The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald uses Gatsby to portray the personal failure in life in order to demonstrate how some people are dealt a worse hand in life than others. Gatsby, the protagonist of the story, is in love with a girl named Daisy, however she is married to a man named Tom. After a confrontation between Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Tom return home. Meanwhile, Gatsby hides in the bushes outside their house so he can make sure that Daisy is safe. Nick, the narrator of the novel, observes as Gatsby watches over Daisy “standing there in the moonlight - watching over nothing” (Fitzgerald 145). As Gatsby waits outside Daisy’s house, he believes that she will choose him over Tom, but unfortunately he is in a hopeless situation and Daisy will break his heart. Nick further describes the dinner Tom and Daisy share to have “an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together” (Fitzgerald 145). While Gatsby stands there, he is unaware of Daisy’s betrayal as she shares an intimate dinner with Tom. Furthermore, as Gatsby fights for the love of his life, he is has no idea that the circumstances that are beyond his control since Daisy’s true love is Tom. As Tom and Daisy

We begin to hear rumors from other people. For example we begin to get the impression that Gatsby and Wolfsheim are involved in some type of illegal activity, which is where he may be getting his money. Also Catherine says that she heard that Gatsby had inherited his money from either a nephew or a cousin. Gatsby also does another strange thing, he wants to meet with Jordan Baker at his party. We then find out a few days later that Gatsby, Nick, and Daisy are all having tea at Nick’s house. Nick and Gatsby also are becoming closer friends, maybe it’s because Gatsby just wants something.

However as we begin to learn about his corruption, and the way by which he came by this money, we begin to loose this image of greatness. Even Nick swings form admiration to resentment. When Gatsby tells Nick about all his great travels and accomplishments around Europe traveling like royalty and studying at oxford. This Makes Gatsby a hero, however Nick doesn’t believe him, until Montenegro is mentioned, and the same applies to us. This is the point when our faith in Gatsby’s greatness, is reaffirmed. As the book progress and we dig deeper into Gatsby’s past. We begin learning more and more about his life built upon deception, we really start to suspect the rumors of his under ground involvement in crime, specially after meeting Meyer Wolfsheim. It is my personal opinion that Wolfsheim, was in fact a Jew, due to his characteristics, “a large nose” “a diminutive stature”. It is an important point to note, due to the fact that during the 1920’s, The Jews were blamed for Americas corruption, due to there infamous greed at that time. So when Gatsby is seen doing business with people like Wolfsheim, it slanders his name and he, is no longer the American dream, on the contrary, he is now, one of the people that corrupted America . We begin to learn his true identity is not Jay Gatsby, but that he is relay a man named James Gatz.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, a friendship between Nick and Gatsby is full of dishonesty and un-loyalty as neither of them are willing to go the extra mile in order to protect each other. Friendship is a mutual trust and support between two people. Gatsby and his “friendship” with Nick does not express this meaning as they are continuously dishonest and unsupportive of each other. Throughout the novel, there are multiple signs of Gatsby and Nick having a true relationship as they begin to tell secrets and help each other out. However, the dishonest two, somehow discover a way to wreck their upward relationship. This friendship between Gatsby and Nick contains two sides and perspectives with both wanting to get something from the

Also, Meyer Wolfsheim, Gatsby's business partner, refuses to publicly to mourn his friend's death. It seems like she was not really comfortable with Gatsby. " Meyer Wolfsheim 's name wasn't in the phone books. The butler gave me his office address on Broadway, and I called information, but by the time I had the number it was long after five, and no one answered the phone."

