...Analysis of “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby is a comment on society in what was supposed to be the greatest period of American history, the 1920's. Its comment is on our perceptions on wealth, and how people go about gaining and receiving said wealth. It is a critique on the class system and the oppression and misrepresentation of the working class. It is a demonstration of the full spectrum of human relationships and the best and worst parts of America. It’s not just about the love story between the novels central characters, Daisy and Gatsby, but more about the social decay of their society. In the Great Gatsby the story is told from a character voice. The novel is read from Nick Carraway perspective. He is a young man we meet at the beginning in the Great Gatsby novel. Nick moves to New York in 1922 to learn about the bond business, he acquires a house on West Egg early in the novel. This is also where he meets his neighbour Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is a mysterious man who is also filthy rich, the method by he acquired his wealth is questionable. Gatsby is represented in the novel as a symbol for new money and the pursuit of the American dream in the roaring twenties. The roaring twenties was a period of great economic prosperity in the US, there where a lot of individuals who gained their massive wealth during this economic period. Jay Gatsby’s primary goal in the novel is to “own” Daisy Buchanan. She is the only thing Gatsby needs to complete...
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...How are women portrayed in Chapter Seven of The Great Gatsby? In Chapter Seven of The Great Gatsby women were portrayed as very significant role. Men worked to earn money to be wealthy for the maintenance of the women. In Chapter Seven, the women that play the important roles are; Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker and Myrtle Wilson. Each of the characters are portrayed as ignorant and oblivious to what’s going on around them. For example, Daisy acts foolish around Tom, her husband, as if she thinks that what he wants her to be like. She pretends like she isn’t aware of Tom’s affair with one of the other main characters whom name is Myrtle. Even though she calls him on the telephone when they’re at dinner. Daisy says in Chapter One “I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” This quotation demonstrates that all men look for foolish women. This quotation is also directed at Daisy’s daughter, she says this to her daughter because Daisy wants to make sure being a fool also has an impact on her life. Throughout the novel, women are not described in depth. The author’s presentation of them is unflattering and unsympathetic. Fitzgerald appeals to their voice, “she had a voice full of money”, the way they behaved, “They’re such beautiful shirts she sobbed”, rather than feelings or emotions. The character Daisy Buchannan is described constantly as someone who is happy when things are being given to her. This has all came to...
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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 Great Gatsby, a story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is one based on the American Dream or should I say the “demise” of the American Dream. This so called dream in the 20’s was portrayed by wickedness and greed. Week three of our lecture we were asked to discuss what the American Dream meant to us and my response was one based off freedom, discovery, and hard work. Immigrants, salves, lower class citizens, etc. were accustomed to earning their money through manual labor, not through family inheritance as seen by most of the characters from The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses this story and the characteristics and actions of these characters to say that the “American Dream” was based on a lie in the 1920’s. The carefree satisfaction of the Jazz Age, also seen as the Materialistic Era, led to the extortion of the American Dream. The Declaration of Independence states that “all man are created equal and that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.” F. Scott Fitzgerald created this story to reveal that people in the 20’s were in a pursuit of selfish delight, and the equality of people was based on their financial assets. The line that states all mean are created equal is broken in the scene where Tom is bashing Gatsby for how he became wealthy. He calls Gatsby a crook, and in this in turn leads to retaliation from Gatsby and a fight almost breaking out. Two mean that hold such high class and dignity, yelling and...
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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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...every problem they encounter. Jay Gatsby, a main character in Great Gatsby The was one of these people. Gatsby and other characters of his class all strived for happiness, wealth, status and love. To their dismay, they realized that the desire for wealth could lead to their downfall. Through Gatsby, Fitzgerald proves that the pursuit of wealth is corruptive, useless and dangerous. The old money crowd’s actions make the pursuit for wealth danger. The people of this crowd were born into their wealth which makes them careless. They don’t have to worry about consequences and whatever they want they get. The characters of this novel, Daisy and Tom, are a part of this crowd. They have no regard for other people or empathy. Daisy killed Myrtle in a car accident but didn’t get punished as a normal person would. Instead, Gatsby said he’ll take the blame for her and Daisy left with Tom. For example, it says “I called up Daisy half an hour after we found him, called her instinctively and without hesitation. But she and Tom had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them”(164). Daisy realized she cannot be with Gatsby because his wealth is illegal and won’t protect and secure her like Tom does. Wilson asked Tom who was in the car that killed Myrtle, Tom said Gatsby, because it was his car, which ...
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...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 private matters or he perhaps simply enjoyed standing back and watching...
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...The roaring twenties, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, represent the past historical modernization of a male subjugated social system. The Great Gatsby is a love story, mystery, and a social commentary towards the American Life. This story explores the journey for happiness and wealth through the American Dream, and shows how idealism, dysfunctional relationship, and corrupt occur during the Jazz Age. The Great Gatsby, however, is not the story about a woman’s journey for happiness and improperly shows the representation of females during 1920. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby shows the historically male dominated social system through women being portrayed as shallow beings, which are dominated by men, and seen as erroneous...
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...time. Feeling powerless to change their lives, women of the 1920’s did not strive to find happiness. Jordan, Myrtle, and Daisy, although unhappy with their lives, do not strive to find happiness by making a change.In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, each of the main female characters is portrayed as a miserable figure who do not have the power to change their lives. Jordan, a cynical professional golfer, struggles to succeed in a world filled with male dominance. Jordan is in a male dominated profession due to the fact that most sports professionals in the 1920’s were dominated by men....
