing the words used to describe Daisy. Gatsby represents every poverty-stricken dreamer as surely as Daisy embodies fashion and wealth, and this contrast only serves to accentuate how Gatsby lusts after Daisy's lifestyle just as much as he lusts after Daisy. Daisy's house is described before Daisy is, and Gatsby marvels at how "it was as casual a thing to her as his tent out at camp was to him." Gatsby is floored by the beauty and extravagance of the house Daisy calls home, while Daisy is merely indifferent. Daisy is accustomed to her standard of life; Gatsby would do anything just to reach it. Just as Gatsby is a stranger to wealth and luxury, Daisy is ignorant of those...
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...In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carraway joins Jay Gatsby through a trail of lies, love, and deception. Jay Gatsby lives perfectly across the bay from Daisy Buchanan with the green light at the end of her dock leaving a reminder. In the book, Fitzgerald portrays Jay and Daisy’s relationship to be like Zelda and himselfs relationship. While showing the progression through the 1920s of wealth, it shows the differences in the social classes and how they looked at each other. The Great Gatsby shows symbolic messages throughout the reading such as Fitzgeralds past, the use of colors, and the American dream. Nick views himself as underclass, being surrounded by the rich, but that he will rise in his bond business. He becomes fascinated by his neighbor Mr. Gatsby mysteriousness and how he is so widespread known. At Tom and Daisy’s under their high living is love and despair. Tom likes living high but also having the power to broadcast his public affair. Tom’s lover Myrtle lives in the Valley of Ash, representing a much lower class. He shows Myrtle off in New York city to show how much power and authority...
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...Nick Carraway An incredibly convenient character conjured by Fitzgerald to give the audience a first person experience of his take on America in the 1920’s, whilst still maintaining a comparatively neutral standpoint on the events that occurred throughout the novel. Nick Carraway, the narrator of The Great Gatsby, can be considered and appreciated by the audience as quite atypical to the status seeking and self-rewarding concept that was prevalent throughout 1920’s America. As though Fitzgerald himself needed readers to know that he antagonised this mentality by making Nick (humble and quite accepting) the main character of the novel. The author also devotes very little to giving the readers a background of Nick, and often deviates from information about him to focus on the plot revolving around Gatsby’s shady past and Daisy’s relationship conflict within herself. This works suitably well for Fitzgerald as it “kills two birds with one stone” in the sense that whilst the readers are being won over by Nick, they are also growing more curious in the growing relationships between the other main characters of the book, opening the door for Fitzgerald to manipulate the character of Nick in any way he deems necessary. A prime example of how Fitzgerald used Nick as a completely neutral observer of events that transpired was how he always tended to stay out of other characters’ affairs as though he had long since taken up the mentality that he either had no right to interfere in people’s...
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...The Great Gatsby and The American Dream The American Dream is the idea of having a perfect family that lives a luxurious life, filled with money, cars and anything they want. In The Great Gatsby, written by _______, Jay Gatsby tries to accomplish that dream. He achieves the materialistic aspect of it, but struggles with that major point, love and family. In the end, does it all matter? Is money and objects really what it takes to have a perfect life? Not only do the characters in the book have something to say about Gatsby’s way of living, but so do the readers and they all learn the same message. The Great Gatsby reveals the reality of the American Dream, an unrealistic image of a desired life. It was always about Daisy. The castle like...
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...The themes of love and money, and the quest to find them, are universal, ineffable ideals as old as time. In his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald effectively combines these, centering the plot around the titular character's pursuit of Daisy, a wealthy young woman. As can be seen in the passage provided, Fitzgerald explains Gatsby's desire for Daisy in a manner that simultaneously explains his quest for wealth, essentially equating Daisy to her money. He does this by juxtaposing Gatsby's then-poverty with Daisy's wealth, providing detailed imagery of both Daisy and the luxuries surrounding her, and deliberately choosing the words used to describe Daisy. Gatsby represents every poverty-stricken dreamer as surely as Daisy embodies...
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...the same love twice. In, “The Great Gatsby”, Jay Gatsby the main character has this false hope of trying to relive his past again with his one true love, Daisy. F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the heroic elements of him being the tragic hero because he goes through this continuous cycle of false hope of getting the love of his life. Jay Gatsby came from a necessitous family and in rural North Dakota and wanted something much bigger from life. Gatsby absolutely despised the idea of him being in poverty, he had even worked a janitorial job to pay for his tuition but had to give it up because he was so embarrassed by it. As his dream was always to be rich, the only thing that really helped...
