The Great Gatsby Dichotomy

Stuck in the Past
The Great Gatsby is Frances Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous novel . It is a mirror of the jazz era. The author, with great precision, conveys the spirit of the roaring twenties. However, Fitzgerald does not idealize the attributes of those times. The writer describes the consequences of economic prosperity of the US, prohibition of alcohol, and others. The character of Gatsby goes on to embody the dichotomy between the present and the past as he seems to be holding on to his past memories too closely to grasp the reality in the present. The author endeavors to highlight the thematic content of an impressive past in the novel through Gatsby’s character.
This is the time when the first great massacre of the last century was

The success of the director lies in portraying the drama on the screen as the audience is stirred by the emotions and perspective of the character of Norma Desmond. The entire narrative documents Norma’s unflinching endeavor to regain her previous position of importance. In fact, it can very well be noted that Norma never comes to acknowledge her aging nor does she acknowledge the many changes that the years have brought upon her. As such, when Joe who plays the writer goes on to meet norma inside of her huge mansion for the very first time. After Joe insults her about her flailing career Norma retorts by saying, “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.” He than stated, “You used to be big.” (Wilder

At some point in the story, Nick says, “Almost five years! There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams - not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion” (Fitzgerald 64). In Gatsby’s idealistic perspective Daisy is seen as the epitomic figure of perfection and purity. When Gatsby and Daisy kiss for the very first time, the author goes on to write how if Gatsby “forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God” (Fitzgerald 71). The reader can see that the sacrifice of freedom on the part of Gatsby simply proves the depth of his emotions to regain Daisy’s presence in his life. Just like Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, Gatsby is fixated on the notion of his past life, and cannot think of anything beyond