Examples Of Individualism In The Great Gatsby

Within the United States of America—the great "melting pot," the land of opportunity, the incredibly promising nation of mixed people of all races, cultures, and classes—emerges a vehement drive in the individual to be recognized and commended. However, what constitutes a true individual? In a sense, every person is an "individual”—one who is single; separate (Merriam-Webster)—by nature of his or her eye color, race, or personal interests. However, true individualism is far more complex than a simple difference in fingerprint patterns or unique DNA sequences. Only the dauntless few who choose to set themselves apart by recognizing, celebrating, and exploiting their own differences are truly American individuals. This principle is illustrated

Written in 1925, The Great Gatsby recounts the lives of several New Yorkers during the “Jazz Age,” a time of flourishing economic prosperity in the United States. While the novel begins with a portrayal of the main character as an enigmatic, mysterious man, it is later discovered that he, Jay Gatsby, is a spectacularly prosperous gentleman who is desperately trying to win back the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. However, Daisy is married to the arrogant and also wealthy Tom Buchanan. In an effort to attract Daisy’s attention and rekindle their love, Gatsby uses his extreme wealth to throw extravagant parties each weekend. Through the exploitation of his material wealth, Gatsby shows a remarkable individualistic trait: perseverance to gain that wealth, as well as perseverance to gain Daisy’s attention. However, this is not necessarily done in an honest manner. In the later part of the novel, it is learned that Gatsby earned his fortune by illegal means, which Tom Buchanan reveals during a heated argument: “He [Gatsby] and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him and I wasn’t far wrong” (Fitzgerald 133). While Gatsby clearly does not earn his fortune in an honest manner, he still constitutes an

Born on February 1, 1902, around the same time as Hurston, Hughes was a prominent African American poet who helped establish Negro cultural identity during the Harlem Renaissance. Spanning the time period of the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance was a prosperous time for African American literature, music, and entertainment. Hughes is especially individualistic in his particular writing style; he does not try to recreate the same patterns of the white poets that he had learned about in school, as do other poets of the time. Rather, he incorporated aspects of African American speech, as well as musical elements that included syncopation (a characteristic rhythm that accents the weaker beat rather than a stronger one), improvisation, and heavy accents—all of which are derived from bebop jazz music. In his 1945 poem, “I, Too,” Hughes acknowledges racial discrimination and provides a solution for overcoming inequality. He states that, “I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes, but I laugh, and eat well, and grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table…Nobody’ll dare say to me, ‘eat in the kitchen’…They’ll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed. I, too, am America” (Hughes 925). By stating that the African American can grow strong even while being suppressed by whites, Hughes inspires countless African Americans by giving them hope of one day