The Great Gatsby: A Social Satire Essay

In the period of the 1920s, a certain status of wealth was difficult to achieve. Two consisting societal classes were of those with wealth from prior generations, and 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 money to work and earn for. 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 to achieve 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, creates 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 which Daisy expressed through Gatsby’s rejection, because of the corrupt way in which he gained his wealth, making his American Dream unattainable.

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.

Fitzgerald points out that the American dream is damaged. In the novel Gatsby’s father reveals to Nick that his son was intent on improving himself and his station in life. In the years after Gatsby loses Daisy to Tom, Gatsby dedicates his every effort to trying to woo Daisy. This dream is corrupted between the relationship of Gatsby and Daisy. Daisy is the symbol of all that Gatsby strives for; her voice is full of money, as Gatsby describes it. Her voice was "full of money-that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song in it" That Gatsby was able to rise from poverty to an affluence rivaling Tom’s was the personification of the American Dream. What Gatsby discovers is that his wealth, his attempts to master some measure of sophistication and taste-even his exemplary service in the army- are not enough, Fitzgerald satirizes the upper class’ distinction not only between the rich and the poor but also between new money and old money. In the words of Tom, Gatsby is “… Mr. nobody from nowhere.” There is no compassion in Daisy, just as there is none in cold, hard cash. Daisy's dream is corrupted by wealth because she is caught up with Tom's wealth and Gatsby's

F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates the common characteristics of perseverance, hard work, and wealth in 1920s America through the protagonists of The Great Gatsby and how those certain ideals inevitably clash. In a time period swelling with the prospect of wealth and aspiration, The Great Gatsby twists the common ideals of the 1920’s by illustrating the iniquity of these prospects. Protagonist, Jay Gatsby, plays the role of the wealthy cultural icon, throwing grand parties while being adored by many. His intentions, however, resonate on a deeper level than simply rising above in social status. All that Gatsby does is based around winning the heart of his long time love, Daisy Buchanan. While Daisy is beautiful, her beauty is not what mesmerizes Gatsby, but her wealth. Gatsby being born into a poor family generated an obsession with wealth and status that he has worked to attain his whole life. In Daisy he sees wealth, explaining the motives behind Gatsby’s desire while incorporating themes of the American Dream and mendacity. Jay Gatsby epitomizes the American dream which necessitates his obsession with Daisy Buchanan, the personification of wealth. Gatsby’s failure to achieve his goal of winning Daisy illustrates the hypocrisy of the American dream.

Scott Fitzgerald exhibited the “American Dream within his characters, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Nick Carraway, Myrtle Wilson, and Tom Buchanan, and it was all based on their social class. The American Dream is a central idea to American history that has been around for hundreds of years. “The Great Gatsby” accurately depicts the American Dream. Not only that, but the book also connects The American Dream to social class. Each character in “The Great Gatsby” has his or her own visible American Dream as well; they are completely different, and based upon the social status of the character. From poor and struggling starts, to having inborn money, the characters of the book have a wide variety of social classes that make them pursue different happiness. To be successful is an understatement for “The Great Gatsby.” Selling over twenty-five million copies, the book is still continuing to sell and be read despite being ninety-one years old (Lucey). The reason for this, besides the great symbolism, character development, and plot, can also be accounted to the devotion to the American Dream. “The Great Gatsby” is an American Dream in itself, and its sumptuous story will live on continuing to display the different social classes and their effects on The American Dream. People will always keep reaching for their own green light and their own

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     In the novel entitled The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is at times made out to be better than us. At first glance he is sophisticated, using big words and claiming that he is an 'Oxford man.'; But when we look closer we can easily see that this man is a farce. Much of this man has been shrouded in mystery. We know very little about his past until later in the book. We don't know where he was born, who his parents are, or where all of his money came from. He frequently disappears form Nick's view seemingly without a trace. All of these things make him out to be somebody of real importance but by looking closely we can gather an abundance of evidence to the contrary.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place in the midst of the Roaring Twenties – a time of decadent parties and foolhardy celebration by those of newfound wealth, ushered in by the prosperity of innovation and opportunity in a post-war economy. In the Jazz Age, the American Dream seems to be thriving. Jay Gatsby, a lively entrepreneur in Long Island’s West Egg, uses his success to throw lavish parties in pursuit of a long lost love from the previous decade: Daisy Buchanan. Daisy lives across the bay in East Egg and is married to Tom Buchanan – an elitist who lives an extravagant life with his inherited fortune. While The Great Gatsby is a captivating tale of a man in pursuit of love, it reveals much more than the connection between two people. In a broader sense, it offers social commentary on the state of the American Dream in this great era of prosperity. Jay Gatsby represents the American Dream as the reader would like to perceive it – he is a young, energetic man whose new success is allowing him to chase his wildest dreams. In contrast, Tom Buchanan represents an aristocracy that has been somewhat loathed in mainstream political thought – he is part of the elite societal structure that holds cultural power and has always possessed anything desired. Tom Buchanan’s success at the end of the novel offers an allegorical criticism on the state of the American Dream in this period. Fitzgerald argues that the American Dream was originally one of innovation