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...Analysis of “Materialistic Perception” in F. Scot Fitzgerald Using Marxist Literary Criticism Chapter I 1.1 Introduction The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922. The story primarily concerns the young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his quixotic passion for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. Considered to be Fitzgerald's magnum opus, The Great Gatsby explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of the Jazz Age that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream. 1.2 State of Problem The Great Gatsby provides a critical social history of America during the Roaring Twenties within its narrative. That era, known for unprecedented economic prosperity, the evolution of jazz music, flapper culture, and bootlegging and other economy struggle that was the result of the materialism and capitalism damaging on social behavior, led to the widespread social distress. 1.3 Theoretical Framework Using literary criticism to interpret what is the ideal life of America in 19th century and what is the dream of American people after World War I. as a Marxist interpretation of the novel makes especially clear, reveals its dark underbelly instead. Through its unflattering characterization of those at the top of the...
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...cannot buy” Unknown. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel based on the idea that money can buy a lot of things, but happiness isn't one of them. In the book Jay Gatsby has all the money he would ever need. He even throws these big, elaborate parties that nobody is really invited to but hundreds show up. Gatsby opens his home up for these strangers not because he likes partying, but because he hopes to win back his true love Daisy. Relationships break and the struggle continues in the chase for money. This book proves that money doesn't buy happiness by showing Gatsby’s struggles, Daisy’s love life issues, and Myrtle getting hit by a car while she chases Tom’s money. Gatsby’s character proves to be unhappy throughout the book. Even though he has money and anything he could ever want he can't be happy. This is because he has no love in his life, specifically Daisy. Jay has been throwing big, celebrity parties hoping for her to attend but when she finally does she did not enjoy her time there. Eventually Jay Gatsby Begins to fall for Daisy again and vice versa. They experience love, but when things get get hard with Daisy, she runs back to Tom. All Gatsby is left with is his money. In the end it leads to him being dead and sinking to the bottom...
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...eternal and unconditional love for Daisy in The Great Gatsby F.S. Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby illustrated* the undying love that Jay Gatsby had for Daisy. This story shows the struggles Gatsby had gone through to obtain his fortune. His main purpose was to re-live his perfect relationship with Daisy. His strong unwillingness to accept the fact that Daisy was no longer the way he perceived her years ago, lead to the deterioration of Gatsby’s relationship along with the passing of Myrtle, and most importantly, his own death. [14] Gatsby used his money and power to attract Daisy and fell into the false illusion he created himself that he had ‘won’ Daisy. Eventually, this generated to their failed relationship. Gatsby, believing that Daisy loved him and only him, provoked* a powerful altercation between him and Tom, which ultimately lead to Myrtle’s death. [8] However, Gatsby who thought that he could repeat his once amazing love with Daisy, was stuck* into a world of delusion which caused* him to make irrational decisions that finally lead to his tragic death. Gatsby presumed that his newly attained money and fame could buy Daisy, but that was not always the case. Jay Gatsby would host some extravagant parties [2] and, “... he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night… but she never did.” Gatsby wanted* to show his wealth and fame by having crazy parties at his mansion right across the bay from Daisy’s house. He was hoping she would walk in, realize...
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...chapter 6 of The Great Gatsby, a reporter comes to Gatsby’s door to interview him about his personal life. Jay Gatsby’s original name was James Gatz and he was born on a North Dakota farm but went to college in St. Olaf, Minnesota. He dropped out of college and later met the wealthy Dan Cody who hired him as a personal assistant. When Dan Cody died he left Gatsby $25,000, but his mistress prevented Gatsby from claiming it. After that, Gatsby was determined to become rich and successful. Later on, Nick visits Gatsby and is shocked to find Tom Buchanan there, and the next Saturday Tom and Daisy attend one of Gatsby’s parties. After the party Gatsby is worried that Daisy did not enjoy it and Nick tells him to give up on Daisy, however, Gatsby refuses and instead tells Nick about he and Daisy’s past. The quote that best describes Jay Gatsby is, “He talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy” (110). The good qualities of Jay Gatsby are he is a loyal person and he has a good heart. The bad qualities of Gatsby are he is amoral, dishonest, and throws his money away. Fitzgerald developed this character to show how people use their wealth to get love only to discover the love is not real. Additionally, he is developed throughout the novel to be an example of how living extravagantly can be an empty life. A meaningful quote in the chapter is, “The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long...
