PlanetPapers.com RSS Feedhttps://www.planetpapers.com/ Fitzgerald’s presentation of female characters In Chapter One, Daisy recalls the birth of her daughter. She says; “I’m glad it’s a girl, and I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be – a beautiful little fool.” - Consider Fitzgerald’s presentation of female characters in the novel; make reference to society at the time. Scott Fitzgerald, born in 1896 in Minnesota, wrote the Great Gatsby in the 1920’s and is considered one of his most successful novels. Fitzgerald typically presents the female characters as uneducated, hypocritical and bitter. Daisy Buchanen is the central female character in ‘The Great Gatsby’. She is an increasingly difficult woman to understand, in that; she has made herself deeply unhappy in continuing her marriage to her husband Tom Buchanen. However, her social status is far more important to her than fidelity, and she refuses to give up her lavish lifestyle and break away from Tom, even though he has had countless affairs with other women. “I thought everybody knew.” This shows that even though Daisy knows about the current affair at least, she is not willing to leave Tom, simply because in continuing her marriage, she is able to maintain the status that being attached to the Buchanen name gives her, this indicates that she is able to accept infidelity because her security is very important to her. In the nineteen-twenties feminism became steadily more prominent, with women emphasising their rights to everything and anything. Daisy seems to reflect a certain aspect of this, which becomes distinctive when Jordan, Nick, Tom and Daisy are in the garden together. “The telephone rang inside, startingly as Daisy shook her head decisively at Tom the subject of stables, in fact all subjects vanished into thin air.” This shows that Daisy has a grasp on Tom, since she knows about the affair that he is having. This means that she sustains some level of a moral high ground, and can therefore make certain decisions. This extract also portrays Daisy as quite a powerful woman for the same reason. When Daisy recalls the birth of her daughter, she is emotionally at a very low point. She realises that Tom doesn’t love her, but stays with her because she is everything that he believes a wife should be. “That’s the best thing a girl can be in this World, a beautiful little fool.” This extract shows that Daisy is no fool, she recognises that Tom doesn’t love her, and consequently 2002-12-06T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Fitzgerald’s-presentation-of-female-characters-5216.aspx Gatsby Essay Life, amongst other things, is full of grandeur and spectacle. It is only inevitable then, that human beings will be in pursuit of this, driven by the desire to have the quintessential lifestyle. But it is this desire to live in the ideal that hinders them from truly being happy. For while happiness is possible, perfection is not. So in turn, the pursuit of happiness through perfection is a plan destined for failure. The last two pages in The Great Gatsby are exemplary of this idea. The unknown character at the end of the book who “had been away at the ends of the earth and didn’t know that the party was over” is representative of human beings immersed in a lifestyle that was only grandeur and spectacle, and nothing else. There was never any real significance or importance to the big house, the parties, cars etc. These were only used to satisfy a need for splendor, to prove that human beings were only a few steps away from the ideal. Which is of course, a flawed plan, as the ending of the book shows. The whole purpose of the parties was to lure Daisy into going to Gatsby’s house so she could fall in love with her or he could “have her.” But she never does fall in love with Gatsby and he never “has her”. Daisy was just another goal to accomplish for Gatsby, just another extravagance to immerse himself in. The house then, like the pursuit of the ideal is flawed from the very start. The house failed in acquiring Daisy, just like the pursuit of an ideal failed to elicit happiness. These failures both epitomize Fitzgerald’s sentence, “the last and greatest of all human dreams.” The pursuit of quintessence failed, it was the last and greatest of all human dreams after Gatsby died because Gatsby himself epitomized what it meant to pursue the ideal. He transformed himself from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby, and he did it buy using human desire to encounter wonder and splendor. People were intrigued by Gatsby, by his mysterious demeanor. There were a lot of questions surrounding Gatsby, about where he really came from and where he got his money, but he made it work. He represented success to the people who attended his parties, because it was Gatsby who played host to the carousing and revelry that were so pervasive 2002-11-04T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gatsby-Essay-5107.aspx Great Gatsby & Death of a Salesman: Comparison There are two versions of the American Dream. The historical dream is the promise of a land of freedom with opportunity and equality for all. However since 1900, the American Dream has come to mean a dream of financial success.