The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

1071 Words3 Pages

Recommended: Is the great gatsby realistic

In Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, Thoreau talks about his experiences dining with the wealthy. He speaks about how they have no hospitality and all they talk about is money. Thoreau says, “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth” (436). Thoreau is stating how he would rather have truth than money. The characters in the Great Gatsby want exactly the opposite as Thoreau. Where he wants truth all they want is money. They want to hide their problems behind their money and enjoy the carefree activities of the rich and famous. The Roaring 20’s was a time of carefree enjoyment. However, what is often over looked is how those who indulged themselves refused to accept the consequences of their actions. Instead, they hid behind their shield of money, which gave them the freedom and privilege to live a careless, and sometimes-unscrupulous lifestyle. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the wild parties and other unruly actions of the rich to show how the more money one has in a society, the more privilege and freedom they have to get away with immoral and unethical things.
The privilege of the rich is illustrated through the relationships of the main characters. Daisy Buchanan and Gatsby were formerly lovers but they had not seen each other for almost five years. Their relationship ended suddenly when Gatsby left to go to war. Shortly after their relationship ended, Daisy became engaged to a young man who is extremely rich, Tom Buchanan. Jordan, a friend of Daisy’s in discussion with Nick Gatsby’s neighbor and Daisy’s cousin, tells a story about what happened with Daisy after Gatsby left for war:
By the next autumn she was gay again, gay as ever. She had a debut after the Armistice, and i...

... middle of paper ...

...om never experienced the repercussions for her actions because she and Tom used their money to once again to free themselves from hardship.
It doesn’t matter if the character is from old wealth like Tom and Daisy, or new wealth like Gatsby, money gives him or her the ability to be reckless, and buy his or her way out of the situation, as powerful members of the community. The main characters in The Great Gatsby have this mobility, and are constantly in situations showing, bad judgment, and immoral behavior. Fitzgerald’s shows the headstrong, and unruly actions of the rich through the relationships between his characters, wild parties, and through the freedom they have to get away with immoral.

Works Cited
Fitzgerald. F. Scott, The Great Gatsby, New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.
Henry David Thoreau, Walden, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Company. 1910. Print

