The Great Gatsby As A Tragedy
A hurried read of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby can generate a tragic impression. The deaths of three of the main characters and the failure of Gatsby and Daisy's romance can be viewed as tragic.
However, a deeper analysis of the book reveals a much deeper tragedy.
The relentless struggles of Gatsby himself parallel Fitzgerald's apparent ideas of the struggles of all Americans. The American dream romanticized by the majority of the population is really unattainable because it is, in fact, nonexistent.
Every character has an unfortunate role and could be called a tragic character. However, the main tragedy is that of the title character.
Gatsby experiences nothing but tragedy in his
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Gatsby's final tragedy is his death. Gatsby made a great effort to achieve his dreams, but in the end his efforts were futile.
Fitzgerald was obviously appalled at the general state of society in the 1920s. He appears to have been particularly saddened by the decayed social and moral values of the well-established American aristocracies. The old wealth seen on East Egg and the people attending Gatsby's parties signify the careless materialism of the time. Tom and Daisy are prime examples of this. They outrage Nick and by the end of the novel he decides that they are "careless people…they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money" (187). As seen through the disappointed eyes in Dr. Eckleburg's glasses on the billboard at the Valley of the Ashes, the world itself was in a tragic state. The distinct social classes are what kept
Gatsby and Daisy apart. In the beginning, it was his lack of money that made them unable to be together. After they are reunited, it is the great division of the old and new wealth that keeps them apart.
Gatsby could never be accepted into Daisy's social class because on
East Egg he could not have self-made wealth.
The novel ends with Gatsby's death and subsequent funeral. These are representative of the final death of the American dream. Gatsby's life work had turned out to be for nothing. Although he has many acquaintances and doesn't "want any trouble with anybody" (48), he has
no
There are many different problems and situations that affected many Americans during the time period of The Great Gatsby. The different problems affect many characters lives and relationships throughout the novel in a variety of situations. Such problems with characters personal lives would be the withering of a American dream. Also, such situations during this time period is how characters aren’t achieving their highest potential and achieving their dreams. Another problem during this time period would be the very unequal wealth distribution in America, but also among all the characters families and themselves individually in The Great Gatsby. There is new money, old money, and the poor which is represented by the valley of ashes throughout this time period. Also, among the rich and poor there is always those who want more and more and are always greedy at every point in the story. Even though characters want all the money they can get there hands on they also try there hardest to achieve enough love and romance in there lives that their heart desires. Lastly, there is a great deal of betrayal throughout the entire length of the novel The Great Gatsby. It is represented by many characters, their relationships, and their personal lives. Different characters’ personal relationships and personal lives give well-distinguished representations of the problems such as a withering American dream, unequal wealth distribution in America, and betrayal in The Great Gatsby.
Themes of hope, success, and wealth overpower The Great Gatsby, leaving the reader with a new way to look at the roaring twenties, showing that not everything was good in this era. F. Scott Fitzgerald creates the characters in this book to live and recreate past memories and relationships. This was evident with Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship, Tom and Daisy’s struggling marriage, and Gatsby expecting so much of Daisy and wanting her to be the person she once was. The theme of this novel is to acknowledge the past, but do not recreate and live in the past because then you will not be living in the present, taking advantage of new opportunities.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby focuses on the excitement and adventure of the roaring twenties, a time filled with great economic success and parties said to last the whole decade. New to Long Island and New York, aspiring bond man Nick Carraway becomes infatuated with the lifestyle of his rich peers living the “American dream”. He gains interest in his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby, who lives in an incredible mansion and has a vast amount of wealth. Gatsby uses his money to try and steal his love, Daisy Buchanan from her unfaithful husband, Tom. Characters in The Great Gatsby are unhappy and unfulfilled with their lives due to greed manipulating their view of The American Dream. This skewed perception also affects their unreasonable life expectations and their narcissistic thoughts create a larger potential for failure, such as Gatsby’s extravagant plan to steal Daisy Buchanan.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a novel that highlights the stark contrast between the rich elites of East Egg and the dirt-poor ashen people of the Valley of Ashes through the reckless power that the wealthy of this world can exert on the unfortunate. As concluded by Nick in the novel, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness [...] and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald, 179). By thoroughly examining the thoughtless actions of Daisy and Tom Buchanan and their consequences, Baz Luhrmann's rendition of The Great Gatsby portrays the carelessness of the elites more effectively than the novel. Through the inclusion of additional scenes and the omission of some, Baz Luhrmann conveys the utter disregard that Tom and Daisy posses towards other characters in the novel.
“Her voice is full of money.” Jay Gatsby said this while talking to Nick about Daisy. Daisy is a prime example of what people call a “gold digger.” She proves the theme, once the world reveals some of its riches; people tend to forget their values. Throughout the entire book, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we see over and over people turning their backs to love for money. They are shown money and never look back; a deep and powerful lusts controls them. While reading this book it conjures up many emotions such as sadness, anger, and depression. At the end of the book, the realization of the true human condition shows its true colors, and leaves the book full of depression.
The Great Gatsby is the novel that is based on how rich people were back in the old days. This Novel takes us through the early 1900’s where the narrator, Nick Carraway meets secretive Mr. Gatsby who is a Trimachio which means that he once was a poor young kid who believed in a greater future and by the time he gets older he becomes this very wealthy man who hosts lavish banquets. We are following Mr. Gatsby’s journey to the love of his life, Daisy who is Nick’s cousin. Since Gatsby has been gone for almost 5 years Daisy got married to another man called Tom. The novel ends with Gatsby being shot to death and no one was there to his funeral besides reporters and photographers, who Nick angrily chases out.