(1) With material success, it is expected that happiness of every kind will follow. America is seen as the “land of opportunity”. Ultimately both Fitzgerald and Miller see the American Dream as a failure. For Jay Gatsby, obtaining the material dream is a means to personal fulfilment, but for Willy Loman this concept is reversed: personal fulfilment is a means to obtaining the material dream. Miller presents a confused dream through Willy Loman who cannot separate the issues of wealth and being “well liked”: “Be liked and you will never want” Here, Miller is illustrating the myth that in order to be professionally and financially successful, to be popular is essential. Willy immerses himself in a past where commerce and emotion were linked. In this way, Miller is presenting the American Dream as a concept unable to change with time. Miller presents a dream that is carried by America’s individuals who will not allow contemporary society to kill it off, as shown in Happy’s vow to continue Willy’s dream after his death. In both texts the Dream is presented as an all-consuming force. I think that the “pulpless halves” of the oranges and lemons left after Gatsby’s parties represent how Fitzgerald feels about how twenties society treated it’s dreamers. Gatsby was used in life, but forgotton in death when the party was over. I think he views the party guests as the “pulpless halves” who consume all that they are given without a thought about who gave it to them. Miller also presents this idea of the American Dream as consuming: “You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away- a man is not a piece of fruit!” Willy feels his sales company has used him. The pursuit of the dream is presented as selfish as it leads people to use others.. The writers present the unrestrained desire for money and pleasure as leading to corrupt methods of achieving the Dream. There was a great belief that money was the route to happiness. The Dream consumed people to the extent that they cheated in order to obtain it. For example, Gatsby bootlegs in an era of prohibition in the belief that acquiring wealth will attract 2002-10-19T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Great-Gatsby-Death-of-a-Salesman-Comparison-5061.aspx Tom Buchanan: The Arrogant Rich Man The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel about social classes in America in the 1920’s. Nick, the narrator, meets and associates with a group of upper class people: Tom and Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Jay Gatsby. Nick finds out through Jordan, whom he is dating, that Gatsby had met Daisy in the past and he is still in love with her. Nick invites Daisy and Gatsby both over to tea at his house, where they meet and fall in love. However, Tom does not accept this and he tries to convince Daisy of Gatsby’s involvement in organized crime, causing both Gatsby and especially Daisy to be very upset. Daisy thinks if she drives it will calm her down, but instead it makes everything worse. Daisy accidentally hits Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress, killing her instantly. This trouble leads to the murder of Gatsby. Throughout this novel Fitzgerald shows how the upper classes often take advantage of their money, and there are no consequences for them. The character of Tom Buchanan, a rich American man of the 1920‘s, represents the worst of his class of people. Tom is shown to be a very materialistic man. The appearance of Tom’s house is very important to him. He has a very expensive house in East Egg, which is the more luxurious of the two Eggs. His house had once belonged to an oilman and has “a sunken Italian garden, a half acre deep, pungent roses, and a snub-nosed motorboat that bumped the tide offshore” (p. 8). When Tom first meets Nick he says “’I’ve got a nice place here’” (p. 7). Tom also believes that his money can get him anything. Daisy married him because of his money. He bought her an expensive pearl necklace. The last time Nick sees him he is standing outside a jewelry store. After they shake hands Nick observes that Tom “went into the jewelry store to buy a pearl necklace-or perhaps only a pair of cuff buttons” (p. 181). Fitzgerald uses Tom’s extreme materialistic manner to help demonstrate his idea of the lowest of the upper class. According to the stereotype, rich men often have mistresses. Tom has a mistress named Myrtle. Tom and Myrtle’s relationship is mostly out in the open. The first evidence of this relationship is during Nick’s first visit with Daisy. Tom gets a phone call, and Jordan tells Nick “’Tom’s 2002-09-05T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tom-Buchanan-The-Arrogant-Rich-Man-4977.aspx How does F. Scott Fitzgerald's life compare to that of his characters in "The Great Gatsby"? F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was a very talented writer whose work was not truly appreciated until after his death. People now see that his work is passionate, heartfelt, and very realistic. