...The Great Desires of America in 20th Century Recently is very loud about the film The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. People say different opinion about this story which persuade me to buy the book, read it, and find out that how the world looked in those times and how the American dream come true. This book made a huge impression on me and that is way I decided to tell a few words about Mr. Gatsby. The Great Gatsby has been written in 1925 by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigmatic writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald was born in 1896 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to an upper-middle-class family. His mother was of Irish descent, and his father had Irish and English ancestry. He attended Princeton University which he interrupted in 1917 to join the U. S. Army. In 1920 he married Zelda Sayre and they had beautiful daughter Scottie. In Hollywood he had a mistress, but no woman fascinated him more than his wife. He died in age of 44 because of second heart attack. Francis Scott Fitzgerald was one of the leading representatives of the lost generation of American writers. In his works showed his disappointment and anarchic rebellion against the younger generation of American post-war reality. He finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and...
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...The Great Gatsby “The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.” In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald presents his audience with a novel with intricate symbolism. Nick Carroway, the protagonist, has recently moved from the Midwest to get his career started in New York. He lives on the island of West Egg the poorer side of town, across from East Egg the wealthier side of town. In East Egg are where his pompous and snobbish friends Tom and Daisy live. They gossip and party a lot, all while Tom is cheating on Daisy with a lady named Myrtle Wilson. Everyone knows except for Daisy and Mr. Wilson. Meanwhile, Nick lives next door to a mysterious man named Gatsby, who throws extravagant parties, but yet no one knows anything about him. Throughout the book Nick learns about the mysterious Gatsby and what it is like to live around people who believe in a conceited world of indecency. Fitzgerald involves symbolism into the heart of the novel so strongly that it is necessary to read passages of the book more than once to full understand. The creative yet simplistic styling of this book is a major reason why The Great Gatsby is one of the classics of the 20th century. Throughout the book, three themes dominate the text of The Great Gatsby. These themes include the loss of time, appearance and characterization, and perspective. The word time appears many times in the novel either by itself or in a...
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...F. Scott Fitzgerald “Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy.” This is how F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, he would always change a positive thing into a negative thing and how he was one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. He was an American novelist and a short story writer, who was most famous for his second cousin writing the Star-Spangled Banner, and his most famous novel, The Great Gatsby, but most of his work explains the Jazz Age and at the time, the Jazz Age was considered an “Age of Miracles”. What we can conclude from this is that F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the greatest American writers and one of the most known writers of the 20th century. F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota....
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...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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...F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway were American writers of the 20th century with different trademarks in their writing styles such as unadorned prose or using a plethora of adjectives to create a vivid image. Even with the different styles, their stories had similar points of view with the shaping of similar characters. Through The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” by Ernest Hemingway, the theme of isolation and struggle to deal with despair are conveyed through the passing of time, the understanding of defeat, and the keeping of the company of others. Throughout The Great Gatsby, the reality of isolation and the loom of loneliness in the air consumes the lives of the majority of the characters. One...
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...the 18th amendment which banned the sale, manufacture, and distribution of alcohol. The idea of prohibition was brought up after World War I to help fix America’s social and personal problems. The first proposition of temperance was brought out in the late eighteenth century by religious reformers. Although people had continued to argue over it, the temperance movement continuously blossomed until the late 1920s to 1930s. Many religious leaders had supported the concept of prohibition, but others had opposed the idea because they...
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...Garrett Hinson American Literature II 3/15/13 The Sexuality of Nick Carraway The Great Gatsby’s narrator, Nick Carraway, belongs alongside the most sexually-complicated characters in all of literature, and while his character is seemingly-secondary throughout the novel, his crucial role as narrator requires that we form some sort of understanding of his enigmatic sexuality, for it has extremely significant implications for the rest of the plot. It is difficult to dismiss Nick’s often-sensual descriptions of men, his vague encounter with the party guest Mr. McKee, and his strangely-distant relationship with Jordan Baker as irrelevant to Nick’s perspective as narrator; each seems to suggest at least a latent tendency towards homosexuality. If indeed we are to interpret these behaviors as homosexual, then the entire attraction towards Jay Gatsby that Nick builds his story upon becomes more complicated. Nick would not merely being telling the story of a person he found to be beautiful, but a man he found to beautiful. This distinction refocuses the novel’s purpose entirely. Nick Carrway may in fact be in love with Jay Gatsby, and because Nick (as a possibly unreliable narrator) may not be able to admit this to his readers or to himself, it falls to us, the readers, to draw our own conclusions. In his first mention of Gatsby, Nick admits that “If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him…” (Fitzgerald 2). While this...
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...story through Nick Carraway, the narrator and a character in The Great Gatsby. His use of literary techniques involves the reader effectively and tells a story so finely that it is arguably one of the best-written novels of the 20th century. At the end of Chapter 3, Fitzgerald reveals further general context about Nick: our intra-fictional narrator’s day-to-day life during the summer of 1922. By the end of chapter 3, the reader is quite used to Nick’s proficient use of the English language. Fitzgerald has given Nick the ability to confidently write in a style that is poetic and fluent. Nick even tells us that he was ‘rather literary in college.’ This manipulates the reader’s perception of Nick and we believe that because he is educated, he will be observant and have insightful about the people and culture at the time. This rings true at several moments in this chapter, particularly when Nick notes that, ‘the dark lanes of the Forties were lined five deep with throbbing taxicabs.’ This insight, however, tends to remove Nick and therefore, the reader, emotionally from the scene: ‘there was laughter from unheard jokes.’ This emotional detachment is evidenced by Nick’s tone of voice. Although excited by the prospect of romantic and exhilarating New York, there is an under-current of sadness that is driven mainly by ‘a haunting loneliness,’ which evokes sympathy from the reader. Fitzgerald has devoted a great deal of care and attention to pruning everyday events from the story...
