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The great gatsby as literature analysis
Analytical essay about the book the great gatsby
The great gatsby as literature analysis
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The Great Gatsby - Reflection of an Era During the 1920's America was a country of great ambition, despair and disappointment. The novel The Great Gatsby is a reflection of this decade, it illustrates the burning passion one man has toward his "American Dream" and the different aspects of the dream. Fitzgerald's work is a reflection of America during his lifetime. The Great Gatsby shows the ambition of one man's reach for his "American Dream," the disappointment of losing this dream and the despair of his loss. In the 1920's the spirit and ambition of the American people soared. Unlike their European counterparts who were trapped in the social class to which they were born, the American people knew that if they worked hard then they could rise to a higher social class. The flappers and the women's liberation movement were just two examples of how Americans expressed their newly discovered social freedom. It seemed that nothing was impossible to achieve. James Gatz, shared the spirit and ambition on the American people and fought long and hard to earn his place in the world. He had dreamed of transforming himself from the poor, young man that he was into the wealthy celebrity that he would soon become. Gatsby, as a child, had a daily schedule that he followed. He knew from childhood that he had to work for his fame. "Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something" (175). Gatsby's ambition lay not only in his future, but as he grew older it would be found in his love. He had an obsession with Daisy Buchanan and tried everything in his power to bring things back to they way they used to be when they first met. He thought he could relive the past. He threw lavish parties to get her attention. He did everything in his power to be near her. " ‘Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay' " (79) He earned his wealth so that they could finally be together. Like Gatsby, the American people of the 1920's followed their hearts, and their ambition. Through World War One, American men fought to save their country and woman fought to win the right to vote. Even in fashion women were liberated, as the hemline on an average skirt was raised.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby many characters are not as they seem. The one character that intrigues me the most is James Gatsby. In the story Gatsby is always thought of as rich, confident, and very popular. However, when I paint a picture of him in my mind I see someone very different. In fact, I see the opposite of what everyone portrays him to be. I see someone who has very little confidence and who tries to fit in the best he can. There are several scenes in which this observation is very obvious to me. It is clear that Gatsby is not the man that everyone claims he is.
The division between East and West is a significant theme in The Great Gatsby. The author has projected the historical East/West division of the States on the division of class and society in the 20th century.
The 1920’s were a time of growth and innovation. The workforce was getting bigger, women finally had the right to vote, and African Americans started to integrate and migrate from the south to the north looking for jobs. The result was a larger working class and the creation of a new, middle class. Society became more consumer-based, allotting for more leisure time. Times could not get any better. Business was booming, America was turning into a world power, skyscrapers dotted the skylines, and a new music started to sweep the nation. However, not everything was good. There was a huge spike in crime, and the heroes of society were also the biggest criminals. Due to Jazz Age and prohibition, the 1920’s were an intense time period with a newfound drive for innovation, the new woman, and a loss of structure.
Gatsby spent his whole life striving for one thing. The American Dream, which for him is mainly dominated by Daisy. In chapter nine of the book you can see that Gatsby started striving to meet the American Dream at young age. The reader learns of a book of Gatsby's. He has his everyday routine planned out in this book. Things like "Read one improving book or magazine per week." Show That Gatsby wants to improve himself to a point where he can succeed. That isn't all Gatsby did to improve his chances of success though. He even went to the extent of changing his name from James Gatz, to Jay Gatsby in an attempt to create a new, successful man that people could admire.
After the heavy stresses of WWI, many young soldiers returned home with a need to feel alive again. With the war over and the American economy growing, many US citizens found themselves with money, time, and new ways of expressing themselves. Over one long, prosperous decade, United States grew and changed drastically. The younger generations turned the societal norms of their forefathers on their heads and women began to take large steps away from their stereotyped lifestyle. There were movements in art, music, writing, and politics, as well as an introduction of new cars and machines. With changes in constitutional laws, public ideas, and everyday ideals, the 1920s are considered some of the most pivotal times in the history of the United States.
Early drafts of the novel entitled Trimalchio: An Early Version of The Great Gatsby have been published. A notable difference between the Trimalchio draft and The Great Gatsby is a less complete failure of Gatsby's dream in Trimalchio. Another difference is that the argument between Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby is more even, although Daisy still returns to Tom.
Brew, Charl Anne. “The language of Stained-Glass Windows.” Arts & Activities 148.2 (2010): 30. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
He criticizes the worsening of family structure by choosing characters that have little or no value of the bond accepted during marriage. He questions the power that accompanies wealth, and reveals the shallow values of the era. Finally, Fitzgerald denounces the pursuing of an American Dream, suggesting that it is unattainable, and merely a fantasy fuelled by the urge to fulfill it. However, he acknowledges its importance to American society. The Great Gatsby is not considered the great American novel solely because it criticizes the lifestyles of the 1920’s, instead, it can be considered a success because it reveals the true meaning of pursuing an American Dream. It presents the idea that an American Dream is not a dream of prosperity, but a dream of perseverance, because the dream will always “beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (172)
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, pulls away the curtain and with immense detail portrays the ugly and ignorance of the people and life during the 1920’s. It shrouds light on early America in a corruptive and dishonest time. The American Dream had now been crooked and fraudulent as cheap liquor, huge parties, loosely hung morals, and money beyond dreams was a new way of life. This desire for wealth had caused citizens to be lost and lose control, throwing money left and right.
...ous and unaware of what is going on but in some unusual circumstances the person can recall the events with certain stimuli such as hypnosis. Also explicit memory is what is most recognized because the patient is completely conscious or just enough that they can remember exactly what happened after the surgery was completed (p. 3).
In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald many of the characters could not be classified as a truly moral, a person who exhibits goodness or correctness in their character and behavior. Nick Carraway is not moral by any means; he is responsible for an affair between two major characters, Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Jay Gatsby does show some moral qualities when he attempts to go back and rescue Myrtle after she had been hit by Daisy. Overall Gatsby is unquestionably an immoral person. Nick Carraway and Gatsby share many immoral characteristics, but a big choice separates the two. Daisy Buchanan is an extremely immoral person; she even went to the lengths of taking someone's life. Jay and Daisy are similar but Daisy is borderline corrupt. The entire story is told through Nick Carraway's point of view and by his carelessness it is obvious the narrator possesses poor values.
Considered as the defining work of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925, when America was just coming out of one of the most violent wars in the nation’s history. World War 1 had taken the lives of many young people who fought and sacrificed for our country on another continent. The war left many families without fathers, sons, and husbands. The 1920s is an era filled with rich and dazzling history, where Americans experienced changes in lifestyle from music to rebellion against the United States government. Those that were born into that era grew up in a more carefree, extravagant environment that would affect their interactions with others as well as their attitudes about themselves and societal expectations.
The Gods made three frustrated attempts to create mankind. In the first attempt to create humans, they used mud, though this failed because the...
Many citizens migrated into the cities together with their families to find work in the factories. Some of the migrants found life in the city very liberating. The reality, however, was quite grim for most...
There are several alcoholic beverages that are staples of Austrian culture. Austrians typically enjoy pale lager beers only. Austria's regions are known for the wine grapes that they grow, and Vienna is the only European capital that grows wine grapes within its city limits (Our Wine). Each region in Vienna grows a different kind of wine grape and is known for the wine that those grapes produce. Popular in Austria is the pre-wine juice taken from wine production or after a harvest season. These drinks are semi-fermented and still hold on to the original flavor of the fruit's juice. It is traditional that, at the end of a meal, an Austrian schnapps is served and drank (Producers & Market).