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
377 Words | 1 Pages
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, the pursuit of the American dream in a corrupt period is a central theme. This theme exemplifies itself in the downfall of Gatsby. In a time of disillusionment the ideals of the American dream are lost. The classic American dream is one of materialism and when Gatsby incorporates Daisy, a human being, into the dream he is doomed to fail.
Read More
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
953 Words | 2 Pages
“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10). “The Great Gatsby” by F.Scott Fitzgerald tells a tragic tale of materialistic wealth, and uses the colors green, yellow, and blue to convey wealth, hope and unhappiness, respectively, in this classic tale; hope being Gatsby’s saving grace and his ruination.
Read More
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
878 Words | 2 Pages
Back in the roaring twenties America was seeing such world-changing phenomenons such as The Great Gatsby, and penicillin, but what took the world by surprise was none other than Walt Disney and his lovable creation, Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney, throughout his entire lifetime and career, always had an idea, a spark, and a way to make things better. Even in the face of tough times, he never failed to keep his optimistic attitude and kind faith in humanity from infecting those around him. A major part of his success was due to the technological innovations that revolutionized the film industry.
Read More
Money and Corruption in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
1745 Words | 4 Pages
During the time in our country's history called the roaring twenties, society had a new obsession, money. Just shortly after the great depression, people's focus now fell on wealth and success in the economic realm. Many Americans would stop at nothing to become rich and money was the new factor in separation of classes within society. Wealth was a direct reflection of how successful a person really was and now became what many people strived to be, to be rich. Wealth became the new stable in the "American dream" that people yearned and chased after all their lives. In the novel entitled the great Gatsby, the ideals of the so called American dream became skewed, as a result of the greediness and desires of the main characters to become rich and wealthy. These character placed throughout the novel emphasize the true value money has on a persons place in society making wealth a state of mind.
Read More
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
1231 Words | 3 Pages
Lust is a desire that can drive an individual to go to all extents, just to get what they wish for. Literature is very broad in the way that it is available to everyone and can help us gain knowledge in many different aspects. In my opinion, I believe that literature is about gaining knowledge about a certain event and being able to connect with the story and relate the situations to what is actually happening in reality. I also think that literature can cause people to form different opinions that can end up being very eye opening when things are looked at from a different perspective. As a class, we read a variety of stories, all with different types of knowledge and opinions associated with them. The two stories that stood out to me were The Great Gatsby and “The Cask of Amontillado.” In these two stories the general message is lust and how lust can take over one’s body and the way they live their life.
Read More
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
1108 Words | 3 Pages
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses on the lifestyle of a group of people who will do anything to accomplish their goals. The characters go through different changes that come to affect their life decisions and will cause them to lie, sacrifice and feel lonely in their lives. They live the American dream and have power but chase a dream that would affect and change their lifestyles. They judge and discriminate against one another not knowing they have a certain symbol in common in their lives. Their desire to accomplish their goals became a type of new life to the characters.
Read More
The Importance Of The American Dream In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
1582 Words | 4 Pages
It’s been ingrained into the fabric of society that to be truly happy in life, one needs to be wealthy. The characters in The Great Gatsby show this is not always the case, and that wealth is not always as important as one would believe. Society has always placed a significant importance on being rich, being wealthy. It makes one believe that being wealthy is the only true way to live a happy and fulfilling life. With this in mind, many readers are going to look at the characters in The Great Gatsby, such as Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan, and fantasize about one day living the lifestyle that they live. While many characters in The Great Gatsby would appear from the outside to be living the American Dream, it what lies underneath this image of
Read More
The Great Gatsby: Chasing Dreams
715 Words | 2 Pages
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells the story of a man of meager wealth who chases after his dreams, only to find them crumble before him once he finally reaches them. Young James Gatz had always had dreams of being upper class, he didn't only want to have wealth, but he wanted to live the way the wealthy lived. At a young age he ran away from home; on the way he met Dan Cody, a rich sailor who taught him much of what he would later use to give the world an impression that he was wealthy. After becoming a soldier, Gatsby met an upper class girl named Daisy - the two fell in love. When he came back from the war Daisy had grown impatient of waiting for him and married a man named Tom Buchanan. Gatsby now has two coinciding dreams to chase after - wealth and love. Symbols in the story, such as the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock, the contrast between the East Egg and West Egg, and the death of Myrtle, Gatsby, and Wilson work together to expose a larger theme in the story. Gatsby develops this idea that wealth can bring anything - status, love, and even the past; but what Gatsby doesn't realize is that wealth can only bring so much, and it’s this fatal mistake that leads to the death of his dreams.
Read More
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.
Read More
The American Dream in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
1085 Words | 3 Pages
.... (Parkinson 96) This kind of so-called rebellious lifestyle encompasses a part of Gatsby; the part that put ultimate wealth as a life goal and as a way to Daisy. This depiction of Gatsby’s battle for the girl proves that Fitzgerald’s view towards wealth had to have been influenced by the time period he lived in. It also demonstrates the emptiness of values and morals that were so common amongst the majority of the population at that time. This lifestyle spread like a virus to most people because it promised a happy life while being the social norm at the time. It not only included wealth as a goal but sex and women played a crucial role in the average American dream during the 1920’s. For, “wealth and sex are closely related in this vicious and greedy world of plunder, which renders life meaningless by denying any altruism in human endeavor” (Parkinson 110).
Read More
The Rich and The Poor in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
587 Words | 2 Pages
The Great Gatsby “The Great Gatsby”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, depicts the vast social difference between the old aristocrats, the new self-made rich and the poor. He vividly interprets the social stratification during the roaring twenties as each group has their own problems to deal with. Old Money, who have fortunes dating from the 19th century, have built up powerful and influential social connections, and tend to hide their wealth and superiority behind a veneer of civility. The New Money made their fortunes in the 1920s boom and therefore have no social connections and tend to overcompensate for this lack with lavish displays of wealth. As usual, the No Money gets overlooked by the struggle at the top, leaving them forgotten or ignored.
Read More
Gender Roles In The Great Gatsby
967 Words | 2 Pages
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel that displays the representation of social classes in the early 1900s. Moreover, New Money is represented by Gatsby, who acquired his new found fortune by bootlegging alcohol throughout the Prohibition of Alcohol in 1920. Gatsby is not allowed to live his life carelessly due to the fact that he obtained his wealth and at one point was considered ‘a penniless young man’. On the contrary, Old money is represented by Daisy and Tom Buchanan, who were both born with their enormous wealth. The Buchanans are entitled to living a carefree life because they have enough money to do whatever they please.
Read More
Examples Of Carelessness In The Great Gatsby
424 Words | 1 Pages
Throughout The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the carelessness of the upper class in many ways. The wealthy characters seem to think that they’re too good for the poor and only cared about themselves. They throw elegant parties at their castle like mansions that only other rich people are invited to. It also seems as if the more money you have, the less loyal and trustworthy you are. People in the upper class were very careless with their money and their actions, and F. Scott Fitzgerald showed that in a lot of different ways.
Read More
Free Essays - The Great Gatsby
600 Words | 2 Pages
As Matthew J. Bruccoli noted: “An essential aspect of the American-ness and the historicity of The Great Gatsby is that it is about money. The Land of Opportunity promised the chance for financial success.” (p. xi) The Great Gatsby is indeed about money, but it also explores its aftermath of greed. Fitzgerald detailed the corruption, deceit and illegality of life that soon pursued “the dream”. However, Fitzgerald entitles the reader to the freedom to decide whether or not the dream was ever free of corruption.
Read More
Compare And Contrast Tom And Gatsby
723 Words | 2 Pages
Many people in life are different from one another, although many people are also very similar. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald has his characters act in very odd fashions. The characters in this book would practically do anything for wealth. Fitzgerald shows that wealth and upper class were big in the 1920’s just like it is today. Tom and Gatsby, who are both wealthy, show that class does not make you a better person.struggle They both struggle with a girl named Daisy, which in the end chooses to stay with one of them. These two characters share some similarities along with many differences.
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald