Both The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men have settings that help to contribute to their central themes of class divisions and the decline American Dream; however, The Great Gatsby’s setting more intrinsically adds to the moral of the story than that of Of Mice and Men. In order to analyze which novel has the most powerful setting it must be made clear that the power a setting can have on a novel is dependent not only on how well it mirrors the plot and characters, but also how effectively it is integrated into the story to become a force that moves the plot and contributes to the theme. Based on this, The Great Gatsby is the superior novel.
The Great Gatsby’s setting helps to prove that not only is there a division between the rich and the poor, but that there are also subsections within the rich which prevent some people from achieving
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These subsections are characterized by the use of different locations for different groups of people in the novel. The new money is located in West Egg, and the old money is located in East Egg. As the narrator, Nick, describes, “I lived at West Egg, the--well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them” (Fitzgerald 9). This gives a clear description of how the West Egg is viewed to be the inferior side of wealth, as the money was recently made and often flaunted through exorbitant spending. It also shows how those who achieved the American Dream of becoming successful through hard work in the West Egg are still not considered equal to the East Egg, furthering the theme of the death of the American Dream. Another way that the setting divides the two sides of the rich is in the comparison of Gatsby and the Buchanan’s mansions. Gatsby’s is described as “a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in
There are two types of people, those who are consumed by money and those that have a decaying amount. Both of those types of people crave more and more, both reside in either of the two contrasting peninsulas, East Egg and West Egg. The two headlands have numerous amounts of variance with each other in the novel, The Great Gatsby. Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the narrative is set during the 1920’s in New York City, as well as Long Island, and the two peninsulas dubbed “East Egg” and “West Egg.” There is a striking contrast between the two regions, however, not as many similarities. East Egg represents people who are vulgar and crude, who are also the social elite and old money, while West Egg represents good social values and new money. Nonetheless, both areas are equally dissatisfied with their life, always wanting more and more.
The locations of East Egg, West Egg, show the differences between old and new money, and how each can exemplify the American Dream. Fitzgerald used the atmosphere to represent more than just a location, but add a deeper meaning to the novel and make it “seem longer than its length of fifty thousand words”(“The Great Gatsby”). Fitzgerald uses the settings to represent something, adding significance to the places visited in the novel. By making the two locations of West and East Egg, Fitzgerald indicates that there is a significant difference between the two of these, “not just in style but in what might be called moral geography, between the East and West people”(Bruccoli.) The location of New York’s East Egg, the more wealthy and fashionable
Rich and wealthy people, throughout the novel, seem to spend their time drawing subtle distinctions between the various kinds of wealth, not just between classes but within each other. This is where Fitzgerald splits the two main types of wealth within the novel: the East Egg and the West Egg. Gatsby and Nick are both residents of West Egg, one of the two wealthy parts of New York. As Nick explains about living in West Egg he describes it as “the less fashionable of the two” in order to distinguish “the bizarre” and “little sinister contrast between them”. He goes on to focus on Gatsby house in particular in the area, as he observes it as a “colossal affair by any standard” and just a “factual imitation” (Fitzgerald 5).
This research presents F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The novel was first published in 1925 with a cast of fictional characters living in New York around the 1920s. This research primarily focuses on sources including critical essays, published reviews, and synopses. The research focuses on the idea that the American dream is unattainable. The focus is that the main character, Jay Gatsby’s desire for wealth results in his death and the failure to win back the girl he once lost. In many ways symbolism played out root causes to the corruption of characters in the novel. This case example shows Gatsby's desire for wealth and the American dream, the green light and the Valley of Ashes result in the failure of achieving his dream.
In the story “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, and Nick Carraway, who are swayed by societal and environmental influences around them, their choices all relate to the Desire for the American Dream. From the luxurious mansions of East Egg to the shallow depths of the Valley of Ashes, this book dives into the unique personalities of these characters, exploring the society that shapes their lives. As the story unfolds, their identities change in reaction to the influence of their surroundings, exposing the debate of nature vs. nurture that shapes their fates. Jay Gatsby, the mysterious millionaire, personifies the American Dream with his rags-to-riches story and unwavering pursuit of fortune. His natural desire and optimistic idealism are the reasons he could create
Peoples from all generations have wanted some type of wealth in order to gain power and respect from their peers. The Great Gatsby is told from the perspective of Nick Carraway and is about a man named Gatsby, who tries to win back the heart of Daisy Buchanan. Daisy has been in love with Gatsby for years, but could not wait for him and decided to marry Tom Buchanan. The story takes place in New York, where there is a separation of classes. Moreover, the american dream is a major discussion throughout history and is still being talked about today and is tied to the novel. Furthermore, the overall dream is to be rich and live in a giant house with equal opportunities for every human being. However, societal differences and stereotypes have made it hard for some to rise, which can be seen in the story's plot. Based on the character stereotypes, societal differences, and theme, The Great Gatsby is a relevant novel that can impact a reader's perspective of the American Dream.