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...often consider the lower class less pleasing, and often less than human than themselves. Through a Marxist reading of The Great Gatsby, we can see how Fitzgerald portrayed the “elite upper class” as lacking a sense moral responsibility. To these characters nothing is of value unless it furthers their elite status, they show little concern for anyone but themselves and place little value on human life. Marxist theory asserts that in Capitalism, desired people are perceived as desirable objects. Often in Gatsby, human beings are treated as objects to be obtained. When we see Daisy’s daughter she is brought out as a show piece. Daisy shows her off and then sends her away with her nurse even though the child asks to stay with her mother. Daisy treats her like an object talking about her as though she were an inanimate object. She wants her daughter to look perfect, like a "little dream" (Fitzgerald123). Her daughter is nothing more than another way to establish her social status. Daisy demonstrates that clearly wealth and class are important rather than just wealth or love. Gatsby himself seems to be obsessed with wealth and image and obviously takes any measures necessary to attain them. He is very proud and boastful regarding his mansion and Rolls Royce, “It’s pretty, isn’t it, old sport…Haven’t you seen it before?” (Fitzgerald 68) In pursuing Daisy, Gatsby seems more concerned with showing her his house and...
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...The Great Gatsby, which is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a story that portrays the day-to-day life occurrences that encircles the society in a deeper sense. The novel displays the problems that curb everyday life, such as issues affecting various marriages, the upcoming of a society or change of social class of individuals. The novel has enlightened irresponsibility as one of the critical topics that Fitzgerald wants his audience to consider and look at deeply. This paper is aimed at discussing the critical topic of irresponsibility, which is prevalent throughout the novel, making it the most appropriate topic to discuss by developing an argument on it, from a personal interpretation of the novel and thereafter raising a complex argument that is defendable. Consideration should also be given to the examination of the deeper layers in the critical themes, symbols, characterization, or conflicts taking into consideration irresponsibility as the critical topic to base the argument on. Lastly, this paper clearly shows the main point to substantiate, which include irresponsibility in marriages, moral decadence, as well as social class. Personal interpretation and defendable argument Fitzgerald has extensively outlined the level of irresponsibility that existed in the early times that followed World War I. Irresponsibility has been depicted mostly in the relationship and marriages, which constituted the infidelity that the married couples in the novel were subjected...
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...Disillusionment and failure in The Great Gatsby In the book The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the theme of disillusionment, love, lust and failure in order to portray the “American dream”. The American dream is the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Many believe that the American dream is “earned”, but what they don't know is that there is a lot of “behind the scenes” money making deals that occur. And these deals put you at the top without even asking. For example Gatsby wasn't the perfect man that he was imagined to be. Jay Gatsby's real name was, James Gatz and the change seemed right when he “reinvented” himself. Gatsby didn't like being the son of farmers and was embarrassed about where he was from. “His imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all.” He changed it at the age of 17 because of his transformation when he met Dan Cody. This one of the main reasons he hid his background from people. The other was that in reality Gatsby was indeed an unrepentant criminal, who bootlegged his way through the Prohibition to create his wealth and pursue his dream. The prohibition was a nationwide constitutional ban on the sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcoholic beverages that remained in place from 1920 to 1933. To make his way to the top and to pursue the “American dream” Gatsby basically illegally sold alcoholic beverages...
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...Natalie James Period 6 The Women in The Great Gatsby The women in The Great Gatsby are presented in an unflattering way that does not make the reader sympathetic towards their character. They are viewed more as an object rather than a human being. The women, Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle, are described in their voice, looks, and behavior, instead of focusing on their feelings or emotions. The women are interpreted to be very negative characters and not superior in comparison to the men. Daisy changed for the worse for the desire of money. She, who is a woman herself, objectified her own daughter in the story. Daisy does not even specify the gender until asked specifically. When she is asked how her daughter is, she responds, “I suppose she talks, and eats, and everything.” (Daisy, 16). When she says this, she says it in a way that she is disappointed in having a girl. She does not go in depth, she is very blunt about her daughter. Daisy realized that girls are not looked upon as intelligent but more of as objects. Daisy said about her daughter, “I hope she’ll be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” (Daisy, 17). She states that girl cannot be smart, but more of as eye-candy for successful men. That is all that the women are good for, to be beautiful. Daisy also changed because she was eager for money and cared so much of her ego. Gatsby said, “her voice is full of money.” (Gatsby, 120). Gatsby came to realization that Daisy has been...
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...born.” -anonymous This quote is portrayed in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. The novel begins when the main character Nick Caraway moves to a town in long island call west egg. He lives in modest home amongst extravagant mansions. His neighbor, Jay Gatsby, throws lavish parties almost every night. His cousin Daisy, and her husband tom, also lives in the west egg community. Once nick get an invite to one of Gatsby’s parties he become thirsted into the wealthy lifestyle of the people around him. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald used the colors of white and cream, the color yellow, and the green light to illustrate the theme that desire facilitates moral decay and is therefore a destructive emotion. The colors white and cream capture the characters external innocence and purity, but since it is false beyond the skin, it is just a disguise covering the desire and moral decay. The white room shows how Daisy and Jordan can appear pure and lovely from the outside. When nick arrives at Daisy and Tom’s home he notices, “ The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside that seemed to grow a little way into the house,”(8). At the start of the book we are introduced to Daisy and Jordan, the author used the white color of the room to illustrate how pure the characters appear from Nick’s first impression. It is a simple reminder of how people can fool one in the presence of their image. Myrtle changes into a cream colored dress...
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...the point of it all is in not regretting. For the idea of the party's youth”. In the 1920s women’s roles change drastically. Not only were women given the right to vote, but job opportunities increased. During the film, Chicago and the novel, The Great Gatsby, two women, Daisy Buchanan and Roxie Hart, faced many obstacles when it came to gender roles because women were seen as less dominant compared to men. Daisy was this beautiful woman who was solely dependent on her husband, Tom Buchanan, who remotely cheated on her, on a number of occasions. Roxie was this average, dream chaser...
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