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life compares to a myriad of his characters in The Great Gatsby. Passion - the word applies to an emotion that is deeply stirring. Many of the things in Fitzgerald’s life stirred his emotions and brought about his very passionate writing. Fitzgerald has a very romantic side which he reflects through his characters: “Like the central character of his novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald had an intensely romantic imagination, what he once called ‘a heightened sensitivity to the promises of life,’ and he charged into experience determined to realize those promises”(http:www.novelguides.com/). Many of his books have similar plots: “This is Fitzgerald’s first attempt to create his dream of the promises of American life and of the kind of man who could realize them”(http:www.novelguides.com/). In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby he stereotypes the upper class to be snobbish and selfish. This shows that he had a negative opinion of upper class people and based his descriptions on his opinions. “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves.”(Doreski 98). The passion intertwined throughout his writing makes it extraordinary. Fitzgerald outwardly expressed some of his deepest feelings in his work. In all literature, the author’s personal life has a tremendous effect on their writing. Reading closely will show that none of the women in The Great Gatsby were honest or sincere. Many believe that losing his first love Ginevra King soured his thoughts on women: “He fell in love with Ginevra King, one of the beauties of her generation. However he lost Ginevra and flunked out of Princeton”(http://www.novelguides.com/). Fitzgerald went to war in 1917 hoping to die, but being unsuccessful, he used this as part of Jay Gatsby’s life: “Then came the war old sport. It was a great relief, and I tried very hard to die, but I seemed 2002-09-04T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-does-F_-Scott-Fitzgerald-s-life-compare-to-that-of-his-characters-in-"The-Great-Gatsby"-4975.aspx A Comparison of the marriage of Tom and Daisy Buchanan (The Great Gatsby) with Willy and Linda Lowm <h2>The Common Faults of Marriages</h2> Many marriages endure hardships and often result in destruction. In the literary work The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald describes the material wealth experienced by the upper class during the Roaring Twenties. In particular, Fitzgerald depicts the lives of Tom and Daisy Buchanan, a rich married couple who live a luxurious and carefree lifestyle. Unfortunately, their lack of responsibility ultimately results in the destruction of their marriage and of those around them. In contrast, “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller illustrates the lives of a poor and hardworking couple named Willy and Linda Lowman. Miller focuses on the adversity of the middle class after World War II; he expresses the harsh realities experienced when achieving the American Dream. Like many couples, they make many wrong decisions that cause negative repercussions within their marriages. The existence of destruction in their relationships is apparent in the element of faithfulness, the display of mutual respect for one another and the style of parenting. The element of faithfulness in the marriage of Tom and Daisy Buchanan is non-existent. For instance, the couple is simply committed to the idea of matrimony and not to the person in which they are wedded. Nick Carraway observes that, Daisy and Tom were sitting opposite each other at the kitchen table…He was talking intently across the table at her, and in his earnestness his hand had fallen upon and covered her own. Once in a while, she looked up at him and nodded in agreement. They weren’t happy…and yet they weren’t unhappy either. (Fitzgerald 138) Tom is indifferent to his spouse as is she to him. They only show affection towards one another because they feel it is their duty as a married couple. Furthermore, Daisy is easily persuaded by her lover Jay Gatsby into leaving her husband. During the argument that ensues at the hotel, Gatsby notifies Tom that Daisy will be under his care from that point onward. After much encouragement, Daisy abandons Tom by saying, “I never loved him” (Fitzgerald 126). A woman who is truly committed to her husband does not publicly condemn him. Moreover, Tom is openly unfaithful to his wife, which is illustrated when Tom stops at Wilson’s garage before going into town. Tom casually tells Nick, “‘we’re getting off…I want you to meet my girl’” (Fitzgerald 27). A man who values his marriage does not shame himself by 2002-06-13T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Comparison-of-the-marriage-of-Tom-and-Daisy-Buchanan-The-Great-Gatsby-with-Willy-and-Linda-Lowm-4832.aspx The Great Gatsby - Nick analysis The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the story of Jay Gatsby, as Nick Carraway perceives him. Nick has a special place in this story. He is not just one character among several; it is through his eyes and ears that the story takes place. In this novel, Nick goes to some length to establish his credibility in telling the story about this "great" man called Gatsby. For example, “He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant.” This is part of Nick's first close examination of Gatsby's character and appearance. This description of Gatsby's smile shows both the quality of Gatsby's character and his charisma. Also, it shows the