Theme Of Doubleness In The Great Gatsby

In Gatsby’s mission to attain wealth, power, and status he loses sight of his morals through his “dealings” with various shady people that are rumored to be lucrative and illegal. The extent of Gatsby’s criminal activities is confirmed by Tom Buchanan one hot summer night when Tom shares that Gatsby and “Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores…and sold grain alcohol over the counter,” (133) an illegal venture during prohibition. In addition to Gatsby’s business investments, his obsession with winning Daisy clouds his mind with thoughts of inspiring her to leave her husband and abandoned her child. Nick believes Gatsby would “want nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you,’” (109) and prove her marriage was a sham.

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.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, has been heralded as one of the outstanding novels of the Jazz Age. The characters that Fitzgerald created in this novel were laudable and disreputable. Therefore, these characters in the novel will be contrasted and elucidated.

Gatsby seemed like an anti-social, cold, mysterious man. However, I know a very different man. I know a man whom since young has grew up in poverty as a poor farmer boy. He was an ordinary boy, but he had extraordinary ambitions, ambitions no man of his social stature would dare to even begin assuming. In an unexpected coincidence, while working as a fisher, he met with a Dan Cody, who took him in as a personal assistant. It was through Dan Cody that Mr. Gatsby learnt the ways of luxury and even further solidified his ambition. Before I first took up the job to work with Mr. Gatsby, I was desperate. Desperation … I still recall the days of uncertainty that questioned if I was able to feed my wife and 2 children each day. However, when I was down, so down I almost attempted suicide on the shores, Mr. Gatsby reached out, and turn my life around. Not only did he settle all my financial need, he educated me, gave me a stable job. The fact that I am able to read and speak fluently is a testament to his efforts, and to him I am eternally

Fitzgerald displays Gatsby as man who came from nothing, with an unrelenting passion to obtain material success, or the 1920’s American Dream. Radical transformation was one of Mr. Gatsby’s most outstanding characteristics, taking his desire to change from the once impoverished man to the point of changing his name. Certainly Gatsby possesses admirable traits, as his will power is once again displayed through the longing for his lost love, Daisy. The misconceptions of the time period are illustrated as Fitzgerald displays that Gatsby’s underlying desire for money is to win over Daisy through impressing her with his wealth. Within Adam Cohen’s piece “Jay Gatsby Is a Man for Our Times”, Cohen discusses the worthiness of Gatsby’s goal: “The callow Daisy, whose voice is ‘full of money,’ may not be a worthy goal. But Gatsby’s longing for her, and his willingness to sell his soul to pursue her, are the purest thing in this sordid tale.” Essentially, Fitzgerald demonstrates that Gatsby, nor his relentless will to succeed, are not the issue. It is the time period, along with the misconceptions of a dream, which corrupt the character. Gatsby’s wealth is obtained through unethical ways, like many others who followed the path of easy money. The corruption of bonds does bring Gatsby the wealth he had always longed for, along with extravagant and lavish parties at his mansion. Consequently, we learn that reaching the goal of obtaining wealth ultimately does not lead to

Gatsby’s character is portrayed by Fitzgerald as a tragic hero, as he exhibits many of the same traits. Gatsby, within the realm of the novel is an extremely wealthy man and his wealth translates into high prestige and social status in a society that is separated by wealth and money. Gatsby’s parties are wild and extravagant events where “on the buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors d’oeuvre, spiced baked hams, crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold.”(26 Fitzgerald). His parties exemplify his wealth and prestige in the community making him seem like royalty. This noble stature is his first tragic

“‘Gatsby?’ demanded Daisy. ‘What Gatsby?’”(11). F. Scott Fitzgerald created “The Great Gatsby” with great craft. The reader understands the story through Nick’s eyes. Nick encounters many parties, family gatherings, and a funeral. The scenes are so in depth that the reader feels as if they are reliving the events in Nick’s life. The reader can take out characteristics, thoughts of the society, and themes in each scene that emphasizes the the themes of the book as a whole. Tom’s Character and the way society thinks of Tom leads to the theme of once a cheater, always a cheater. Gatsby’s characteristics and the way society portrays him demonstrates the theme of gossip altering Gatsby’s true qualities.