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...Gatsby’s Archetypal Quest for Daisy, the Monetary Prize In The Great Gatsby, the characterizations of Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, particularly in the flashback of when they first met in Chapter VIII, expose the absence of love that lies beneath the glitz and glamour of wealthy living. When seen through an archetypal lens, Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy can be seen as an Archetypal quest where the “golden girl” is a treasure, rather than a love interest (Fitzgerald, 120) (Delahoyde, 1). To Jay Gatsby, Daisy is materialistically the ultimate peak of wealth to be obtained, a metaphor best illustrated in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s choice of descriptive words that portray her in the same way that money might be defined. Daisy is a princess “high in a white palace the king’s daughter”, beautiful and comfortably assured a life of ease due to her wealthy place in society (Fitzgerald, 120). In this novel she is more a material, a monetary symbol, than a person, and this best proved in Chapter VIII (Delahoyde, 1). In a flashback of Gatsby’s to when he first knew and loved Daisy, his descriptions paint a picture of her “gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor” (Fitzgerald, 150). In this glowing portrayal that showcases Daisy’s beauty and power, (both things that she was born with, that she did not earn) her appearance and social class is all that is focused on, she is merely an outward image. From the point of view of a man that supposedly loves her, there...
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...From luxury mansions to lavish parties, the Great Gatsby fails to disappoint one’s imagination of the perks packaged with the life of the upper class. Though the novel paints an image of ecstasy when vividly describing rich scenery; with great intent, Fitzgerald shines a light on the struggle to feel powerful and content in their own several characters . Though Fitzgerald highlights a plethora of realities through a variety of fictional characters, a parallel can drawn between the themes presented in the novel to those highlighted in Thorstein Veblen’s “Conspicuous Consumption”. American Economist Thorstein Veblen centers his pieces around the impact of the upper class or “Leisure class” in shaping society’s socio- economic behavior on all...
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...In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there is a distinct development of emotions and symbols, and one of the key vehicles for illustrating this change is the final line of each chapter. Hidden within each final sentence lies an inner message that either pulls together a major theme in the chapter leading up to the sentence, or is a harbinger of the coming chapters. Beginning with the final word in chapter one, “darkness” (21), and concluding with the novel’s final word, “past” (180), Fitzgerald uses simple closing words to represent a deeper, continuous meaning that pervades the book. By doing this, Fitzgerald is able to outline major themes in the novel, including facial expressions, honesty, and balance. Most clearly and powerfully, however, the outline of lightness through positive imagery and darkness through negative imagery is presented in the final lines of each chapter. By grouping the chapters by hopefulness shown in their respective final lines, a trend is apparent. In chapters one through three, the final lines provide a dark, sullen preview for the chapters to come, while chapter four provides a transition into the final lines of chapters five and six, which signify a brief sense of giddiness that begins to darken. Finally, the last lines of chapters seven through nine mark the development and completion of the violent “holocaust” (162). Supplying a preview at the end of chapter one as to the violence to occur later in the novel, Nick says he is “alone...
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...Molly Dadrugue December 13, 2014 Gatsby and the American Dream “I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream.” -Bruce Springsteen Through the use of metaphors and analogies, Fitzgerald creates a reflective and logical conclusion to The Great Gatsby. In this concluding passage, the narrator, Nick, provides an explanation regarding the extinction of the American Dream, the theme of the novel. The American Dream is not shown to be the American reality in this emotionally and figuratively colorful novel. Fitzgerald uses the analogy of the American Dream in comparison to the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. The green light represents Gatsby’s dream of being with Daisy. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.” (Fitzgerald) This quote describes the metaphor of the green light being Gatsby’s glimpse of hope that he and Daisy will be together in the future. Gatsby’s ignorance caused him to lose touch with the reality that year by year Daisy is moving further and further from Gatsby. This is similar to the American Dream because the green light is being compared to the continent of America. The Dutch sailors mentioned in the passage see American as a glimpse of hope for mankind. With this the American Dream is created, but as time goes by the American Dream seems to fade into a fantasy, just as Daisy fades into an element of Gatsby’s fantasies. At the end of this...
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