F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

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Inheritance of money from previous family members is the starting point for the main characters in ‘A Thousand Acres’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’ because it leads to their future wealth and education. Not always does one get their wealth handed down to them, instead through hard, sometimes illegal work, and patience. While wealth and education says a lot about a person and puts them in their “class”, wealth and greed can destroy a person and even an entire family. Having all the money in the world doesn’t save Jay Gatsby or Tom and Daisy Buchannan. When Ginny and Rose received inherited property from their father, Larry Cook, hoping to bring his family together, but instead set off a ticking time bomb of separation within their family. All the money in the world can’t keep someone alive or keep a family together, so why is there such a drive to live on the extreme pursuit of happiness and American dream?
In The Great Gatsby, a monumental difference between Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby is how they came about their money. Tom, an infamous football player, came from a long line of money that he eventually inherited from a long family line. “His family were enormously wealthy— even in college his freedom with money was a matter for reproach— but now he’d left Chicago and come East in a fashion that rather took your breath away; for instance, he’d brought down a string of polo ponies from Lake Forest. It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that”
(Fitzgerald 6). This inherited money came along with other advantages for Tom who had also received a strong line of personal connections. Unlike Tom, Jay Gatsby had to earn his wealth. Although unknown how he came about so much money in just a short time, sev...

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...olteacher for a short time until she returned back to the farm with Pete. Ginny married Ty at the young age of 19 and became a housewife. When their mother died, Caroline was left to be raised by her two older sisters who made sure she left the farm to further her education at college where she would later become a lawyer. When Ty and Pete take over the farm, greed takes over and suddenly the one thousand acres are not suitable to the new owners. Large loans are taken out to increase the value of the property by adding state of the art hog sheds and bigger silos. Although the money is borrowed, to the unseen eye one would think the new addition meant they had a good year and were now rolling in the dough and were showing off just how much they could afford. Instead of inherited wealth in A Thousand Acres, they inherited knowledge of how to keep the farm prospering.

Compare And Contrast Tom Buchanan And Jay Gatsby
739 Words | 2 Pages
Jay Gatsby is very different from Tom Buchanan, even with the smallest things. They may both be wealthy, but the difference with that being is Gatsby worked for his money, he worked to get all the things he has. For instance, in the novel, “The Great Gatsby”, Gatsby says, “It took me just three years to earn the money that bought it (pg 90).” He is selfless and caring, he would rather give than take. For example, in the novel, “The Great Gatsby”, Gatsby proves my point, by sending a girl who had torn her dress at the party, a new dress that was over a hundred
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F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
727 Words | 2 Pages
Crossing the porch where we had dined that June night three months before, I came to a small rectangle of light which I guessed was the pantry window. The blind was drawn, but I found a rift at the sill.
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Essay On Same Goal, Different Route In The Great Gatsby
621 Words | 2 Pages
As a young man, Jay Gatsby was poor with nothing but his love for Daisy. He had attempted to woe her, but a stronger attraction to money led her to marry another man. This did not stop Gatsby’s goal of winning this woman for himself though, and he decided to improve his life anyway he could until he could measure up to Daisy’s standards. He eventually gained connections in what would seem to be the wrong places, but these gave him the opportunity he needed to "get rich quick." Gatsby’s enormous desire for Daisy controlled his life to the point that he did not even question the immorality of the dealings that he involved himself in to acquire wealth. Eventually though, he was able to afford a "castle" in a location where he could pursue Daisy effectively. His life ambition had successfully moved him to the top of the "new money" class of society, but he lacked the education of how to promote his wealth properly. Despite the way that Gatsby flaunted his money, he did catch Daisy’s attention. A chaotic affair followed for a while until Daisy was overcome by pressures from Gatsby to leave her husband and by the realization that she belonged to "old money" and a more proper society.
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Jay Gatsby is a Sympathetic Character in Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby
591 Words | 2 Pages
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby provides the reader with a unique outlook on the life of the newly rich. Gatsby is an enigma and a subject of great curiosity, furthermore, he is content with a lot in life until he strives too hard. His obsession with wealth, his lonely life and his delusion allow the reader to sympathize with him.
