The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

However, to be part of the American dream, and the right social class it was almost impossible to create a perfect 'glittering surface ' that would make you a part of this materialistic society. Gatsby, constantly working on his 'glittering surface ' to become a part of this society, tries to perfect the elements of his American dream, which included financial success, material acquisitions, proper self-image, and social status. The most fashionable financial situation is "old money", meaning that you have been born into a large wealth and therefore do not need to work to support yourself. Tom and Daisy are in this classification, along with the rest of fashionable East Egg. Daisy was born into a life of wealth and privilege in Louisville and has no reason to trouble herself in anything involving the slightest bit of work. This almost makes it seem as her life is void of meaning, "What 'll we do with ourselves this afternoon?" cried Daisy, "and the day after that, and the next thirty years?" Gatsby, on the other hand is the complete contrast of this. He is in the less fashionable, but certainly tolerable "new money" situation of West Egg. He has worked to acquire his wealth , even if he has done it through illegal means, "A lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers, you know." He has built up a great wealth from nothing, as he was born into a common life, with nothing but a dream, or an

The culture of the upper class, illustrated by Tom and Daisy’s lifestyle, was a closed society that individuals such as the Wilsons had seemingly no chance of achieving. Tom and Daisy represented the old wealth which will cause conflict in between the society in their time when the book stated, “I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors eyes; fresh, green breast of the new world; the trees vanished where they made way for Gatsby’s house” (Fitzgerald 176).This proves that in the 1920s there was a destruction of nature to make way for the rich which represents how in the time of destruction there was a drastic change where everyone now lived in cities than farms. The 1920s was a corrupt time period, which led to many downfalls to many individuals in the upper and lower class. The upper class did not lose anything unlike the lower class who lost everything, shown when George Wilson lost his beloved wife Myrtle Wilson. In the late 1870s people would inherit wealth by working hard and not cheating the system when Magidson said that “Cornelius Vanderbilt was an American tycoon, businessman, and philanthropist” claiming that he “built his wealth in railroads and shipping” (Magidson). The

Wealth played a big part in The Great Gatsby and in the 1920s. Gatsby’s parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people. Gatsby never wanted his life to be anything like his parents and he tried hard to make it so. James Gatz, now known as Jay Gatsby, changed his name. Gatsby changed his name so he could have a new beginning and forget about his past and start his future.Gatsby wants to be like God and be rich and powerful, so he goes about his father’s business. Gatsby did become wealthy and to exercise his wealth he throws big lavish parties but he doesn’t participate in the parties. Gatsby throws parties in hopes that Daisy Buchanan will attend.

“The past is never where you think you left it” (Katherine Anne Porter). People intentionally not willing to leave their past due to the prehistoric memories because the good memory they had. Relevant to Porter’s evince in the novel of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby a guy who cannot leave his past, constantly wanting to change everything back to the past with his former lover Daisy but never succeeds due to people’ desire of meliorate their lives. During this process the novel also reveals that there’s no distinction of careless between people in the 1920’s and the corruption of American Dream. Fitzgerald uses color symbolism to reveal the unfaithful condition of living and the loss of purity also the descended moral

According to the newspaper company The Telegraph, daisies can become “serious weeds” and have the ability “thrive in generally inhospitable conditions.” This informative description of a common daisy mirrors F. Scott Fitzgerald’s character, Daisy Buchanan. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, Daisy tries to preserve the stability of her wealthy lifestyle through her marriage with Tom Buchanan instead of pursuing true love with Gatsby. Daisy becomes monotonous and dependent on wealth to act as an equilibrator of her life. Her dependency becomes uncontrollable, and that like that beautiful, innocent flower, she becomes a vile weed rooted in corruption. Fitzgerald implements Daisy as a way to convey the innate destructive property of wealth; it

The story of The Great Gatsby is a novel that consists of a historical American context during the Harlem Renaissance. This was an excellent novel published in the 1920’s and was considered one of the best novels of its time. The author F. Scott Fitzgerald was an incredibly talented poetic author. Fitzgerald was able to emphasize and create the mood of the generation in a political time. The novel The Great Gatsby is a remarkable novel but also a very sad one. The novel took place during an age or era known as the “Roaring Twenties” which was a time of American wealth. Politics and corruption at the time is possibly what made Gatsby to be the business man he was.