The Great Gatsby, first published in 1925, echoes its era, and predicts its tragic end. In the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald “revealed the negative side of the period’s gaiety and freedom, portraying wealthy and attractive people leading imperiled lives in gilded surroundings” (Danzer 656).It illustrate “the dying American Dream and the corruption of historical values”(Bewley 23). The wealthy characters in the book are careless, materialistic and empty, showing the corrupt side of the American Dream, but Gatsby is different. In the novel, Nick describes him as having “an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such I have never found in any other person and which is not likely I shall ever find again” (Fitzgerald 2).He kept believing and fighting for his dreams to the very end, even after it became clear that Daisy would not leave Tom to stay with him.
On outward appearance, Jay Gatsby seemed to be a rich, well-rounded man who was always very poised and eloquent. But when turned inward, this confident man seemed very self-conscious and scared. He was scared that people would find out about his past and realize that he was not always the rich and graceful man that he now is. Throughout the novel, Gatsby informed all of his acquaintances that he was an Oxford man and that he came from a well-to-do family. However, this was not the case. Gatsby did not attend Oxford and was not from a well-to-do family. He was poor as a child and obtained most of his money from illicit business ventures. This is why Gatsby was rarely seen at his own parties and why he never liked to talk about his past or where he earned his living.
It is believed by some that potential and greatness is innate for every individual born, yet it takes time for it to be discovered. For certain individuals, this greatness is interchangeable with heroism, which is the basis of every great story. In the novel The Great Gatsby written by Scott Fitzgerald, a man by the name of Jay Gatsby was no less than the greatness which accompanied his name. He was a noble man with an outstanding persona that left a deep mark after his passing. An exceptional being with infinite potential, who dreamt of nothing but personal success and whose very own ambitious trait worked to his disadvantage. Gatsby destroyed himself with the strength of his own hands and his existence
You hear about the love stories that always go right, but what you don't hear is about is the times that go wrong. The story “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a love and tragic story. During the story, a man named Nick tells us about how a man named Gatsby tries to win over the heart of a young lady named Daisy. In the end because Gatsby is shot and killed shows the shallow, empty, materialistic values of the people who comprise the society.
According to the Shmoop editorial team, Gatsby is considered a “hero” because he has ideals and a dream but his tragic flaw lays in his obtaining wealth in hopes of impressing Daisy, who is completely undeserving of his attention(Gatsby analysis). His ideal was created in part by his belief in the “American Dream”(Jay Gatsby, in the Great Gatsby). Gatsbys tragic flaw lays in his inability to see that his idea of his relationship with Daisy, and the real world cannot coexist together. For example, in the novel, Gatsby does not want to touch Daisy because then he will know that she is real. This shows that Gatsby is ultimately not in love with Daisy, but instead with the idea of her(Jay Gatsby Character analysis).
“Oh,” cried Lizzie, “Laura, Laura, / You should not peep at goblin men.” / Lizzie cover’d up her eyes, / Cover’d close lest they should look; / Laura rear’d her glossy head, / And whisper’d like the restless brook: / “Look, Lizzie, look, Lizzie, / Down the glen tramp little men. / One hauls a basket, / One bears a plate, / One lugs a golden dish / Of many pounds weight. / How fair the vine must grow / Whose grapes are so luscious; / How warm the wind must blow / Through those fruit bushes.” / “No,” said Lizzie, “No, no, no; / Their offers should not charm us, / Their evil gifts would harm us.” / She thrust a dimpled finger / In each ear, shut eyes and ran: / Curious Laura chose to linger/ Wondering at each merchant man. / One had a cat’s face, / One whisk’d a tail, / One tramp’d at a rat’s pace, / One crawl’d like a snail, / One like a wombat prowl’d obtuse and furry, / One like a ratel tumbled hurry skurry. / She heard a voice like voice of doves / Cooing all together: / They sounded kind and full of loves / In the pleasant weather.
Literature is medium that allows authors to express personal beliefs and value to others in a variety of ways. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, regarded as one of the best writers in America, wrote The Great Gatsby to convey his perception of American society in the early 20th century.
American society is not a bed of roses. It is a cocktail of greed, capitalism, organized crime, infedelity, racisiom and a penchant for questionable moral decisions. The Great Gatsby is a prime example of this. Fitzgerald flawlessly highlighted the woes of the United States at a time where it was trying to relapse into an optimum state of functioning in the midst of recovering from the first world war.
Later after the uncooperative dinner, the party ended. Jorden needed leave to bed because a golf game. When Nick left, Tom and Daisy suggested that they both want for him to make relationship in Jordan. Once Nick was home, it was Nicks first time to see Gatsby who was very attractive and good looking man. He was upright on the grass. Nicks was searching out on the water, but he could not see anything. Nicks insights and approaches about the incident and the characters of the one of a kind novel are the main key to The Great Gatsby. Composing the novel is Nick’s method for grabbing the explanation of the story which played a role. In chapter 1, the first couple pages, he found certain inconsistencies about Nick’s opinion. He defines himself as open minded and broadminded. He also presented himself as an honorably fortunate. He had enhanced sense of respectability than other people around. In the meantime, Nick had a bad response to his experience in New York. Then, he finally went back to the Midwest to look for less ethically vague situations. Gatsby stood up for him like an exemption. Nick appreciated Gatsby very much, even though Gatsby symbolizes all the things Nick disregard in New York. Gatsby made clear challenge to Nick’s standard method for the considered world. Nick had a hard time in terms with the test that modifies throughout the novel.