The Queer Reading Of Nick Gatsby

Throughout The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals more and more rumors about Gatsby and what he has done. However, this all just speculation, as nobody knows the real truth behind Gatsby. Therefore, Gatsby is best represented by the color black. Grok describes black as “the color of mystery, of things not yet revealed.” There is definitely a mystery surrounding Gatsby regarding his past.. His party-goers tend to be the ones that concoct and spread these rumors: “‘he killed a man once’… ‘it’s more that he was a German spy during the war’” (44). Gatsby is generally a reclusive character; he tends not to tell others much about his personal life. The party-goers (generally rich) speculate about how he has the money entertain all of these

Despite rarely (if ever) being talked about in older classic novels, homosexuals, bisexuals, and all different types of sexualities have always existed. They weren't as clearly labeled as they are nowadays, but they have always been there. The feelings were usually suppressed, never talked about outright, because of fear of persecution. Times have changed since nineteen twenty five when The Great Gatsby was published. Since sexualities are more accepted and seen as normal human behavior, it is common to recognize these things in all works, even ones published years ago. Many people have come to agree, myself included, that Nick Carraway was in love with Jay Gatsby. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the wonders of parties,

The line of attack we use in order to identify individuals around us is an intriguing thing. Our perception is forever shifting, forever building, and affected not only by the person’s actions, but by the actions of those around them. In Scott F. Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby Nick Caraway’s perception of Jay Gatsby is always changing. All the way through the novel, Nick’s perception of Gatsby changes from him perceived as a rich chap, to a man that lives in the past, to a man trying to achieve his aspirations but has failed.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, is the story of the idiosyncratic millionaire Jay Gatsby. It is narrated by Nick Carraway, a Midwesterner from Long Island who later moves to Manhattan. Gatsby’s life is organized around one desire, Daisy, the woman he loved. This desire leads him on an expedition from poverty to wealth, reuniting with his old love, and his eventual death. In his novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald is able to portray the American Dream where people seek out self-gratification and pleasure. He captures the romance of the roaring twenties with the cars, money, illegal alcohol and the wildest parties one could imagine. Much like the character, Jay Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), wasn’t born into the upper class. While Gatsby is from the lower class, Fitzgerald from the middle class, both end up becoming exceptionally rich, fall into the wildest and reckless life, and use their fortunes to win the love and approval of the women they once loved.

Throughout human history, race has been an integral part in understanding how humans interact. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is no different. During the 1920s, race relations were much different compared to today. In The Great Gatsby, the story is presumably dominated by the Caucasian race. Also, Tom seems to represent some the racial ideology of the time period. It is very possible that Jay Gatsby was in fact African-American in The Great Gatsby. We can see this by his mannerisms and the way he interacts with other characters.

Dreams are a compelling force in people’s lives. They are what propel them forward each and every day in an effort to reach something better. The American Dream has been sought after by millions all over the world for hundreds of years. This country was founded on the belief that anyone could achieve their dreams. However, in the 1920s these hopes and aspirations began to splinter until they ultimately shattered. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism, setting, and theme to depict the unattainability of the American Dream.

, the rights of African Americans were limited and were segregated from whites, which constantly reminded African Americans their position in the era of prosperity and new freedoms. In the novel The Great Gatsby, Tom and Gatsby dispute into an argument, Tom erupts into a rant “Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life institutions and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white”( Fitzgerald 137). Demonstrating the greater atmosphere the era possessed and the ethnic discrimination colored people faced in this society, revealing that race and ethnicity had a negative influence in the twenties, as many people had racist ideologies that kept the races separated and colored people were thought to be less than the others, another reference in the novel The Great Gatsby, demonstrates the prejudice that Nick reveals, as Nick and Gatsby are driving over the Queensboro Bridge, Gatsby is passed by a hearse and a limousine “A limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish negroes”(Fitzgerald 73). It reveals the mindset of people in the 1920s, and the idea that colored people could have not be wealthy, and the position they held during this era, demonstrating the segregation African Americans and whites held in society, and Nick cannot grasp the idea of another race moving towards in society, as colored people faced prejudice .The Roaring

Gatsby. Penguin, 2014. Print. This novel is an investigation of a double murder that happened quickly after F. Scott Fitzgerald’s return to New York. With evidence from newspapers, letters, and newly found archives, the author describes the new opinions of the readers of The Great Gatsby. The author then interweaved both stories with the hope to solve the mysteries of a murder and the success behind Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. As the author does this, she compares and contrasts the events of the book and the murder to one another.This is a credible source because the author found many direct sources from the time era,

“Writers consistently use novels as a lens through which they scrutinise society.” To what extent do you agree with this view?

The Great Gatsby follows Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in 1922, an era of loosening morals, jazz and bootlegging. Chasing his own American Dream Nick ends up living next door to a mysterious, party throwing millionaire, Jay Gatsby and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan. Throughout the novel there is a theme of Racism and Anti-Semitism. Racism and Anti-Semitism in the 1920s will greatly influence the ideas of Tom Buchanan and Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby.

Gatsby’s aspirations reflect the time period. The “Roaring Twenties”, as it is called, was a period of prosperity, and the Americans were obsessed with acquiring wealth, and thought that “those who have wealth should be splendid, happy people”

In a coming of age story, a character must look back on his or her youth and say goodbye. Nick Carraway comes to Long Island as an almost 30 year-old man who prides himself on the fact that he is a non-judgmental person. However, after his experiences he is no longer the same person he was before his 30th birthday. Along with turning 30, Nick’s experiences allow him to see past the illusions of the upper class lifestyle. Initially, Nick was intrigued by the glitz and glamour that accompanied the lives of Tom and Daisy. Slowly but surely, he matures out of his infatuation and comes to several realizations about himself and those around him. Fitzgerald initially presents Nick as a trustworthy character who reserves judgment and is unaffected by others. This first impression provides a meaningful contrast for Nick’s final opinions. After an unforgettable summer, Nick matures into a different person and has several judgments to make towards the people of East and West Egg.

As the plot progresses and the character is exposed to the conflict, they have an epiphany that ultimately changes his perspectives and persona.

One of the other mentions of race comes a few paragraphs later; on page 69, Nick says, “a limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish negroes.” This further proves the point that Gatsby is not an irregularity in Manhattan. The passengers of the limousine obviously

Jay Gatsby and Quentin Compson come from very different families, but they are similar in more ways than expected. There are a few differences between the two, such as their personalities and upbringings, but their similarities are worth examining. Gatsby and Quentin both have an obsessions with the past, a woman that they love, as well as a desire to solely possess this woman. By considering these characters from Sound and the Fury and The Great Gatsby together, important life lessons can be learned. There is no way to recapture the past, despite the amount of effort that is exerted to do so and some dreams are not worth pursuing if they are impractical.