appearance in which Gatsby appears to the outside world. Nick perceives Gatsby as mysterious and for this attractive reason Nick is drawn to Gatsby’s flashy parties. Initially, Fitzgerald presents Gatsby as the host of the unbelievably parties thrown every week at his mansion. He appears surrounded by luxury and wealth, courted by powerful men and beautiful women. He is the subject of gossips throughout New York and is a kind of mysterious celebrity before he is ever introduced formally to Nick. In addition, “I am the son of some wealthy people in the middle-west – all dead know. I was brought up in America but educated in Oxford.” Though at first mysterious, Gatsby intentions and motives and even his life are revealed as the novel unfolds. Gatsby has literally created his own character, even changing his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby to represent himself. As his quest for Daisy demonstrates, Gatsby has an extraordinary ability to transform his hopes and dreams into reality; at the beginning of the novel, he appears to the reader just as he desires to appear to the world. This talent of creating himself is what gives Gatsby his quality of "greatness". Nick admires Gatsby's optimism, capacity to dream, and ability to live as if the dream were to come true, and it is this that clouds his judgment on Gatsby and obscures our comprehension on the reality of Gatsby. Furthermore, "Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest 2002-06-04T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-Nick-analysis-4812.aspx Corrupt Romantic Quest In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald presents the 1920’s society as delusional. The book is set up to resemble a romantic story. It has a hero, villain, damsel in distress and a chronicler. Gatsby has set out on a Romantic Quest in the story to achieve love and fortune. The book reveals the turmoil that someone with such a delusional dream must face to still be able to believe in his dream. Gatsby’s quest is presented as Romantic but twisted by a decayed and corrupt society. Fitzgerald emphasizes the moral deterioration of the period, which is personified in many characters in the novel. Daisy is the damsel in distress. However, Daisy is corrupt and does not want to be rescued by Gatsby. She is married to the villain, Tom, for his money and social status, and is content staying there. Daisy believes that all women should yearn for a high social class, and not much more, she says about her daughter “I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (21). Tom is an upper-class man from Chicago who had “come east in a fashion that rather took your breath away” (10). He has been cheating on Daisy since their honeymoon, when he cheated with one of the chambermaids in Santa Barbara. He is now having an affair with Myrtle, Wilson’s wife who runs the garage in the Valley of Ashes, and is very open about it. Tom is also a hypocrite, he describes society as “going to pieces”(17) while he himself makes self-indulgent actions without thinking of the consequences. Tom’s other fear is of power shifting, he is extremely wary of African Americans and tells Nick, the chronicler, “if we don’t look out the white race will be- will be utterly submerged”(17). Nick is the chronicler in the book and gets placed in the middle of all situations. He is from the Midwest and moved East to “learn the bond business”(7). He always makes the comparison of the purity of the Midwest to the corrupt society of the east. He appears admirable and honest. Nick takes people for who they are after receiving good advice from his father, which told him not to criticize anyone because “all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had”(5). However, he 2002-05-15T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Corrupt-Romantic-Quest-4767.aspx The Great Gatsby In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, all the characters are, in one way or another, attempting to become happier with their lives. The characters in the novel are divided into two groups: the rich upper class and the poorer lower class(West egg and East egg) or otherwise known as old money and new money, though the main characters only try to make their lives better, the American dream they are all trying to achieve is eventually ruined by the harsh reality or life. Tom and Daisy Buchanan, the rich couple, seem to have everything they could possibly want. Though their lives are full of anything you could imagine, they are unhappy and seek to change, Tom drifts on "forever seeking a little wistfully for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game"(pg. 10) and reads "deep books with long words in them"(pg. 17) just so he has something to talk about. Even though Tom is married to Daisy he has an affair with Myrtle Wilson and has apartment with her in New York.. Daisy is an empty character, someone with hardly any convictions or desires. Even before her relationships with Tom or, Gatsby are seen, Daisy does nothing but sit around all day and wonder what to do with herself and her friend Jordan. She knows that Tom is having an affair, yet she doesn't leave him even when she hears about Gatsby loving her. Daisy lets Gatsby know that she too is in