Conformity In The Great Gatsby

-Significant Quotations: 1.) “He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance … seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor… believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself” (Fitzgerald 48). The primary importance of this statement from an outsider’s point of view is to understand the social persona/perception and charisma of Gatsby, as well as that of many socialites within the novel. Regarding such, the weight of his importance as a person (not narratively) would make one feel chosen or temporarily significant, and that this reassurance could be reflected unto oneself; however, Nick comments on how this only appears to be the case, as he determines that this demeanour is likely to appease a conversation and that Gatsby is simply performing his role, a veneer common amongst those placed in that position and possible from the gossip he has heard. Furthermore, despite the purpose/general effect of the smile to be that it makes one cheered or encouraged, Nick appears to avoid this entirely, which can be factored into by considering his lower view of himself later in the novel/his self-doubt, thus describing that this lifestyle/Gatsby himself could only have such an effect on someone seeking optimism already, somewhat of an implication of Gatsby’s more disastrous activities and also subtly shares the belief of one’s own self-optimism and confidence that allows

In the period of the 1920’s, there was a certain status of wealth that was difficult to achieve. There were two societal classes consisting of those with wealth from prior generations, and those who worked to earn it themselves. Tom, Daisy, and Nick, who represented the old money society did not have to work hard, unlike Gatsby which he represented the new money and they had to work to earn money. People like Gatsby, who gained their wealth on their own often fought for the approval from the upper class who inherited their wealth. Rather than having new money and old money, people who tried achieving the American Dream and ended up in failure usually they end up like George and Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the notion that social norms in the upper class depict the idea that being apart of it was impossible unless they were born in it was expressed through Daisy’s rejection of Gatsby because of the corrupt way in which he gained his wealth, making his American Dream unattainable.

The Value of Individuality Reading the works of illustrious American writers, students discerned much about the state of individuality. First, in Frederick Douglass’s autobiography and “The Scarlet Letter,” the two characters remained true to who they were throughout slavery. Then, the transcendentalist writers proved that one should be themselves to help society from afar. Finally, in “The Great Gatsby,” Gatsby’s death was an example of the dangers of conformity. The authors that we read this year showed us that one should hold true to who they really are.

Authors inhale the world as they see it, exhaling their captive observations into a melody of written text. The stories they write are often are influenced by some form of human interaction in the real world. A common influence to an author is the political and social concerns of that time. Author, F Scott Fitzgerald is widely considered to be one of the greatest American writers to have lived. Living in The roaring 20s or the “Jazz age” as Fitzgerald called it later saying it was “the greatest, gaudiest spree in history” (Avey, 2016). Fitzgerald is no stranger to melding the political and social quandaries of the time into his works. His most famous work, The Great Gatsby centers on the point of view of Nick Carraway and his interactions with the mysterious millionaire Gatsby during the full swing of the jazz age. The Great Gatsby is one such work that thrives off the influence of the complex political and social climate of the 1920s such as the prohibition of alcohol, post-World War I industrial growth with its effects on social class, and the new waves of social culture broth fourth in cities.

On average, about thirty-two percent of the participants conformed to pick the blatantly wrong answer and over the twelve trials seventy-five percent of the students conformed at least once, and twenty-five didn’t conform at all. Many of the participants afterward admitted they conformed to give the wrong answer because they wanted to avoid being ridiculed and some thought the group really was correct. Is was the results of this experiment that led Asch to conclude that whenever people conform it’s to either fit in or because they believe that since they’re in the minority their conclusion is incorrect. Another influential experiment concerning conformity is the Stanford Prison Experiment. Conducted in 1973, Phillip Zimbardo wanted to determine if brutality in prison systems was due to the

F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of the finest American authors of the twentieth century wrote The Great Gatsby during the Jazz Age to critique the distortion of the American dream, and his work has lasted long past his lifetime. Fitzgerald discusses the nature of love and wealth and stresses the importance of defining a person beyond their external position. In his novel, letter to his daughter, and the screenplay adapted from the novel, it is clear that F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes exposition, narration, and imagery to illustrate how people in the 1920s did not understand the meaning of true love and worried about superficial characteristics, thus resulting in the corruption of the American dream from the pursuit of true love and equality to the pursuit of wealth and discrimination; however, he moralizes that human beings are capable of emotional growth and of escaping the illusion of wealth.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an influential novel that shows the importance society puts on money and that people often lose track of themselves because their eyes are focused on money instead of happiness. The book is narrated by Nick Carraway, a man who worked on Wall street. Nick tells the story about the main character Jay Gatsby who comes from nothing, then gets involved in the illegal alcohol business and makes millions. Jay Gatsby has fallen in love with a woman by the name of Daisy, a wealthy woman who is his motivation to make the money he has. Through his experiences with Dan Cody and the social class divide he overcomes the struggle of not having money. Gatsby is so in love with Daisy that he tries to attain the American dream to finally be good enough for her, but in the end he

