F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the tragic story of two star-crossed lovers. Fitzgerald uses the Roaring Twenties as the setting of this novel. The twenties were a time of promiscuity, new money, and a significant amount of illegal alcohol. Fitzgerald was a master of his craft and there was often more to the story than just the basic plot. He could intertwine political messages and a gripping story flawlessly. In the case of The Great Gatsby, he not only chronicles a love story, but also uses the opportunity to express his opinion on topics such as moral decay, crass materialism, individual ethics, and the American dream. In The Great Gatsby Gatsby acquires all of his wealth so that in his mind he will be good enough for Daisy. Daisy never disagrees with this assumption and also has a very wealthy husband, leading one to believe that money is as important to her as other aspects of her partners. This crass materialism is still quite present today, perhaps even more so than it was then. If you look at many of the current wealthy and successful people of today you’ll regularly see someone who hasn’t done anything to contribute to society or even their own personal fortune. This idea is even reinforced by news outlets, an author from CNN stated, “For a variety of reasons, men earn more money than women, it's a wise move to marry someone who can provide for you and your family.”(Wakeman). These types of statements only serve to fortify the belief that poor boys can’t marry rich girls. The novel shows how the rich can often shirk their own responsibilities, and do unethical things in the interest of self-preservation. Daisy hits Myrtle with Gatsby’s car and doesn’t even stop. She never feels a personal responsibility to... ... middle of paper ... ...lt;http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/07/06/tf.marrying.for.money/index.html?_s=PM:LIVING>. Lockridge, Ernest. Twentieth century interpretations of The great Gatsby: a collection of critical essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1968. Print. Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925 Adams, James . "What is The American Dream?" Library of Congress. Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/american-dream/students/thedream.html. Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Views: F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Yen, Hope. "Most Americans See Strong Conflicts Between Rich And Poor, Pew Finds." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Jan. 2012. 17Apr. 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/11/rich-and-poor-conflict_n_1199747.html.

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