...may be outdated does not make the book irrelevant. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place in the 1920’s yet the story still tremendously impacts and relates to today’s society. Gatsby blindly pursues former lover Daisy and revolves his entire life around her needs. Daisy does not match his expectations and instead acts carelessly with little regard for the feelings of others. Well aware of her husband Tom’s not so secret affairs, she continues to act oblivious and stay with him in fear of ruining her image, even though she has someone who would do anything for her. Throughout the book, Tom and Daisy constantly step over people as if they do not matter and only care about themselves and Gatsby loses himself by...
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...The Great Gatsby In the United States Declaration of Independence our nation founding fathers came up with the idea that “all men are created equal” in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However there has always been a great divide in our country’s society and class, with the top one percent nearly owning all of our nation’s wealth. With the majority of society being of middle and lower class population some of which are struggling to make ends meat living paycheck to paycheck. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby which takes place in the early 1920’s. There is also a great divide in class and society. You have the wealthy and arrogant east egg and west egg citizens who have either had money in their family past down from generations of inheritance also receiving a fine education at an ivy league school or you have the new money and live in west egg earning a living as a bootlegger or involved in other mob activities like Jay Gatsby who was raised on hardships growing up. But like most people in today’s society you have the valley of ashes which resembles our middle and lower class of people who may be hard working people yet they don’t have the financial benefits of being born into wealth. The American Dream of living a prosperous life and being rich and earning a high level of importance in society just to impress people or attract someone to you is something that all of the characters surrounding Nick Carraway have in common. They idealize fame and fortune...
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...In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author uses well developed motifs of houses to inform the readers about the overall theme of the novel. By doing so, the author creates well thought symbolism. The use of motifs reflects the conflict of social inequality of wealth. For example, Gatsby's house, one of the most elegant and luxury houses of the town. Which symbolizes the wealth and power that the Great Gatsby has. Fitzgerald expresses, "I want you and Daisy to come over to my house," he said, "I'll like to show around." (Fitzgerald 89). As stated by Gatsby, he "showed" off his wealth through his house. Also to show the life that Daisy would of lived if she was with him. The house that Gatsby owns is looked upon by...
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...example, in the Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby is trapped living in the past and is disillusioned by modernization. Additionally, in the story A Rose for Emily, Emily is also afraid of modernization because she is trying to escape death by holding onto her father’s dead body. She is afraid to move on in her life and decides to hide in her past. Lastly, in one of Langston Hughes poems called Mother to Son, he writes about how in the early 20th century African Americans were not equal to white people and then society began to modernize blacks to become equal. This led to segregation because the white people wanted to isolate themselves from African Americans. Because their dream of what society should be was disillusioned, just like in all three of these literatures. Therefore the results of modernization, isolation and disillusionment was that many people didn’t except a change their life. Gatsby wanted to feel like he was living in the past with Daisy but he was isolated and disillusioned because he was living in a modern society. Additionally, he was isolated because he could not have a social status or Daisy. In the book, Gatsby was a fantastic character because he wanted to hide in the past with Daisy when everything was perfect. While the other characters in this book went with the change of society. Also in the book, Gatsby’s yellow car symbolizes the modernization. Gatsby’s car accidently kills Myrtle, which eventually leads to his death. Gatsby cannot escape...
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...English 12 Great Gatsby Assignment ASSIGNMENT The questions below are all very open-ended, allowing you a permissive opportunity to reflect on and draw personalized meaning from the text. The key will not be right answers but how you position and support your reply to each question. As a result, responses should not appear as a question answered, but as an insight revealed. There will need to be an investigative quality to how you use the question to interpret the novel and its possible applications to your own personal and cultural realities. Responses will normally require a paragraph or two (200-300 words; more or less is fine so long as responses are complete). Question #1 Identify three scenarios (specific events or experiences) from The Great Gatsby which portray how some imagine and live out the Dream. Then, comment on what the experience suggests about the character’s underlying belief and motivation about “getting ahead” or having “a better life,” in connection with the greater insight of the novel. Finally, depict three expressions/experiences in cultural life today that bear striking similarity to the novel and comment freely on any relationships they have with its larger theme(s). In The Great Gatsby novel Daisy imagined the Dream as a life of popularity, status, and class. She married Tom who she does not love to achieve her idea of the Dream. Gatsby imagined the Dream when he started working for the rich man who took him under his...