love with him but cant bring herself to tell Tom goodbye except when Gatsby forces her too. Even then, once Tom begs her to stay, even then Daisy forever leaves Gatsby for her old life of comfort. Daisy and Tom are perfect examples of wealth and prosperity, and the American Dream. Yet their lives are empty, and without purpose. Though Myrtle Wilson makes an attempt to escape her own class and pursue happiness with the rich, she ends up gaining nothing and eventually dies. She is basically a victim of the group she wanted to join. Myrtle tries to become like Tom by having an affair with him and taking on his way of living, but in doing so she becomes unsatisfied with her life. Her constant clothing changes show that she is unhappy with her life, she changes personalities every time she changes her dress: "with the influence of the dress her whole personality had also undergone 2002-04-27T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-4692.aspx Themes: Materialism In the novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald successfully portrays that materialism as the corrupt source of the society. Like Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is a sensitive young man who idolizes wealth and luxury, and falls in love with a beautiful young woman while stationed at a military camp in the South. After Fitzgerald's first novel was published, he became a celebrity, and fell into a wild, reckless lifestyle of parties and decadence while desperately trying to please Zelda. Similarly, Gatsby amasses a great deal of wealth at a relatively 2001-10-14T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Themes-Materialism-3851.aspx The Great Gatsby - "You’re worth the whole damn bunch of them" <center><b>What is Nick’s last compliment to Gatsby and why is it true?</b></center> Nick’s final compliment to Gatsby was “You’re worth the whole damn bunch of the them.” This is true because Nick in the end of the novel admired Gatsby in some aspects. This quote is also true because compared to the carelessness of Tom and Daisy; Jay Gatsby was a great man. Another reason why the following statement is true is because in the end of the novel the reader can realize that Gatsby was the one person in the novel (Nick as an exception) that stayed true to him. Nick admired Gatsby in the end because of the way Gatsby lived his life. Gatsby had a dream, and that dream was to be with his true love Daisy. Although Nick might not have agreed that living your life for someone else is not the best of ideas but at least Gatsby was determined. Which was what Nick grew to admire in Gatsby. Gatsby never cheated anybody, he never lied to anyone, he never killed anybody like rumors suggested, and he just lived his life the best way he knew how. True that Gatsby was a bootlegger but back in the 1920’s being a bootlegger was almost “accepted” how else were men going to get their alcohol in those days. Nick admired Gatsby’s honest determination in winning Daisy back. All of Nick’s other friends lied or cheated to each their goals or to higher their status. For example, Jordan Baker Nick’s girlfriend who is a golf champion. Jordan Baker cheated her way to the top of the golf championship by moving the golf ball when people were not looking. Nick knew this and Jordan’s dishonesty was one of the major reasons why Nick broke up with Jordan when he did. In the movie when Nick delivers that line, he looks up at Gatsby with respect for friend because he did things the right way, he looked at him with relief because things were starting to go Gatsby’s way and he looked at him with admiration because Gatsby had gained his prize the moral and the decent way. Being careless is something that seemed to be second nature to Tom and Daisy. The two would create a problem then leave it behind, move on, and let other people pick up the pieces. This can be proven by the stories of Tom and Daisy 2001-09-07T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-"You’re-worth-the-whole-damn-bunch-of-them"-3681.aspx The Death of the American Dream -- full oral <center>Copyright Arian D</center> <b>Handout this first...</b> The America Dream holds a greater significance than that of higher wages or greater motorcars. It signifies the inner dream that all men aspire to regardless of how trivial it may seem. The U.S.A... Bound by its motto as being a free-for-all nation; it has been labelled since the dawn of its colonial era as being a land of opportunity- giving us the understanding of the real "American Dream". In the United States' Declaration of Independence the founding fathers stated: "…held certain truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." Through the course of change in the world- either through prosperity, capitalism or greed- people have lost focus with the real meaning of 'the American dream'. It is no longer the gamely aspirations of living life to the fullest, providing a better life for yourself and or others; instead, a pursuit for those materialistic aspects in life. American Literae Thomas Wolfe said, "… to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity ….the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him." This is the essence of the pure idealistic approach one should take towards