Most define the American Dream as an equal opportunity for all to achieve success through handwork and determination. Many define success as having or gaining wealth and power. This isn 't true for the novel The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. Instead Fitzgerald represents the withering of the American Dream, in the novel the American Dream is presented more as a overpowering idea of aspirations far from reach, making it less of a dream and more of a distant thought. Throughout the novel Fitzgerald slowly deconstructs the image of the American Dream and builds upon the corrupting nature of wealth. Due to the corrupting nature of wealth we are able to identify the theme of the withering American Dream, which is being represented through

Nick states that Gatsby had “bedrooms swathed in rose and lavender silk and vivid with new flowers, through dressing-rooms and pool rooms, and bathrooms” (Fitzgerald 92), had a pure gold bathroom set, and that Gatsby even had clothes specially made for him by a man in England. When Daisy visits Gatsby’s mansion, she became fascinated with the beauty of everything, which the reason Gatsby bought all of it was that he knew she would be amazed at his mansion. He would also buy all sorts of items for his parties in hopes that Daisy would come to one of the parties or he might even be brought up in a conversation with one of her friends, such as; “glistening hors d'oeuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold” (Fitzgerald 39-40), enough canvas and lights to cover his massive garden, and a special band to visit his mansion during the parties to entertain the people with jazz music. “If it wasn’t for the mist we could see your home across the bay,” said Gatsby. “You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock”” (Fitzgerald 94) proves that Gatsby bought his humongous mansion just to be closer to Daisy. Another way to know that he bought his mansion just so he could be closer to Daisy is when

The 1920’s were filled with this conflict people want to be on top. The rich want their way to be dominate and the poor want to be rich, but with the world ever changing the old must be replaced with the new. Gatsby is new, he claimed his fortune from a number of shady dealings and underhanded trades he does what he thinks is right and isn’t afraid to help. “I suppose he’d had the name ready for a long time. His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people-his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby of west egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself.He was a son of God-a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that-and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a

One of the major topics explored in The Great Gatsby is the sociology of wealth, specifically, how the newly minted millionaires of the 1920s differ from and relate to the old aristocracy of the country’s richest families. In the novel, West Egg and its denizens represent the newly rich, while East Egg and its denizens, especially Daisy and Tom, represent the old aristocracy. Fitzgerald portrays the newly rich as being vulgar, gaudy, ostentatious, and lacking in social graces and taste. Gatsby, for example, lives in a monstrously ornate mansion, wears a pink suit, drives a Rolls-Royce,

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses satire to comment on American ideals. Fitzgerald show how after the World War 1, people were materialistic and pursued wealth and having a higher class, they wanted quantity over quality. Most of Fitzgerald’s characters strive to get more money and are impressed or repulsed by the person depending on their status and wealth and this comments upon the irony or satire of the American Dream and ideals and how corrupt it became because the characters are greedy and seek wealth instead of pursuing happiness or moral character. Fitzgerald uses what Gatsby wants and how he acts, the places and the characters in those place, as well as the symbols in the story itself to show and comment upon the satire of how the

In the movie it shows how Gatsby became rich by showing newspapers with Gatsby’s name on the front cover saying that he was gaining a lot of money. Besides this reason of Tom and Gatsby being different, there is still a reason why they are

In the book, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby is exemplified through many symbols and idols. Fitzgerald uses cars to represent wealth, success, status, and glamour. As Friedrich Nietzsche states, “There are more idols in the world than there are realities.” Nietzsche’s quote shows how idols and symbols are used to create impressions. Images are powerful and set a stage for others to judge one’s character, enabling human beings to avoid seeing what realities are. Idols are potent enough to mask the truth. In the novel, despite Gatsby 's own insecurities, he is viewed as an idol in society. Idols impact and influence Gatsby’s life and those living around him. Gatsby’s car represents an idol, illustrating his wealth, capturing attention, creating impressions, and covering misconceptions throughout life in the West Egg.

After World War I, America offered the potential for boundless financial and social opportunities for those willing to work hard—an American Dream. The American Dream is defined as someone starting low on the economic or social level, and working hard towards prosperity and or wealth and fame. Establishing fame, becoming wealthy, having lavish luxuries, and a happy family would come to symbolize this dream. For some, however, striving for and realizing that dream ruined them, as many acquired wealth only to pursue pleasure. Even though the characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby appear to relish the freedom of the 1920s, their lives demonstrate the emptiness that results when wealth and pleasure become ends in themselves. Specifically, the empty lives of three characters from this novel— George Wilson, Jay Gatsby, and Daisy Buchanan—show that chasing hollow dreams results only in misery.

Despite the general characterization of the upper class as gentle, well-mannered people, the kind, well-bred characters are more of the West Eggers than the upper class East Eggers. In fact, the upper class displays the worst behaviors. Tom, for example, is arrogant, selfish, hypocritical, and constantly rude to Gatsby. He proudly speaks out racist and sexist views, and shows violence such as when he breaks Myrtle’s nose for merely annoying him. When the Buchanans at the end, simply move away than attend Gatsby’s funeral, they prove to be inconsiderate, careless people who “let other people clean up the mess they had made.”(179) Jordan, who is dishonest and a cheater, is not such a refined character either. Gatsby, on the other hand, is a “perfect gentleman”, what Wolfsheim regards as “a man of fine breeding”(71) He always maintains a polite and kind attitude, even when he’s with Tom and his condescending friends. He is continuously considerate and loyal, and although his manners come off as affectations, Nick nonetheless finds “something gorgeous about him”. When it comes down to personal charm and character, wealth and class mean nothing.