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...During the early 19th and late 20th century, the American dream was still a reality. We were fulfilling the concept of Manifest Destiny by traveling and awest. Business leaders such as Carnegie, Morgan, and Rockefeller continued to be an influence in our society. Although the industrial revolution was over there were opportunities for many immigrants. Likewise, the gold rush of 1849 had opened the idea of migration west of California followed by the building of the transcontinental railroad. Our local Stanford University arose when Leland Stanford Jr’s death devastated his family. New immigrants constantly came to the U.S. , (the Irish fleeing the potato famine and the Jews fleeing the pogroms of Eastern Europe) and the Gold Rush to California created growth of the West Coast. The automobile was beginning to replace the horse and carriage, and President Herbert Hoover, proclaimed “A chicken in every in every pot and a car in every garage”. With all of our challenges, there was always an American dream that kept us going....
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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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...The Great Gatsby’s third chapter mainly focuses on Nick’s first encounter, with the shrouded character of Jay Gatsby. Nick meets Gatsby at one of his gaudy parties; at which Nick seems to be “one of the few guests who had actually been invited”. Nick, of course, is employed by Fitzgerald and used to frame this chapter. Our established retrospective narrator writes in the subjective first person, meaning we only get his point of view of events; this peripheral style of narration generates intrigue within the reader, as Fitzgerald deliberately doesn’t want us guessing everything .In Jay McInerney’s article on ‘Gatsby’, he writes “Fitzgerald’s best narrators always seem to be partaking of the festivities even as they shiver outside with their noses pressed up against the glass.” I have to concur with McInerney here, as this quote sums up Nick’s narrative style completely. Nick is “within and without”, constantly on the outskirts of events, observing. From this it would be easy to conclude that Nick is a very dull narrator, whose appearance in the novel is only to mask Fitzgerald; so that Fitzgerald can get his opinions and views on this hedonistic lifestyle across. However, that is not the case, as Nick accommodates many aspects which pair with a good narrator. Nick is undoubtedly “one of the few honest people that I have ever known” and through his powerful quality of reservation, Fitzgerald allows other characters to express themselves and develop. This makes the novel more accessible...
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...He is worldwide recognized as one of the greatest American 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...
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...Constructs and Assessment Secondary Methods June 27, 2011 Rachel Wurmlinger, Facilitator Instructional Unit Plan 1. Overview of Unit A. Title – 20th Century Socialite: The Great Gatsby B. Focus – English/Language Arts; 11th grade (Honors): The focus of this unit is to introduce students to the characteristics and elements of contemporary American literature and to allow students to relate the themes of the novel, The Great Gatsby, in a meaningful way to increase understanding. C. Length – 1.25 instructional weeks (six 50-minute sessions) D. Goals – Students will understand that American literature contains unique and specific elements by reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Also, students will recognize themes in Fitzgerald’s work by examining modern pop cultural products (multimedia samples, newspaper articles, music videos, etc.). 2. Lesson Plans 1-5 Lesson Plan #1 Title: The American Novel Time: 50-minute session Standards: Georgia Performance Standards: ELA11LSV1 (indicators a-h)—Actively participates in whole group verbal interactions. ELA11LSV2 (b)—Analyzes techniques used in media messages for a particular audience and evaluates effectiveness. Objectives: 1. After watching an introductory presentation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (TGG), students will be able to identify the characteristics of the American novel with 100% accuracy. 2. After viewing You Tube video and working in...
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...Women had to fight in order to be treated as equal member of society, get educations, own property, divorce, and equal pay and jobs. Moreover, women are not paid equally as men for the same work they do, therefore the government should incorporate women’s right in regards to salary and equal payment so that women won't find it difficult to advance due to sexism and family obligation. Government should incorporate women’s right in regard to salary. Whether its men or women, they both start and end work at the same time and also given the same amount of work. The only difference is women get paid less. To show evidence in Points of view Reference center Women’s Rights: An Overview by Pilar Quezzaire mentioned, “In September 2015, the US Census Bureau released its findings that women working full time still only made 78.6...
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...NORTH AMERICAN FICTION BRIEF INTRODUCTION: Before starting our study of American Fiction we must understand what American Literature is in itself and which pieces of writing we can include within this label. It is believed that when a piece is written in North America, more precisely in the USA, it would automatically be given this epithet. But it should be taken into account that this idea is quite broad and doesn’t reflect the real essence of the term. However, there is also another definition that gathers this essence: American Literature is the one that represents the Americanism, the singularity of the USA philosophy and culture. This way, instead of focusing on who the author is, it is focused on the content of the writing. In that which concerns Fiction, the following documents are the ones considered as narrative: Speeches Letters Short Stories Essays Political Documents Sermons Novels Diaries 1 FIRST LITERARY EXPRESSIONS The first documents in which the idea of Americanism is very present are the Sermons. They respond to the strict Protestantism settled in the New Continent after the arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers and Puritans in the Mayflower (1620) and the Arabella (1630). They established a theocratic community whose main and only point of reference was the Bible. That is why the idea of the ‘city upon a hill’ is still very present in American mentality. As we all know...
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