life and indeed the American dream. <b>The death of the American Dream</b> Through the narrator's dealings with high society, Nick Carraway shows how modern values have transformed the American Dream's pure ideals into a scheme for materialistic power and further, how the world of high society lacks any sense of morals or consequence. The novel represents the American Dream within two facets; with it once being a pure ideal, but now false and corrupted hope that is forever lost to the American people. Gatsby at an early age aspired to greater things; he wanted to 'better' himself. This is a true representative of the former 'dream'. "Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he's got about improving his mind? He was always great for that." (Pg. 175) "With his hands in his pockets… out to determine what share was his of our local heavens." While Nick continues to watch Gatsby's comments: "-he [Gatsby] stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I 2001-08-21T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Death-of-the-American-Dream-full-oral-3655.aspx The Great Gatsby in relation to Society In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald is criticising American society of the 1920s. He uses the characters to demonstrate the power than men had over women during these times, as well as their mindless, self-indulgent actions, where consequence was only an afterthought. The attitude towards and the role of women is shown throughout the novel. Fitzgerald also shows how many people in America during this time were delusional and had meaningless existences. Fitzgerald has used Tom in The Great Gatsby, to demonstrate the power that men had during the 1920s. In order to understand Tom’s purpose in the book, it must be known that he has been purposely set up as a character the reader does not like. Fitzgerald has done this, as he does not like men whose lives mirror Tom’s. Tom is a violent man, who is completely in control of the women in his life. He shows how disrespectful some men were to women. For example, he breaks his mistress Myrtle’s nose. Making a short, deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand Another example showing the disrespect for women is the fact that Tom is cheating on Daisy quite openly. She knows that he is having an affair, but there is nothing that she can do about it. Fitzgerald comments on this power and disrespect that men had for women because he disagrees with it himself. He believes that men should not do these terrible things. Tom never once expresses his guilt for his actions, and never considers Daisy’s feelings. His life is full of selfish actions which lead him nowhere. Fitzgerald comments on the changing role and attitudes of women of the 1920s in America. He shows this through the characters Daisy and Jordan. Daisy and Jordan both drink, smoke and drive, and associate freely with men. Daisy’s flirtatiousness is an example of this, along with her drunken state in the first chapter when she says ‘I’m p-paralysed with happiness’. Daisy also shows the attitude Fitzgerald felt was common in this society, when talking about her daughter. ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. I hope she’ll be a fool –that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’ This demonstrates that during the 1920s, women were not regarded as equals, and had little chance of making something of their lives. The best they could hope for was to find a rich husband and settle 2001-06-29T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-in-relation-to-Society-3557.aspx Gatsby - Murdered by His own Money In this day and age, money is a very important asset to have. One needs to have at least enough to live on, though great amounts are preferable. In The Great Gatsby, by Thomas F. Fitzgerald, having a large amount of money is not enough. It is also the way you acquire the money that matters. Gatsby and Tom both have a lot of money yet Daisey picks one over the other, not because of the difference in the amount they have, but because of the manner in which it is attained. To the main characters in the book, money is everything. Tom, Gatsby, and Daisey are all consumed by money and its prestige. Gatsby uses his money as a tool to lure Daisey back into his life by giving her a tour of his possessions inside and outside his house. Because Daisey seems to fall in love with Gatsby again, it shows that she was not really in love with Tom, it was his “old” money that she is truly in love with. Money is important to Tom and Daisey because it makes them feel superior to those who have less. All of these characters have been corrupted by their greed but the one person that has not is Nick, Daisey’s cousin. He is nice enough to help Gatsby with Daisey out of friendship, not for his money. In the book, money symbolizes a social evil as it destroys lives of people corrupted by wealth. In the first chapter, Fitzgerald treats money as if it was a cookie cutter for social classes and tells how wealth divides the society into different groups. For instance, East Eggers have “inherited money” whereas West Eggers have newly acquired money. Tom is an example of an East Egger who has “prestigiously” inherited quite a lot of “old” money. Gatsby