He also claims that “geography can also define or even develop character” (Foster). In the Great Gatsby, geography indicates the established differences between the “old” and “new” money as well as delivers messages such as commentary on the cost and quest for success, both economic and social.Throughout the novel, places and settings epitomize the various aspects of the corruption of the American dream during the 1920’s, such as East Egg (old aristocracy), West Egg (nouveau riche), and the Valley of Ashes (moral and social decay). These societal classes develop a social crisis of identity from the very beginning, as stated by Nick Carraway, “I lived at West Egg, the--well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them” (Fitzgerald). While those such as Gatsby and Nick have both worked to earn their wealth, they’ll never fit it with the “old money” stalwarts. They lack the intangible established history possessed by the East Egg nobility. For example, Tom Buchanan valued possessions frequently to distance old and new money to eschew the newfound success of West Egg. Fitzgerald highlights the reluctance of the established wealth to accept other people, while also showing the corruption of those in West Egg. Fitzgerald uses geography to depict the differences
The Great Gatsby takes place in the heat of the nineteen-twenties where countries, especially the United States, were economically booming after having recovered from World War One. This novel tells the tales of the fabulously rich while acknowledging, in part, the poor, working class who live during this time. In his work, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the characters and their actions in an unexpected fashion. He does not illustrate the triumphs of the twenties in a positive light, but, instead, mocks societal views by portraying them as full of: greed, falseness, and carelessness.
After narrator Nick Carraway spies his neighbour Gatsby stepping outside of his mansion in the nightly hours, Fitzgerald writes, “He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling” (24). Fitzgerald writes the orientation of Gatsby’s trembles to be toward the incubation of his objective, the Buchanan estate, across the unconquerable bay, symbolic of the animosity against those of self-made riches onset by the generational bourgeoisie. To a reader of the modern era, however, the means by which wealth is acquired is of inverse respectability to that when viewed from the perspective of someone from the Gatsby era. As Nick counts description of him and Gatsby’s neighbourhood of West Egg, he details it in contrast of East Egg as being “the less fashionable of the two” (7), then going on to append this description by calling it a “most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them” (7). The difference between East and West Egg is invisible to those whom they do not foster. To their inhabitants, and by definition to Gatsby himself, however, this divide is insurmountable and is ultimately what elicits Gatsby’s compensational flaring of
Beyond the bustling city, there lay two “Enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay” (Fitzgerald 5). Each of the areas separated the two different classes of wealth. Nick, the narrator, lived in West Egg, the center of life and where “New Money” resided. He reminisces of the lusty nights in West Egg when “There was music from [his] neighbor’s through the summer... men and girls came and went like moths..
In the classic The Great Gatsby author Fitzgerald reveals a fascinating world that rotates around societal status, love defined, visions of America, wealth, and education. The novel exposes the reader to the variety of classes, emotional throes of love, and visions of America, wealth, and education. The novel encourages the reader to debate the importance of social standing, lust verses love, the perception of America, importance of wealth and education.
There are many topics that “The Great Gatsby” touches on. The main topics of focus are The American Dream, Wealth, Class, and Material Idolization. All of these topics are central to an overarching issue in the world, that an individual's perception of pursuing the American dream, can cause bad actions and choices. The aforementioned book contains great examples that support this claim. The book “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that begins by introducing many wealthy characters.
The Great Gatsby takes place during a time when there is a great difference between the poor and the rich. The places where people live illustrate their class in society. The characters in the novel portray their social class in their personalities and actions. The theme of social class is important to the character development in Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the setting of New York in the nineteen twenties performs an extensive role in the novel. Although the nineteen twenties are a time of economic prosperity, they appear to be a time of corruption and crime as well. In New York, particularly, the nineteen twenties are a time of corruption and moral scarcity. The setting is during the Jazz Age as well, where popularity, fashion, and commerce are a primary inclination. The setting of The Great Gatsby efficaciously portrays the behavior of the characters in The Great Gatsby, as well as the plot and development. The setting assiduously delineates how themes, motifs, and symbols can fluctuate in relation to the time or location. The setting of The
The theme and most of this book’s imagery, motifs, and symbolism can be examined with the use of setting. The settings illustrated in Fitzgerald’s novel are the most distinguishable signs of the persistent fight to display one’s preeminence. Individuals, especially characters in The Great Gatsby, do this by tenaciously attempting to outclass others who are presented as a potential threat or challenge their status. Correspondingly, Morton-Mollo analyzes Gatsby’s opulent mansion as representation of how the American Dream causes individuals to excessively and recklessly spend money, and live selfish lifestyles. For instance, as an attempt to primarily impress Daisy, Gatsby threw extravagant parties. In essence, Gatsby has accomplished what seems