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F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
1437 Words | 3 Pages
The Value of Jay Gatsby Jay Gatsby, who is one of the main characters of the Great Gatsby, is a man with a mysterious background and an unknown personality. He doesn't mention too much about his past except certain fabricated highlights of his life which were designed to impress others. The strange and humorous thing is that he carries articles of evidence that back up most of his lies to prove that he isn't lying. Gatsby is also the kind of man that is used to getting what he wants no matter what the consequences are, causing him to be a very determined man that once has an idea in his mind won't let it go until he accomplishes it. The things that Jay Gatsby values the most is money, to impress others and gain acceptance and most of all, having things his own way.
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Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
1040 Words | 3 Pages
Toady a new patient came in named Nick Carraway. Carraway is a struggling bond salesman that just moved next to that big place on the island, Gatsby’s place. He seems to like his new home, but he often talks about how the homesickness he feels is relating back to his fathers conduct. "Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope. I am still a little afraid of missing something if I forget that, as my father snobbishly suggested and I snobbishly repeat, a sense of fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth"(Fitzgerald 6). It kind of struck me how Carraway’s attitude could be shaped by a simple code of conduct. He began to talk about how this person eluded some moral standards. "I wanted to no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart . Only Gastby, was exempt from my reaction"(6). He said that he gave this a reason because Gatsby was, basically, everything Carraway hoped to be. I thought a while before I gave my reply. I explained to him that life was about how rich a man was in experience, not how much material he has. He kind of shrugged it off like it was a cheap psychiatrist line. The more he told me about Gastby, it seemed the more he felt he needed to emulate him. He then began to talk of a Mr. Tom Buchannan. Tom was not to Carraway’s liking. He seemed harsh and too masculine to have any relation in Nick’s life. Nick is simple, innocent, and he is just starting out. From what he has told me about him, Tom seems to be a bigot of sorts, not to fond of Nick’s existence in this side of town at all. How does tom fit in to all this, I asked myself. Tom is Daisy’s husband; Daisy is Nick’s cousin. Kind of confusing, eh? Carraway started to finish up the session with a story of how he and Tom took a trip to Manhattan. On the way they stopped at Wilson’s Gas Station to meet "Tom’s girl." I was shocked by this finding. Nick carried a new burden upon his shoulders. Should he tell Daisy about they affair? I told him not to worry and to wait until next week.
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Fitzgerald & Jay
619 Words | 2 Pages
F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jay Gatsby both experience wealth in their lives. Gatsby and Fitzgerald believed in the American Dream, having money, power, and the woman they love the most. “F. Scott Fitzgerald was indoctrinated early with a belief in the American Dream”(Hickey). Gatsby and Fitzgerald both stopped worrying about having enough money, when they got money. “Fitzgerald’s money worries were temporarily alleviated”(Gidmark). Like Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby experiences wealth. In Chapter 7, Gatsby said “Her voice is full of money,”(Fitzgerald 120) Daisy loved Gatsby for his money and his house as well as Zelda did Fitzgerald. In the novel, Gatsby said, “I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West-all dead now. I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford, because all my ancestors have been educated there for many years. It is a family tradition”(Fitzgerald 65). Fitzgerald moved and learned of inheritance and earning money on his own. That’s how he became so wealthy, same as Gatsby. Clearly Fitzgerald draws on his own experiences to create such a life-like character, Jay Gatsby, who has a spitting-charisma as Fitzgerald who some readers can also relate to.
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F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
1422 Words | 3 Pages
According to the dictionary, the definition of dissatisfaction is the quality or state of being unhappy or discontent. Dissatisfaction is a disease that theoretically knows no prejudices, has no cure, and almost everyone has it. This is a global epidemic, that can destroy a man in the time it takes to snap your fingers. Physically most people will be alright but discontent will rot you to the core on the inside. Unfortunately, not being content seems to be a very common part of society today and in the past. The theme of not be satiated by life is especially seen in the famous novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. All the characters in this novel seemingly have achieved the american dream but they are all unhappy and never get what they really want in the end. Also, no character is satisfied with their marriage, with love, and with life in general. They are all unhappy with their lives and they destroy the lives of others in order to satisfy themselves. The Great Gatsby teaches us that even being wealthy and powerful, people can still be dissatisfied and will do anything in order to be happy. Therefore, despite believing that we have it all, dissatisfaction still plagues the human spirit.