is a West Egger who by boot legging, swindling and doing favors for others, has acquired “new” money. The difference between social and economic classes is best demonstrated by the comparison between Tom and Gatsby. Tom was born an East Egger, which was something that Gatsby could never achieve. No matter what he did, he would always be a West Egger. Although Gatsby could have been an economic equal to Tom, he would never be a social equal. Gatby's downfall was thinking that if he became a rich man, Daisey would love him. Daisey did not ever 2001-05-20T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gatsby-Murdered-by-His-own-Money-3386.aspx Symbolism of the American Dream: An analysis of the role it plays in the nove In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, all the characters are, in one way or another, attempting to achieve a state of happiness in their lives. The main characters are divided into two groups: the rich upper class and the poorer lower class, which struggles to attain a higher position. Though the major players seek only to change their lives for the better, the American Dream is inevitably crushed beneath the harsh reality of life, leaving their lives without meaning or purpose. Tom and Daisy Buchanan, the rich socialite couple, seem to have everything they could possibly desire; however, though their lives are full of material possessions and worldly goods, they are unsatisfied and seek to change. Tom, the arrogant ex-football player, drifts on "forever seeking a little wistfully for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game"(pg. 10) and reads "deep books with long words in them"(pg. 17) in order to have something to talk about. Though he appears happily married to Daisy, Tom has an affair with Myrtle Wilson and keeps an apartment with her in New York. Tom's basic nature of unrest prevents him from being satisfied with the life he leads, and so he creates another life for himself with Myrtle. Daisy Buchanan is an empty character, someone with hardly any convictions or desires. Even before her loyalty to either Tom or Gatsby is called into question, Daisy does nothing but sit around all day and wonder what to do with herself and her friend Jordan. She knows that Tom has a mistress on the side, yet she doesn’t leave him even when she learns of Gatsby's love for her. Daisy makes her love to Gatsby apparent, yet cannot bring herself to tell Tom goodbye except when Gatsby forces her too. Even then, once Tom begs her to stay, even then Daisy ultimately leaves Gatsby for a life of comfort and security. The Buchanans are the ultimate examples of wealth and prosperity, and the American Dream. Yet their lives are empty, unfulfilled, and without purpose. Though Myrtle Wilson makes an attempt to escape her own class and pursue happiness with the richer set, her efforts ultimately produce no results and she dies. She is basically a victim of the group she wanted to join. Myrtle tries to join Tom's class by entering into an affair with him and taking on his way of living, but in doing so 2001-05-15T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Symbolism-of-the-American-Dream-An-analysis-of-the-role-it-plays-in-the-nove-3367.aspx The Great Gatsby: Symbolism of Houses and Cars Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is full of symbolism, which is portrayed by the houses and cars in an array of ways. One of the more important qualities of symbolism within The Great Gatsby is the way in which it is so completely incorporated into the plot and structure. Symbols, such as Gatsby’s house and car, symbolize material wealth. Gatsby’s house “[is] a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy” which contains “a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy” is a symbol of Gatsby’s large illegal income(Fitzgerald 9)(9). Gatsby‘s large income isn‘t enough to keep him happy. He needs “The house he feels he needs in order to win happiness” and it is also the perfect symbol of carelessness with money which is a major part of his personality (Bewley 24). Gatsby’s house like his car symbolizes his vulgar and excessive trait of getting attention. Gatz’s house is a mixture of different styles and periods which symbolizes an owner who does not know their true identity. The Buchanan’s house is symbolic of their ideals. East Egg is home to the more prominent established wealth families. Tom’s and Daisy’s home is on the East Egg. Their house, a “red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay” with its “wine-colored rug[s]” is just as impressive as Gatsby’s house but much more low-key (Fitzgerald 11)(13). East egg and Tom‘s home represents the established wealth and traditions. Their stable wealth, although lacking the vulgarity of new wealth, is symbolic of their empty future and now purposelessness lives together. The House also has a cold sense to it according to Nick. This sense symbolizes Tom’s brutality, and as Perkins's says in his manuscript to Fitzgerald “I would know...Buchanan if I met him and would avoid him,” because Tom is so cold and brute (Perkins 199). Nick lives in West Egg in a rented house that “[is] a small eye-sore” and “had been overlooked”(Fitzgerald 10). Nick lives in a new-rich West Egg because