Fitzgerald lets the reader know that Gatsby is hiding something that he doesn't want anyone to see. Next we see that when Gatsby practically kidnaps Nick to take him to lunch in the ride into town Gatsby is talking to Nick about his background and “I don't like mysteries” Nick said but Gatsby acts as if he's hiding nothing but when he really is (76). Gatsby is a mysterious man who one thing we think about him is a lie but even when we hear it from him something doesn't match up or something is left out or unknown. Gatsby talks about when he was in the war and shows Nick the photograph he had where Gatsby looked out-of-place. When Gatsby talks to a room full of people including Nick he leans more towards Nick to talk to and address more often. When Gatsby tells Nick about his story about his past but Nick isn't buying any of it Gatsby tries to show proof of his past but Nick finds it to be “Threadbare”. However this shows that Gatsby is indeed mysterious because Nick doesn't fully trust Gatsby as a good friend. Also Gatsby’s metals and photograph don't exactly line up with what Gatsby is saying to

Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ is set in America of the 1920’s, a predominantly materialistic society revolving around wealth and status above all else. Fitzgerald depicts this obsession with money and luxury through complicated relationships full of trouble, infidelity and sorrow. The relationships Fitzgerald portrays all symbolize the materialism and hedonism of the age; each relationship is doomed to a certain extent based on the social class of each character.

In addition to juxtaposition, Fitzgerald utilizes setting to depict the vast differences in perception between the two characters, Gatsby and Nick. Fitzgerald creates a surreal atmosphere to reveal the unrealistic extent to which gatsby would go to fill the daisy shaped void of loneliness in his life. Fitzgerald describes the exuberance that is gatsby’s life,The immaculate parties with the influx of people, the grand house, the alcohol, the money, all of which was for Daisy . Gatsby had these spectacular parties, and he bought his house so, “ Daisy would be just across the bay” he did everything just for Daisy, “it wasn’t a coincidence at all” (78). This portrayal of Gatsby’s unrealistic determination to fill this void, yet again shows his

The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, portrays a world filled with rich societal activities, love affairs, and dishonesty. Nick Carraway is the busy narrator of the book, a curious choice considering that he is in a different class and almost in a different world than Gatsby and the other characters. Nick relates the plot of the story to the reader as a part of Gatsby’s circle. He has hesitant feelings towards Gatsby, despising his personality and corrupted dream but feeling drawn to Gatsby’s wonderful ability to hope. Using Nick as an honorable guide, Fitzgerald attempts to guide readers on a journey through the novel to show the corruption and failure of the American Dream. To achieve

Life is not always what it seems, but is constantly fooled by metaphorical masks people wear. The appearance of many of the characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby differs greatly from their actual selves. The use of illusion in the novel is used effectively to portray the nature of people in the 1920 's, and the “artificial” life that is lived in this modern age. There are many incidences in which the appearance of characters is far different than what lurks inside them. Several of these incidences are shown in the appearances of Gatsby himself, Daisy Buchanan, and Gatsby’s true love for Daisy. Gatsby goes through a dramatic transformation from his old self to his new self, even changing his name and buying a faux mansion in

But he firmly decides that Gatsby should not attend the great party of the madam. Willing to attend, Gatsby even express his eagerness of “follow you in my car”. However, when Gatsby is ready and comes out, those three people have already “trotted quickly down the drive disappearing under the August foliage”. What a great satire it is. Fitzgerald is really a great writer. Under his pen, Gatsby’s eagerness of becoming a member of the upper class and the upper class’s refusing attitude has been vividly presented. Judging from the attitude of the upper class, Gatsby could never have the opportunity to enter this class. No matter how hard Gatsby tries, in the essence, he is still a nobody from the lower class. As a result, Gatsby’s “wealth dream” must inevitably been destroyed.

The beginning of the book sees Gatsby as a status of wealth and fame. The reader is, through the first-hand account of the narrator Nick, allowed to have a glimpse into the lavish nature of Gatsby's parties. Fitzgerald uses irony in order to solidify the understanding of the reader as to the nature of Gatsby’s gathering. Referring to Gatsby’s invitation to Nick, it reads“The honor would be entirely Gatsby’s, it said, if I would

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the setting of New York in the nineteen twenties performs an extensive role in the novel. Although the nineteen twenties are a time of economic prosperity, they appear to be a time of corruption and crime as well. In New York, particularly, the nineteen twenties are a time of corruption and moral scarcity. The setting is during the Jazz Age as well, where popularity, fashion, and commerce are a primary inclination. The setting of The Great Gatsby efficaciously portrays the behavior of the characters in The Great Gatsby, as well as the plot and development. The setting assiduously delineates how themes, motifs, and symbols can fluctuate in relation to the time or location. The setting of The