“The Great Gatsby” was published in 1925. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a novel called “The Great Gatsby”. The novel is about how greed portrays American society during the nineteen twenties. Fitzgerald wrote a novel that told the story of a man who went from poor to rich; only to find out that wealth can’t give you happiness or what you want in life, it only makes you a horrible greedy person. Money given to some people in this world is bad thing.

The 1920s were a period of social and political change. For example, a bigger number of America lived in Urban areas than on farm; therefore, culture have changed in the time. Indeed, many women became more assertive, they tended to talk freely about sex and action that would affect to their reputations. Also, everyone could make a fortune without any concern on their foundation, so behavior of the newly rich was different the old aristocracy in communication, and social morality. Therefore, American aristocracy families was despised the newly rich and businesses or speculators because their fortune was from family inheritance instead of personal accomplishment. In the novel The Great Gatsby, both West Egg and West Egg are places for wealthy

“ Society does not consists of individuals, but expresses the sum of interrelations , the relations within which these individuals stand.” ( Karl Marx). This quote ties into what Fitzgerald is trying to say about social structure because he’s saying that we together as a society come from the same person that we should all stand together. In the book The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald uses Irony , conflicts , and symbolism to develop the theme , Social structure of the 1920s. Fitzgerald uses those three literary elements to help the reader understand the book better.

A primary theme in The Great Gatsby is the upper class is a shallow, disloyal group of people. The director Baz Luhrmann used the finest gems and clothing for his characters to emphasize the great gap between upper and lower class. The way that Luhrmann portrayed Daisy, Jordan, and in particular Tom was meant to give the image that the upper class people were different from lower class citizens. Luhrmann made Daisy and Tom seem detached from regular society using their dialogue. Tom always seemed to talk down upon people because he thinks he has the right to do so because of all of his money. His bigotry and alienation from the common people is evident when he says, “ Everyone ought to read it. The idea is that it’s up to us, the dominant race,

Working endlessly to attain control over a certain person and conclusively failing is a recurring theme in everyday life. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby gives up his individuality and works diligently to be noticed once again by Daisy, his longtime love. Charlie Wales in Babylon Revisited permanently loses his wife and is deprived of custody over his own daughter, Honoria. At certain times, it seems as though both Gatsby and Charlie are in possession of everything they covet, but in an instant, all of it is taken away. No matter how hard these men try to repeat their past actions in order to achieve their ultimate end goal, the harsh reality is that everything they ever wanted eventually disappears.

Society should serve the interest of all people not just those in power. Each individual is more important than society, there is a contract to be uphold by those in power to respect the rights and liberties of every individual while the individual contributes their fair share to society and obeys the laws set out by the state, this contract ensures the balance between order and liberty giving each and every individual the opportunity to succeed. Corruption in society is evident in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald where Fitzgerald views society during the 1920’s as economically and socially corrupt shown through the novel’s setting symbolizing a division among classes and people, set in Long Island, New York the area is divided into

To be a modern person in today’s society it means to try and strive for wealth, power and freedom. It also means to try and fit in with a changing and evolving society with new technology and advances. People in today's society people still want what they have always wanted the American dream, over time the American dream has transformed and with it so has modern people and the definition of this dream.

Asch Conformity Experiment: The Asch conformity tests are frequently construed as proof for the energy of conformity and normative social impact. That's, the readiness to adapt openly to achieve social reward and steer clear of social punishment. Others have contended that it's rational to make use of other individuals' choice as evidence. Like the second perspective, the Asch conformity tests are reported as evidence for that self-categorization theory of social influence. From that perspective the Asch answers are construed as results of depersonalization procedures whereby the partakers are required to be prepared to contain similar viewpoints (Hayes, 2000).