The Great Gatsby By F. Fitzgerald Essay - 1548 Words

By 1925, America had become the wealthiest country in the world. This newfound wealth created a culture of excess: lavish cars, expensive clothes, and fine dining every night—but only among the upper class. In fact, this new wealth directly benefited the rich through making them even richer, while the poor remained in the lowest social division—struggling to survive, let alone thrive. This ever-growing wealth gap was the basis for which the American Dream was created. The American Dream idealized the notions of potential and possibility, thusly giving the lower class hope of social mobility and economic success. Two tales written during this era epitomize the American Dream through lower class protagonists who find financial fortune. The first is The Great Gatsby, written by Scott F. Fitzgerald in the midst of this extreme social hierarchy he witnessed in 1920’s New York. Secondly, Stella Dallas: originally a novel by Olive Higgins Prouty which was adapted into t he 1937 film of the same name; directed by King Vidor. However, both these stories are cautionary tales. Although the protagonists find economic success, their knowledge of the upper class is solely limited to a wishful idealization of their lifestyles. Because the protagonist’s understandings of the upper class are not equivalent to reality, through trying to fulfill the standards their glamorized perceptions of an affluent life have set for them, they are never fully accepted into the highest social class. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby By F. Fitzgerald1302 Words   |  6 Pagestwo texts â€Å"The Great Gatsby† (Scott F. Fitzgerald), and the acclaimed poem â€Å"19† (W. H. Auden), as proven by the use of green light, the role of religion and strong imagery in society and analysis of the lives of those both lavished alongside those who possess only their pity for one’s self. Firstly, Green is represented in The Great Gatsby as a symbol of Gatsby’s unacquainted love for Daisy and its meaning of hope considering it is where she resides at the time. To Gatsby the green lightRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Fitzgerald906 Words   |  4 Pagesthis earth. In the Great Gatsby, by Thomas F. Fitzgerald, having a large sum of money just isn’t enough. In this novel, money symbolizes a social evil and it corrupts people with wealth and ultimately destroys their life. Desire is an unavoidable instinct of human nature. This instinctive behavior will continue whether or not the person fulfills their initial desire. Our desires are proportionate to the possessions we own and accumulate over time. In the Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby follows his dreamsRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Fitzgerald1296 Words   |  6 Pages The Great Gatsby Told by Nick Caraway, and written by Scott F. Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is a classic novel that gives readers a glimpse inside the lives of the wealthy during the roaring 20s. The story follows the lives of Jay Gatsby, a man of new money, Daisy Buchanan, a married girl of old money, and Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s deceitful husband. Jay Gatsby is a man of mystery, with seemly unlimited funds, who throws ridiculous outrageous parties for no apparent reason. It’s learned that he hasRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fit zgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new American culture build around thatRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 Pageswithin his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the power of confrontation as the climax of his scene with the quote, â€Å"What kind of a row are you trying to cause in my house anyhow?†(129). This is the key question. At this point in the novel Tom Buchannan has just become aware th at his wife, Daisy, is in love with Jay Gatsby. Every previous event in the chapter has been leading up to this confrontation; this question. By pinning the â€Å"row† on Gatsby, Fitzgerald creates an accusatory tone