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...The Great Gatsby Oct 26, 2012 “Dishonesty” Dishonesty in a relationship exists when one person withholds or manipulates information about themselves or others and presents the facts as a truth. Being dishonest or bending the truth may seem favorable initially, but when the truth is finally revealed, you will have to spill back on more lies which will eventually push the relationship further apart. The Great Gatsby is a novel that shows the reader slyness and fraud around every corner. All of the main characters are dishonest people who portray their lives as nothing more than living in a self obsessed world while making adolescent decisions about love; all these people care about is living in the now. They lie, cheat, and deceive. This was a time when the economy was booming, spreading prosperous jobs in big town cities. This era saw the large-scale diffusion and use of automobiles, telephones, motion pictures, electricity, and unprecedented industrial growth. People dreamed big, and expected better. Everyone was breaking traditions and experimenting with advanced and diverse goods. Fitzgerald depicts Nick Carraway as a moral guide throughout a novel infused with lies and deception. Fitzgerald utilizes many themes throughout the book; truth versus lies, illusion versus reality, or compassion versus apathy. Within the novel, virtually all of the main characters are dishonest to others or to themselves, which exposes each character’s true self to the reader. Deception...
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...The American dream can be defined as the of pursuit of happiness in a person’s life. In today's society, some people believe the American Dream is in their grasp, but others do not see how that dream is achievable. The American dream is a reality because the more work that the person puts in is the further more in the future he gets. If a person works hard enough for most of their life, they can definitely achieve their dream. In the book, The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, there is a character name Gatsby and shows that people need dreams to move forward in life beside moving back. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby went from rags to riches overnight and he was living the American dream by cheating his way social, and financially. In the novel Gatsby had a big house and inside the house had extravagant parties all the time. Gatsby lifestyle was and still is the definition of the American dream. But Gatsby was still searching for his dream and that was Daisy “Fifty...
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...historical fiction novel “The Great Gatsby” written by Scott Fitzgerald in the 1920’s is about the societal and personal issues during that decade. The scenes and details in the book are related and connected to the new technologies, flapper ideals, and the mass culture of youth. Many of the characters were fake,not genuine, and untrustworthy.For example Jordan Baker, Daisy, and Gatsby were all proven to be fake or deceitful in the their actions. Jordan Baker,Daisy's best friend, was a professional golfer that was known for having dishonest character. There was an example of her fake character when she and Daisy were getting ready. The book said, ¨Jordan’s fingers, powdered white over their tan¨. This symbolizes that she is fake and not pure. It shows how she is trying to cover up her true identity and hide her true personality by being dishonest and untrue. Nick states, ¨she was incurably dishonest. She wasn't able to endure being at a...
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...The Great Gatsby and The American Dream While many countries around the world are working toward equality of social status and avoiding a large gap between rich and poor, there is still a strong desire in people for social freedom through the accumulation of wealth and extravagance. The Great Gatsby’s depiction of the connection between material goods and the American dream is still relevant today. At first glance, the movie may seem to be about the failed relationship of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. However, the major theme of the novel is the accumulation of wealth for social status and the idea of being able to reach a high level of success regardless of family history or lack of money. To understand the connection between the two it will be necessary to have an analysis of the culture values in the 1920’s, what people consider to be the American dream, and finally if there is still a strong desire to achieve the American dream in today’s society. In order to understand the connection between The Great Gatsby and the American dream it is first important to have a good understanding about the movie and motifs of the movie/novel itself. The story takes place in a post war America in the 1920’s when Nick Carraway moves to New York to pursue his career in finance. Nick soon discovers that he is neighbored to the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby, who is known for his loud, lavish parties. Jay and Nick soon become good friends and Nick begins to learn the motifs behind...
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...turned into a very materialistic vision of a big house, nice car, and living the easy life. As represented in the novel The Great Gatsby and Baz Luhrmann’s, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream was more focused on instant gratification of material things and needing material things as an indication of success. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby and Baz Luhrmann’s, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is a renaissance man; a man who has it all but started out with nothing. His plan was to achieve his dream. He was so blinded by his possessions, in front of him, that he could not see that money could not buy love or happiness. Fitzgerald demonstrated how a dream can be corrupted by one’s focus on accruing wealth, power, and expensive things. Gatsby’s dream was “ambiguous, contradictory, romantic in nature, and undeniably beautiful while at the same time grotesquely flawed” (Hearne 189). His American Dream had become tarnished and corrupted by the culture of money and opulence that surrounded him. Gatsby was ‘new money’, and his romantic view of the wealthy did not prepare him for the self- absorbed, snobbish, group of people he was about to associate himself with. He threw lavish parties every night, yet he had no real friends to surround himself with. Gatsby bought expensive things and entertained a lot of people, but he was hoping for something more. Nick Caraway realized that Gatsby was involved in a few...
