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The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay

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The belief that wealth and luxurious materialistic possessions can capture true happiness is yet again disproven in this tragic love story revolving around Jay Gatsby and his ambitious pursuit of happiness. Jay Gatsby, arguably the central character in the novel, perseveres and overcomes his poverty-stricken life. By keeping a low profile and participating in the illegal bootlegging of alcohol for several years, Gatsby acquires an immense amount of wealth and exhibits it, his grand mansion for example, in a hope to manifest a wealthy and respectable image. Fitzgerald intertwines Gatsby 's mansion along with the residences of the other major characters, with the intentional use of symbolism, to reveal more about their individual identities. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby, the different residences owned by the major characters in this novel, aid to carve out the ways in which their separate identities are constructed.

Located in West Egg, Gatsby’s prosperous mansion is “a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy” (Fitzgerald 1925) with towers and a marble swimming pool. Gatsby’s house clashes with different styles and periods demonstrating to us that Gatsby himself as an owner does not truly know his own identity. He holds extravagant parties at his ostentatious mansion every weekend open to everyone, regardless of class. Sherry Morton-Mollo in her academic journal describes the mansion as “a symbol of the man himself and his dream of

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