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The Great Gatsby Setting Analysis

Decent Essays

“The Great Gatsby” F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of “The Great Gatsby” is a famous novelist and is regarded as the greatest American writer for the 20th Century. In this novel Fitzgerald uses a theme of, “The Death of The American Dream”, which takes a big part in this novel. The novelist is using this theme to show how hard the people in that time tried to get the American dream, but many people failed. Fitzgerald depicts “The American Dream” as something that never stays forever through the use of setting, character, and conflict to reinforce the theme. Fitzgerald uses setting in “The Great Gatsby” to show the theme of the death of the American dream. For example, in the novel Nick says, “he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way … I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light”(Fitzgerald 25-26). The quote above shows where the character is and what is he gazing at. Additionally, through setting Fitzgerald symbolizes the green light as hope that is out if one’s grasp. Furthermore, it foreshadows the Death of the American Dream; by mentioning the hope brought by the green light, the writer pre-determines Gatsby’s fate. Furthermore, light is a substance that keeps moving forever, and once it reaches Gatsby it will keep moving past him. Using setting, …show more content…

For instance, in the novel Nick says, “So he gave that up and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away”(Fitzgerald 142). In the quote above, what is being given up on is Gatsby’s love for Daisy. Additionally, it shows the indirect actions of Gatsby, which is giving up on Daisy. This action represents the theme of the death of his American dream by showing that Gatsby’s American dream is incomplete because his love for Daisy has diminished. Through the use of characterization Fitzgerald shows the reader that the American dream will eventually slip

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