Reality is the state of being aware, aware of objects, events and time itself but the way people perceive it differs from being to being. If reality was something everyone was able to perceive and agree on one then, maybe there would be an actual definition for the word reality. “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” – Albert Einstein. Reality is indeed an illusion like Albert Einstein has stated and it is also very persistent because everyday in life one must make one’s own reality due to own reasoning and beliefs. As people face life and traumatic events they warp their reality to comfort themselves. Throughout Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper, Flannery O'Connor A Good Man is Hard to Find, William Faulkner A Rose for Emily and F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby, the characters themselves form a reality that only they can perceive, influencing and altering what reality itself is. As the characters in the novels go through events the way that one perceives reality can easily be

I woke to shouting and banging on my door. I grabbed my pocket watch from the side of my bed; it read 4 o’clock. Who would be at my door this early in the morning? I thought. My body was dragged from the bed as I trudged along to my front door.

The "Twenties" was an exciting time in American history, when being a "flapper" and rebelling against the common say of society was all the rage. As in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is a popular yet mysterious "flapper," whose image is created through the life of Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald portrayed his life, problems, and triumphs, through his image of Jay Gatsby. The correlations between the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald and the life of his character Jay Gatsby, is that Gatsby and Fitzgerald were both brought up the same way, both used their popularity the same way, as well as signifying the life he wanted through Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays American society in the 1920’s after WWI has just ended, a decade of unprecedented economic prosperity. In the book, Fitzgerald critiques the loss of moral values and the degradation of American society, symbolizing it as a “valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where . . . ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke” (Fitzgerald 23). Through the characters of the book, Fitzgerald exposes the American dream from behind its dazzling veil of happiness and success, and characterizes its true form: a mad, desperate and hopeless chase towards something unattainable, turning a once innocent dream, into a shattered nightmare, destroying everything in its wake.

Texts can be valued and appreciated for numerous reasons, and this is particularly apparent in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. The novel is a great part of 20th century literature and is valued for the themes and ideas which Fitzgerald presents, such as the importance of dreams in peoples’ lives, the myth that is the ‘American Dream’, Fitzgerald’s perspective of 1920’s life, and the style in which he portrays his ideas. It is also valued simply as a love story – as an entertaining narrative.

The Great Gatsby brings to light the malicious and careless personalities of those with wealth and power in New York City at the time of the 1920’s. After World War I, the twenties were characterized by materialism, many found themselves caught up in the priorities placed on wealth and social status; people were deceitful and fraudulent in their actions and morals in order to obtain riches and respect. The “nobility of the human spirit” is exalted moral excellence, which is doing what is right and refraining from what is wrong. The Great Gatsby is teeming with immoral decisions and actions that counter any presence of nobility of the human spirit within characters such as Tom and Daisy Buchanan as well as Jay Gatsby. Gatsby himself directly

Since its production in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald 's novel The Great Gatsby has ended up a standout amongst the most referred to, censured, and examined bits of fiction ever. It has frequently been portrayed as maybe the most striking anecdotal investigation of the age of the group noblemen and the social conditions that delivered them. No ifs, ands, or buts, it is an incredible representation of an age in American history when everything was conceivable, or if nothing else individuals thought it was. In his novel, Fitzgerald does not just portray the social, chronicled and financial conditions which drive his characters, however he additionally gives us a knowledge into the souls of his characters and the inside intentions which they use to legitimize their conduct and activities. The hidden reason for everything that happens in the novel is a thought, a thought towards which everybody endeavors and longs for. This thought is none other than the inescapable idea of the American Dream. The male and female characters of the story are arranged in distinctive implications of the American Dream and the main ones that appear who have accomplished it are Daisy and Tom Buchanan.