The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Be careful what you wish for.” It’s too bad the characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby didn’t heed this warning. Set in the 1920’s, The Great Gatsby tells the story of how the narrator, Nick Carraway, moves to Long Island and befriends the mysterious millionaire next door, eventually joining him on an adventure to help reunite him with his long-lost love. With the extravagant parties and riches beyond compare, the book soon takes a turn for the worst. However, the tragic ending could have been avoided if only the characters hadn’t been blinded by what they wanted. Although each character was driven by their desires, the character most blinded by his dreams was Jay Gatsby, the namesake of the novel. All Gatsby ever wanted was for Daisy Buchanan to love him. Everything Gatsby did was to win Daisy’s love, but his efforts were ultimately in vain. As the book progresses, the reader begins to learn and to understand Jay Gatsby’s motivations, eventually seeing that his dreams of being with Daisy were the driving force behind his quest for wealth.

The Great Gatsby entails of a story of a bright young man, Nick Carraway, who moved to New York City in search of a successful life in the bonds business, but becomes suffocated by the lifestyles of those in wealth and power at the time. As Nick settles himself in a new job and new city, in the only cottage among mansions on West and East Egg, he finds himself neighbor to a mysterious, wealthy man known for his extravagant parties and elusive persona. This neighbor, Jay Gatsby, emerges to be one of the main characters of the novel and the only person in all of New York that Nick can call a friend. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, encompasses the hollowness of the upper class as well as the deterioration of the “American Dream” within the plotline of the lives of Nick, Gatsby, and the Buchanan’s. Because of the themes Fitzgerald created, it prompts people, such as Bruccoli, to make the claim “The Great Gatsby does not proclaim the nobility of the human spirit; it is not politically correct; it does not reveal how to solve the problems of life; it delivers no fashionable or comforting messages. It is just a masterpiece.” While the Great Gatsby is a masterpiece, Bruccoli correctly examines the text in revealing no nobility of the human spirit, no solutions to the problems of life, and it is politically incorrect. However, despite the dismal themes, Fitzgerald does deliver fashionable/comforting messages to the audience. Bruccoli’s claim brings to light the

"Never has symbolism played such a crucial part in the very foundation of a novel as it does in Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby." Harold Bloom has written about this book. The author used several types of symbolism in The Great Gatsby. The colours are probably the easiest to be recognized and guessed what they symbolized. According to the definition “symbolism” is "the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships."

The book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has been read in schools for decades. The experience is different for everyone. Some may love this book while others just purely hate it. I have to say I am in between loving and hating this book. I do like the look into the lives of the rich of the 1920s and I did enjoy the overall story. However the cheating I wasn’t fond of. I do understand that is what happens with the rich so I do enjoy the fact that it historically accurate. Another topic that I will touch upon is the drunkenness and reckless driving portrayed, quite accurately, for this time period.

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 American Dream is a philosophy based off of starting from nothing and achieving family, fortune, and fame. The belief that self-determination and hard work will lead to the attainment of the American Dream is strongly tied with the American culture. This philosophical idea, however, is not portrayed in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which is often referred to as one of the “Great American Novels” to date. In terms, a “Great American Novel” should portray an honest and well-remembered character, rather than a character such as Jay Gatsby who achieved his fortune through illegal business and dies without recognition towards the end. Although Gatsby lives a lavish lifestyle that many people fantasize about, Gatsby’s American Dream is never fully fulfilled due to his failure of not having a family, successfully obtaining money the righteous way, and leaving a legacy; therefore, the novel The Great Gatsby, should not be entitled as the “Great American Novel” today.

Time is a meaningful concept in Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby. In which dreams and memories are very important. Believing in dreams, even when the time for that dream on earth to exist has long since passed. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writings closely mirror his own life for often explore the human struggle between hope and disillusionment. The Great Gatsby is filled with many characters who live hopeless, lonely lives, even though they have all the money one could want. Fitzgerald shows how this dream is full of materialism, how materialism influencing the lives of people makes it hard for them so see the reality objectively. Fitzgerald exposes his own personal character traits to the reader by unconsciously inserting himself into the story, manifesting himself in the Daisy/Gatsby romance, the extravagant lifestyle the protagonists practice, and the flaws that he writes into his characters.

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, photography is used as a mechanism of superficial representation in the early 20th century. Throughout the novel, photographs and their illustration personify the characters in a light that may be deceitful of their true depth. In the novel, characters such as Myrtle, Jordan, and Gatsby use photographs as a blanket to cover the true extent of their individuality, but also as a token of their past, present, and future endeavors. Each character is inevitably distinct in their relationship to the superficial representation that photographs produce. Myrtle’s infatuation with celebrities and their lifestyle leaves her gaping at the thought of living a luxurious lifestyle herself. Jordan is

The Great Gatsby, a novel set in the city of New York during the 1920’s, regards the novel’s pivotal character, Jay Gatsby, trying to win back the love of his dreams, Daisy Buchanan, back while wrestling unattainable social status, distorted societal values, and all of this amid a hopeful heart. This time period, called The Roaring Twenties, encompasses all of what Gatsby goes through in his journey of trying to live “The American Dream”. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the false values of society are brought out through underlying life lessons throughout the novel’s main character, Jay Gatsby’s, life.

In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carraway tells the story of his life in New York and his encounters with Jay Gatsby. He tells the story of how Gatsby’s death occurred and every event leading up to it. Somehow, everything leads back to three characters; Jay Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy Buchanan. In the novel, everyone played a role in Gatsby’s death but the person who was most responsible was Daisy with help from Tom and Gatsby.

The American Dream is one of the most prevalent themes throughout The Great Gatsby. Reviewing the long span of literature, it is almost impossible to escape this topic. Through research, it is found that the idea of the American Dream is constantly changing and redefining itself. The transition of this idea from one time period to another, and from one protagonist to the next is an intriguing journey. The American Dream has affected society and is something that most people aspire to achieve. It is the innate desire of wanting to be better and improve oneself that kept the Dream alive for decades past. Symbolizing wealth, perfection, the American Dream is an idea many wish to achieve. The American Dream causes characters in the Great

Many people dream about achieving the American Dream, especially immigrants from around the world hoping to start a new life. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby tells the story of one man’s journey, Nick Carraway’s, in obtaining the American Dream. His decision to leave the midwest and move to the east enables him to be able to learn stocks and make a living. Nick has not yet achieved the American Dream, but is eager to obtain this feat. Nick’s friend, Tom Buchanan, lives in East Egg and inherits money from his parents. Jay Gatsby, who lives next to Nick in West Egg, has worked for his money and was inspired to become wealthy. In The Great Gatsby, three main characters look for opportunities to gain the American Dream with numerous obstacles in their path. Jay Gatsby strives for opportunities to work for wealth and uses it to demonstrate his opulence; conversely, Tom Buchanan is the opposite of Gatsby, obtaining wealth from his parents and using his money to make a living. Nick Carraway is neither of the other characters, but instead is looking to possess the American Dream.

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.

“The Great Gatsby” and “Washington Square” are both novels that greatly depicted their time period and how society viewed men and women. “The Great Gatsby” is about a young man named Gatsby who tries to reignite an old relationship with his new found wealth. Gatsby essentially dedicates his entire life to get Daisy back while she has long moved on. “Washington Square” is about a young girl named Catherine who tries to find love with a man named Morris, but has to deal with the strict control of her father. Catherine’s aunt, Lavinia Penniman, was meddlesome in Catherine’s life which also greatly ruined Catherine’s and Morris’ relationship. These books focus on image, illusions and relationships. I will be focusing on various relationships in both novels.