The lights were what intrigued me. In my earliest memories, only the moon illuminated the darkness, a hole of light punched into the black, velvety night. Its light shone on the red, course sand of our hometown, the Arizonian soil rich with the memories of the ancient tribal footprints that had once walked upon it. I can’t remember the first time that I ever noticed the lights, but I can remember the first time I noticed my people’s reaction to them. The constant scorn and bitterness led me to conclude that I was to stay away from this new place, but I knew that I could never completely ignore the new spectacle, even after my father sat down with me to give me that first order.
Daddy told me never to get too close. I always thought he was
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However, the light still beckoned me. Like Gatsby to the green light, I was drawn closer and closer each night. The ventures sparked pangs of fear in me, yet I never arrived home to penalty. In fact, it seemed I was the only one enamored by the lights. Jess and Ray and Leonard were always out under the moon, the time when the lights and noise were at their most spectacular (and tempting) level. I was past the age that they’d stopped questioning why I was outside so late, yet not old enough to fit in properly to the conversation that they struck on the porch or in a nearby abandon lot. I never offered for them to come with me to see the lights, and the nights they were out, they always let me pass without …show more content…
Each night, I scuffed my shoes slowly along the streets, meandering closer to the building. Its height was visible from blocks away. The incongruous radiance provoked disgusted mutters and headshakes from seemingly everyone. Week after week, I ventured another few steps, until new sights and sounds were unlocked. At a certain gap in the fence by Fifth Street, you could make out the glow of a sign. If you circled around in the opposite direction, the giant cube of the trash bin was visible, weighed down by glass bottles and much more that children shouldn’t concern themselves with. I had early on discerned that the lights did, in fact, lead to a building, and it was my intent to eventually go inside to experience the fun that the outside boasted of through its blinking signs and grand size. By then, I could count the amount of steps that took me to reach the street corner across from the back
The author illustrates the “dim, rundown apartment complex,” she walks in, hand and hand with her girlfriend. Using the terms “dim,” and “rundown” portrays the apartment complex as an unsafe, unclean environment; such an environment augments the violence the author anticipates. Continuing to develop a perilous backdrop for the narrative, the author describes the night sky “as the perfect glow that surrounded [them] moments before faded into dark blues and blacks, silently watching.” Descriptions of the dark, watching sky expand upon the eerie setting of the apartment complex by using personification to give the sky a looming, ominous quality. Such a foreboding sky, as well as the dingy apartment complex portrayed by the author, amplify the narrator’s fear of violence due to her sexuality and drive her terror throughout the climax of the
Themes of hope, success, and wealth overpower The Great Gatsby, leaving the reader with a new way to look at the roaring twenties, showing that not everything was good in this era. F. Scott Fitzgerald creates the characters in this book to live and recreate past memories and relationships. This was evident with Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship, Tom and Daisy’s struggling marriage, and Gatsby expecting so much of Daisy and wanting her to be the person she once was. The theme of this novel is to acknowledge the past, but do not recreate and live in the past because then you will not be living in the present, taking advantage of new opportunities.
Any novel or story needs strong major characters to create a logical plot line and to keep the reader engaged in the characters’ conflicts. With that said, minor characters can have just as big of an impact on a story as major characters do; as they sometimes act as an important symbol, or add minute but essential meaning to a story line. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the minor characters, George Wilson, Meyer Wolfsheim, and Pammy Buchanan to provide insight into the life of Jay Gatsby himself.
Thesis: How does F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, compares the American Dream in today's generation and back in the 1920's-30's? What did the American Dream really mean and why? So why did this issue happen? Do you think America can change in the future? What is the american dream really about? When did the phrase: ‘american dream’ started? Have you ever wondered what the 20s and 30s were like back then? How can this so called dream ever bring hope to our country? These are all the questions I would like to know myself. I’ve found three online sources & one source from the novel that can help explain about the 20th century, the Gatsby novel, today's generation, and about Mr.Gatsby from the book.
An enduring monument to his inadequacy to which he would employ a slumbering retreat. He would wrestle with his body for a brief respite from the perpetual torture that was his insomnia, tossing and turning over every inch of his bed west of the fissure that was once full of love, but never would he attempt to traverse it’s curves and corners for fear of falling into it’s deep, depressive vicinity. He lay there, awake again. His mind a highway of thoughts, only this highway had no lights, no exits, and no colour. He was stood resolute, immovable in the vast sea of movement. Surveying the surroundings that lay before him, he saw only mountainous regions of terrain, casting even more monstrous shadows over him. Each one taller than the last and twice as dark. Some would have the carved faces of past friends, frozen in a state of lament, both in time, and stone. The only solace in the midnight world was a single patch of firm, fresh grass, with a tasteful tartan picnic basket - ribbons and all. Entirely devoid of food, yet still somehow quenching his desires. A single ray of light in an otherwise nefarious expanse, shrouded in atrocities unfit even for the infernal realms of hell. The lighthouse in treacherous waters, guiding him to the reliable shores that are his most vivid and treasured
As depicted by Scott F. Fitzgerald, the 1920s is an era of a great downfall both socially and morally. As the rich get richer, the poor remain to fend for themselves, with no help of any kind coming their way. Throughout Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, the two “breeds” of wealthier folk consistently butt heads in an ongoing battle of varying lifestyles. The West Eggers, best represented by Jay Gatsby, are the newly rich, with little to no sense of class or taste. Their polar opposites, the East Eggers, are signified by Tom and Daisy Buchanan; these people have inherited their riches from the country’s wealthiest old families and treat their money with dignity and social grace. Money, a mere object in the hands of the newly wealthy, is unconscientiously squandered by Gatsby in an effort to bring his only source of happiness, Daisy, into his life once again. Over the course of his countless wild parties, he dissipates thousands upon thousands of dollars in unsuccessful attempts to attract Daisy’s attention. For Gatsby, the only way he could capture this happiness is to achieve his personal “American Dream” and end up with Daisy in his arms. Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy is somewhat detrimental to himself and the ones around him; his actions destroy relationships and ultimately get two people killed.
“Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever.” (93). Jay Gatsby spent his time at night looking at green light that glimmered across the bay on East Egg. Gatsby seemed to cherish this light, almost as if it was his enchanted object that he relished everyday. The green light had meant jealously to Gatsby, but now that Daisy was at his side he saw the green light as if it was telling him to go. Gatsby had never felt so close to Daisy, even though the distance between them wasn’t so far at all. But now the green light was just another light at the end of the bay. His count of cherished items had diminished by one.
Throughout “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald an image of greatness is portrayed. In my opinion, Gatsby is not great. Although he is a caring person and his intentions are good with what he does, he is not great. Social class, insecurities, and love sway Gatsby’s decision to be the way he is. Bootlegging and lying are the qualities that do not make him great. His greatness diminishes throughout this novel. Throughout this novel there is a difference between perceived greatness and actual greatness. Overall, Gatsby was not great.
Jay Gatsby’s funeral is a small service, not because that 's what was intended, but because no one bothered to show up. Nick wanted to give Gatsby the popularity he desired, even in death, but only three people were present in the end. Gatsby’s father, Henry C. Gatz, shows up unexpectedly from Minnesota because he heard about the news in the papers. He believes that the man who shot his son must 've been mad, that no one in their right mind could commit such a horrible act. Daisy and Wolfsheim, the people closest to Gatsby in the book, do not attend. This exemplifies that it was always about wealth and social status for them, including Tom, and they never genuinely cared for Gatsby. Nick held up hope,
It was getting dark. The sun that once shone so brightly above was now retreating back into its house beneath the sky. We left the roads and ventured into the woods. While Elizabeth and I were setting up our tents, Adam left to gather sticks for a campfire. When he returned, curiosity filled his face as he showed us a leaf. But, it wasn’t just any leaf, it was a glowing one.
The word visually stunning could be used to describe the 2013 Baz Luhrman directed adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel The Great Gatsby. Speaking of the director, I enjoyed his portrayal of the lavish lifestyle and carefree party like attitude in such a beautiful visual experience. The way in which the party scenes were filmed in the movie made perfect sense compared to the source material and were something I have never seen done by any other directors in a live action film. Another positive for me about this film was the soundtrack. When I first started watching the film I expected to hear old time music prevalent in the 20s. I however was pleasantly surprised when I learned the soundtrack was compiled by Jay-Z and featured many tracks I enjoyed featuring him either alone or accompanied by another musical guest. While Jay-Z is not exactly an accurate representation of the music of the 20s, the soundtrack adds a modern flavour over the previously mentioned beautiful backgrounds and architecture. The story however is where the movie at times falls flat. When stripped down to basics it is nothing more than a generic love story with a few twists added in for extra kick. The characters in the same vain can be very bland and not make you care much for them due to their backstories not being deeply explored. The only character that I found to be interesting was Jay Gatsby because of the mystical aura that surrounds his character at the beginning of the movie that leads you to want to uncover more of this ever mysterious man. All in all the visuals clearly outpace
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.
The sun was setting. The house didn’t know. The house was not aware that it had been alone for many sunsets. The purple, red, yellow shades shone incandescently onto the house, casting it in a certain glow could leave a bystander awe-struck. The house didn’t know.
The Roaring Twenties is considered to be a time of excessive celebration and immense corruption. The novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a criticism of American society and its values during this era of history. This criticism is first apparent in the people who go to Gatsby's parties. They get absurdly drunk, do not know who their host is and are rude by excessively gossiping about him. This commentary is also shown in the corruption of the police. Gatsby is able to pay off the police so that the activities going on at his home will go unnoticed and so that he may behave as he wishes. This criticism is finally shown in the corruption of friendship and love, the simple fact being that there is none. People use Gatsby and then throw him away. Fitzgerald's criticism of American society and its values during this time period is first shown in the behaviour of people at Gatsby's parties.
During this specific night, an army of mysterious, murky clouds seized control of divine sky, devouring the sun. Favored by the troops, the moon, displaying its glorious luminescence upon a shadowy city, wins a triumphant victory over the sun. A ferocious leader of the army activates the withdrawal then leads dedicated soldiers to west as if they are tracking down a wild dog. On the other hand, the city transmits its vivid and righteous illuminations back to the sky to let people in the “second floor” know that “era of tranquility” began. Imagine the astonishing night, rigid and bright buildings lie elegantly on the moonlight sky, bring lights gaze from the thousands of bulbs. It is beautiful, yet no one knows what beauty is upon them.