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Great Gatsby Essay
652 Words | 2 Pages
In the Great Gatsby, we are faced with two extremely wealthy men, a beautiful wife, and a mistress. Jay Gatsby, a very mysterious man, who is extremely wealthy and well known for his parties, is very interesting as well as spontaneous. Tom Buchanan, a man made wealthy by being a professional polo player as well as having a gracious inheritance, is very bitter and somewhat cynical. Daisy, a beautiful young lady and the wife of Tom, is very light hearted but is also in love with Gatsby, almost as much as she loves Tom’s money.
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Greed in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
479 Words | 1 Pages
Gatsby and Greed In this day and age, money is a very important asset to have. One needs to have at least enough to live on, though great amounts are preferable. In The Great Gatsby, by Thomas F. Fitzgerald, having a large amount of money is not enough. It is also the way you acquire the money that matters.
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F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
705 Words | 2 Pages
In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Daisy Miller by Henry James, most of the characters are under illusions during the majority of the plot. The plots are carried out with the characters living under these illusions, which are mainly overcome by the ends of the stories. The disillusionment of most of the characters completely diminishes the foundation in which the plots were built upon, leading to the downfall of some of the main characters and the altering of the other characters.
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Themes of Love and Money in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
678 Words | 2 Pages
Fitzgerald discusses the desire for material possessions in The Great Gatsby by explaining the fact that Americans judge people by the possessions and the money they have. For example people pictured Tom as a god because of his wealth. Because of his wealth he could commit crimes, have affairs, cover up stories all by being wealthy. Nick explains “They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the mess” (Fitzgerald 187). Wealth allowed Tom and Daisy to feel entitled to do as they pleased. They reveled in the fact that they were well known and talked about by people. “Did you keep it…? Sure I did. I was going to wear it tonight, but it was too big in the bust and had to...
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Comparing Wealth in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
1252 Words | 3 Pages
Despite the amount of property and money that Jay Gatsby acquired, he was not old money, thus, not worth Daisy risking her place in society.. Gatsby thought that having wealth would guarantee Daisy to be his again. His naivety about Daisy seemed childish, but in Gatsby wealth is hugely important to the characters. Despite the completely different settings of Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Great Gatsby, wealth affects the characters in many similar ways, including their happiness and success in their relationships. The relationships that the characters have are, despite not being based off of wealth, affected greatly by the lack or surplus of wealth.
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Similarities Between Cat On A Hot Tin Roof And The Great Gatsby
1131 Words | 3 Pages
Much like in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, society treats views and treats people with money differently than those without it. For example, Tom and Daisy get away with the death of Tom’s mistress because of their wealth “His family was enormously wealthy – even in collage his freedom with money was a matter for reproach” (Fitzgerald,23). Further the reason that Daisy had not married Gatsby all those years ago was because he was poor, it was not until he had an enormous house and lots of money “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me” (Fitzgerald ,367). It was not until Gatsby became wealthy did Daisy want to marry him “After she was free, they were to go back to Louisville and be married from her house” (Fitzgerald, 311). Moreover, Gatsby’s own personal success was based on how Daisy perceived his house “He hadn’t once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well loved eyes.” (Fitzgerald, 260). Critic Karielle Stephanie Gam agrees with this view of success “His wealth is never cloaked; from the mansion, to the weekly parties, to the countless dress shirts and expensive cars, it is evident that Gatsby is rich as sin and is initially, though his inclusion in the nouveau riche, the epitome of the American dream.” (Karielle Stephanie
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Social Mobility in The Great Gatsby
595 Words | 2 Pages
The origin of wealth is a key factor for deciding which social class each character in The Great Gatsby belong to. Jay Gatsby is the character who made the greatest social mobility. The other characters use him for his parties and hospitality but they do not consider him as an equal. This is something that is evident particularly on page 66 in the novel when Gatsby tells his story to Nick Carraway, the novel's narrator, and Nick describes Gatsby's phrases as so threadbare they lack credibility. No matter how much money Gatsby makes he is never going to be good enough for either Daisy or the other characters.
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F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Compare And Contrast Tom Buchanan And Jay Gatsby