The Great Gatsby is a timeless classic, high schools all across America read the story and delve into its passages for hidden messages and dig into Fitzgerald’s own words to uncover what it all truly means. Many of the themes and ideas in The Great Gatsby are reflected in Fitzgerald's life, such as his on-again-off-again marriage to his wife, Zelda Fitzgerald, and close relationship with fellow writer, Ernest Hemingway, to his own troubles with alcohol and mental health. One of those themes is love and betrayal, which F. Scott Fitzgerald displays in The Great Gatsby through the various relationships and affairs between Tom, Daisy, Myrtle and Jay. Tom and Daisy Buchanan have evidently the most perplexing relationship in the novel, however,

In chapter four the author Fitzgerald uses a lot of different literary methods to develop the character Wolfshiem. The author uses literary methods to develop characters in The Great Gatsby because it helps us see the character in our heads. Fitzgerald uses imagery,dialogue and behaviors to help convey that Mr.Wolfshiem is bad news. When Gatsby first introduces Mr.Wolfshiem the first thing Nick notices is his nose.

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.

During the end of the novel, Nick tries to call Wolfshiem to get him to attend the funeral of Jay Gatsby’s: “Now he's dead ….I can't do it -I cant get mixed up in it (Fitzgerald).” At the end of Gatsby’s life, there was nothing left for him. His blindfold came off too late and saw that money destroyed his life that all he had was false friends were non-existent. On the day of Gatsby or should I say, Daisy, ran over Myrtle, Gatsby waited outside on the lawn watching over daisy. When he looks into the window there's Daisy and Tom having dinner very close and not a bother in the world.

The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, provides a dark and pessimistic outlook into the American life style in 1922. Jay Gatsby, an American wealthy social identity, appears to have it all. But wealth, stature and an extravagant lifestyle seems not to be enough for Gatsby; he still yearns for his old idealistic love Daisy. In an ideal world this has the making of a great love story with a happy ending, but Fitzgerald chose to carry the story as a reflection of the American era the book is set in. An era consumed by appearances and excess and overall pursuit of the American dream.

“The moon rose higher; and as I stood there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light, he had come such a long way, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.” ( 99) Nick brought a happiness into Gatsby’s life through his connection to daisy and how he encouraged him to pursue her. Nick was a true friend and he stuck with Gatsby even though Nick suspected bad things about how Gatsby had become a self made an. “Finest specimen of human molar.” (38) Wolfsheim was a decent friend to Gatsby and wanted him to be happy, but he wasn't a great friend because he involved Gatsby in a world of crime. Nick tried to get Wolfshiem to go to Gatsby’s funeral, but Wolfshiem wouldn't go.

Gatsby does not belong to his own class and he is not accepted by the upper class, therefore he becomes an exception. Because of disappointment of being looked down upon and impossibility of accept by the upper class, he has nothing left except his love, which is also his “love dream”. Gatsby’s love for Daisy has been the sole drive and motive of his living. Gatsby’s great love is also the root of his great tragedy, because he is desperately in love with a woman who is not worthy of his deep love. Fitzgerald offers Gatsby with the spirit of sincerity, generosity, nobility, perseverance, and loyalty. All his good natures can be seen

However keeping in mind any film must withhold a reasonable play time as not to grow dull and dreary. This caused baz luhrmann to cut out, or shorten, specific scenes from the novel when carrying it over into film. One such scene was where mr Gatsby introduced nick to one of his friends and mentor Meyer Wolfshiem. Gatsby described Wolfshiem as a gambler who fixed the World Series. Wolfshiem appears only twice in the novel with the second time being him refusing to attend Gatsby's funeral. This first appearance however is very important in the novel as in it Wolfshiem gives a critical insite into Gatsby as a character. “Have you known Gatsby for a long time? …. I made the pleasure of his acquaintance just after the war. But I knew I had discovered a man of fine breeding ….. the kind of man you’d like to take home and introduce to your mother and sister” (4.118-118). However in the film this exchange of words between nick and Wolfshiem doesn’t go for merely as long, nor does it go into the detail that the novel does. As a result this leaves a major gap in the background story and persona of Gatsby throughout the

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there is an importance of relationships. They can be between lovers, friends, and families. The novel shows these, but also the wrong types of relationships such as people having affairs. People form relationships so they are not alone and they try to stick together through the hard times and the good times. In every relationship there are differing situations that affect the outcome and success of the relationship.

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.