The Great Gatsby Research Report

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I. Introduction

In 1896 F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. After growing up in Minnesota he moved to start a career and marry Zelda, the girl he loved. He published his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920; the novel was a success and Fitzgerald quickly became one of the most famous young writers of the time. “F. Scott Fitzgerald eagerly embraced his newly minted celebrity status and embarked on an extravagant lifestyle that earned him a reputation as a playboy and hindered his reputation as a serious literary writer”(F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography 2). The parties thrown by Jay in The Great Gatsby reflect Fitzgerald’s extravagant lifestyle. Excessive amounts of drinking, large crowds, parties lasting long into the night all took place at one point during Fitzgerald’s life. “F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, were guilty of many things. They were impetuous, they were known to drink too much, and they were prone to bouts of serious depression and self-destructive behavior”(F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Age of Excess).Tom Buchanan and his wife replicate the relationship Fitzgerald had with his wife, and with other women.

II. Characters

Nick Carraway moved from the Midwest to New York to become a bond salesman. Nick lives next to Gatsby in a small, worn bungalow. Nick is more reserved than the other characters in the novel, and states that he has only been drunk twice in his life.

Daisy Buchanan is Nick’s second cousin once removed. She shyly introduces herself when meeting people and has a cheerful attitude. Daisy married Tom Buchanan and they live together in the East Egg.

Tom Buchanan is a rough, serious man. He played polo and became wealthy enough to bu...

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...he pursuit of the American Dream. By placing the setting of the novel in America’s largest, most opportunistic city, the incidences that take place in The Great Gatsby depict the ideals and failures that our nation experiences.

Works Cited

Churchwell, Sarah. "The Great Gatsby and the American Dream." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 26 May 2012. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.

"Colors in The Great Gatsby." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.

"F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Age of Excess." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.

"F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014

"The Jazz Age." The Jazz Age. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. .
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