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The Fall of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby.
THE GREAT GATSBY AND THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN DREAM
discusses topics that were important, controversial and interesting back in 1920s The book The Great Gatsby by F. ... The novel is an exploration of the American Dream as it exists in a corrupt period of history. ... The Great Gatsby describes the decay of the American Dream and the want for money and materialism.
This novel also describes the gap between the rich and the poor (Gatsby and the Wilsons, West Egg and the Valley of the Ashes) by comparing the differences between the Western United States (traditional western culture) and the Eastern United States (money obsessed values). ... World War One had just ended and people were reveling in the materialism that came with the end of it, new mass produced commodities such as motor cars and radios were filling peoples driveways and houses, money was more accessible (before the Great Depression). ... Herbert Hoover (an American President) said in 1925 "We will root out poverty and put two cars in every garage."
The parties that Gatsby held every week in the summer were a symbol of the carelessness of the time. Gatsby would hide in the house while the guests, most of whom were not even invited, would party, eat and drink until the early hours of the morning without even meeting the guest or even knowing who he was. ... " This is also a symbol; it relates the pulpless halves to the rather empty guests, soulless people obsessed by image and wealth, a corruption of the American Dream.
Another sign of the fall of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby is the way Gatsby makes his money. Gatsby gets his fortune through the illegal sale of alcohol (bootlegging). ... Gatsby came from the western United States where there was old money. ... As Gatsby became richer he moved to West Egg in New York. ...
The Great Gatsby
Why did Daisy choose Tom in the end? ... In the novel "The Great Gatsby", Daisy Buchanan was faced with an enormous decision. She had to choose between Tom; her husband and Jay Gatsby; her lover. Gatsby seemed to be the ideal man of his time. ... " He could offer Daisy prestige in addition to all the old money one could dream of. Gatsby had made his money by illegal means. ... Although Gatsby could offer Daisy romance, love, excitement and intrigue, her need for security freedom and money made her eventually choose Tom. In terms of security, Tom could offer much more than Gatsby. Tom’s old money could offer Daisy prestige and social position whereas Gatsby’s money was quickly and somewhat questionably earned. ... " This proves that Gatsby’s money was achieved through corrupt means and his lack of position would leave him vulnerable to prosecution if he were to be caught. ... " Daisy’s selection of Tom over Gatsby afforded a somewhat unorthodox freedom. ... " Daisy also loved the luxury of having both a husband and a lover but Gatsby would not allow it. ... " Although Gatsby could have offered Daisy a variety of things such as romance, love and excitement, she ultimately chose Tom because of her selfishness. ...
Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel about one mans disenchantment with the American dream. In the story we get a glimpse into the life of Jay Gatsby, a man who aspired to achieve a position among the American rich to win the heart of his true love, Daisy Fay. ... The Great Gatsby is a tightly structured, symbolically compressed novel whose predominant images and symbols reinforce the idea that Gatsbys dream exists on borrowed time. ... This disappointment grew into distrust and envy of the American rich and their lifestyle. These personal feelings are expressed in Gatsby. ... In the Buchanans, and in Nicks reaction to them, Fitzgerald shows us how completely the American upper class has failed to become an aristocracy. The Buchanans represent cowardice, corruption, and the demise of Gatsbys dream Gatsby, unlike Fitzgerald himself, never discovers how he has been betrayed by the class he has idealized for so long. For Gatsby, the failure of the rich has disastrous consequences.
Gatsbys desire to achieve his dream leads him to West Egg Island. ... In chapter one, Nick observes Gatsby in the dark as he looks longingly across the bay with arms stretched outward toward the green light. It becomes apparent, as the story progresses that "the whole being of Gatsby exists only in relation to what the green light symbolizes This first sight, that we have of Gatsby, is a ritualistic tableau that literally contains the meaning of the completed book" (Bewley 41).
Approximate Word count = 3713
Approximate Pages = 14.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
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