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...Behavior – Then and Now In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, there are many conflicts that arise between the different social classes showing just how much of a difference having “old money”, “new money” or “no money” can make in the way people behave. The numerous interactions between them throughout the book show how the different classes behave. Each class is portrayed to have different attitudes and personalities. People think that with money comes power. However, we will learn that is not always correct. Like it is said, money is the root of all evil. Social class, or socioeconomic status (SES), refers to an individual’s rank vis-à-vis others in society in terms of wealth, occupational prestige, and education (2, 3). Abundant resources and elevated rank allow upper-class individuals increased freedom and independence (4), giving rise to self-focused patterns of social cognition and behavior (3). Relative to lower-class individuals, upper-class individuals have been shown to be less cognizant of others (4) and worse at identifying the emotions that others feel (5). Furthermore, upper-class individuals are more disengaged during social interactions—for example, checking their cell phones or doodling on a questionnaire—compared with their lower-class peers (6). (Piff 1) In The Great Gatsby, which takes place in the 1920's, there are three social classes defined, much like today’s society. There is ‘old money”, ‘new money” and the “poor”. Old money refers...
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...Student Name Teacher Name Course Date Choke and The Great Gatsby: Obsession with Self Worth The desperation found in the lack of affection an individual receives can lead one to alter themselves and their lives to achieve the affection they desire. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the desperate lengths one may go to in order to be with the person they want. Gatsby changes his entire life to win Daisy’s heart, chasing the dream which her lifestyle represents to him. Daisy also happens to risk her marriage to be with someone who appreciates her, unlike her husband who tries to relive his glory days through an affair. Some characters go to more creative actions to achieve their desires. In Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, the main character is a sex addict and a conman, dealing with his lost childhood his mother provided. His mother faces mental illness in a nursing home, after being unstable her whole life and never understanding the affect she had on her son. His best friend is also a sex addict, but his tendencies come out in different ways which tend to drive people away. Every character in this book has a different way of dealing with the feeling of insignificance the lack of love instilled in them. The characters from Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, all show an insatiable craving for affection and purpose among the people around them because they never possessed it themselves. Although expressed in different ways, these...
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...writers of the 20th century and the time called the „Jazz Age”. His most famous works are „The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and „The Great Gatsby” which have been adapted into films. The Great Gatsby has been the basis for many movie adaptations of the same name in 1926, 1949, 1974, 2000, and the latest in 2013. 2. Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (1962 - ) is an Australian film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for directing Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Australia and the newest version of The Great Gatsby released in 2013. 3. „The Great Gatsby” – the plot of the novel The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg on Long Island in the summer of 1922. The story primarily concerns the young, handsome and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his unrealistic illusion and passion for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. Major characters Nick Carraway – a Yale graduate originating from the Midwest, a World War I veteran, and, at the start of the plot, a newly arrived resident of West Egg, who is about 30 years old. He serves as the first-person narrator of the novel. He is Gatsby's next-door neighbour and a bond salesman. He is an easy-going, occasionally sarcastic, and quite optimistic person. Jay Gatsby (originally James "Jimmy" Gatz) – a young, handsome and mysterious millionaire with shady business connections, originally from North...
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...Meninism: The Era of Male Supremacy Who runs the world? Men, Sorry Beyonce. We live in a male dominated society, what is male dominance? Male Dominance is a live topic causing differences of opinion and acrimonious arguments. The differences often revolve around whether dominance is part of man's inherent male nature or whether it comes from how they are nurtured. Men display male dominance through various ways, it could be as simple as a handshake, telling a woman what to do, or as complex or crazy as using abuse to show dominance. In a male dominated society men get favored in most aspects in life. Through education, law, or daily privileges. Why do we have an overabundance of more male pastors and so few female pastors? Why have we never...
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...love of Gatsby’s life, represents women who are docile and fragile. She plays the damsel-in-distress, a common role for a woman. Though she is seen as a motherly figure, she is extremely dependent on her husband, Tom. Because Tom is able to support her and their child financially, she chooses him over Gatsby, despite the love they share for one another. In regards to her child, however, she says, “‘I hope she’ll be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,’” (Fitzgerald 17). Through this quote, Daisy shows an understanding to how women are viewed in the world, but she advocates conformity towards gender stereotypes. Unlike Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker is represented as a strong and independent woman; she presents herself as a confident, unmarried athlete, who can support herself and be content without a husband. At this time, Jordan rebels against the idea of only men being allowed to play sports. On the other hand, Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress, is shown as the opportunist of the three, who is disloyal to her husband, George Wilson, and seeks money and fortune. Through the use of female characters, Fitzgerald is able to illustrate the different values of women in the 1920’s to later foreshadow these ideas into a modern...
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