he is not wealthy enough to afford a house in the more prominent East Egg. His house symbolizes himself shy and overlooked. Nick is the Narrator and also the “trust worthy reporter and, ...judge” that has ties to both the East and West Egg crowd(Bruccoli xii). Nick comes from a “prominent, well-to-do [family]” acts like the established rich down-played, but he is trying 2001-04-17T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-Symbolism-of-Houses-and-Cars-3222.aspx Nick - Detached or Dishonest? The Great Gatsby is a difficult book to interpret, particularly because of the style in which it is written. Not only must the reader differentiate between the separate views of Nick as the narrator and Nick as the character, but he or she must also take into consideration at what time period, relative to this story, are these views being expressed. After all, Nick the narrator is presently evaluating the manner in which his character behaved the year before, as well as allowing his character to voice his opinion, as his opinion had been during that time frame. We learn to trust Nick as a narrator, because all the pieces of information he gives to us, received through symbolism, imagery, or personal reflection, lead us to make significant decisions regarding the other characters of the novel. His character, on the other hand, cannot be looked upon in the same manner; it can be seen as dishonest and hypocritical, yet it is these negative characteristics that humanize him, allowing readers to relate to him as a person. What Nick thinks as the narrator is not always the same as what his character portrays. In just the third paragraph of this book, we learn that Nick is “inclined to reserve all judgments (Page 5),” but that his tolerance, “has a limit (Page 6).” True, his opinions might not be expressed in words, but it is important to realize that those opinions still exist. The narrator’s role is to make us aware of Nick’s “judgments,” for his character neglects to respond to such feelings. Various techniques allow us to draw our own conclusions, the most interesting one being symbolism. The “foul dust” mentioned throughout the novel serves to corrupt everything it encounters. It is this foul dust that represents the lives of Daisy, Tom, and Jordan. After all, they are all immoral characters. A word such as dust successfully gives off a negative ambiance, but for Nick to go the step further and declare such dust to be “foul” truly represents his disapproval of their actions. Thus, without proclaiming his opinion in the form of words, Nick presents it openly through symbolism for us to see. However, even though we know that Nick as the narrator, reflecting back on that summer, did not see the three to be honorable people, he still spent a great deal of time with them. Like most people, 2001-04-14T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nick-Detached-or-Dishonest-3204.aspx The Great Gatsby - Death of the American Dream In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, all the characters are, in one way or another, attempting to achieve a state of happiness in their lives. The main characters are divided into two groups: the rich upper class and the poorer lower class, which struggles to attain a higher position. Though the major players seek only to change their lives for the better, the idealism and spiritualism of the American Dream is inevitably crushed beneath the harsh reality of life, leaving their lives without meaning or purpose. Tom and Daisy Buchanan, the rich socialite couple, seem to have everything they could possibly desire; however, though their lives are full of material possessions and worldly goods, they are unsatisfied and seek to change their circumstances. Tom, the arrogant ex-football player, drifts on "forever seeking a little wistfully for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game"(pg. 10) and reads "deep books with long words in them"(pg. 17) in order to have something to talk about. Though he appears happily married to Daisy, Tom has an affair with Myrtle Wilson and keeps an apartment with her in New York. Tom's basic nature of unrest prevents him from being satisfied with the life he leads, and so he creates another life for himself with Myrtle. Daisy Buchanan is an empty figure, a woman with neither strong desires nor convictions. Even before her loyalty to either Tom or Gatsby is called into question, Daisy does nothing but sit around all day and wonder what to do with herself. She knows that Tom has a mistress on the side, yet hesitates to leave him even when she learns of Gatsby's devotion to her. Daisy professes her love to Gatsby, yet cannot bring herself to tell Tom goodbye except at Gatsby's insistence. Even then, once Tom pleads with her to stay, Daisy quickly capitulates and ultimately leaves Gatsby for a life of comfort and security. The Buchanans are the ultimate examples of wealth and prosperity, the epitome of the rich life of the American Dream, yet their lives are empty, unfulfilled, and without purpose. Though Myrtle Wilson makes an attempt to escape her own class and pursue happiness with the richer set, her efforts ultimately produce no results and she dies, a victim of the very group she sought to join. Myrtle tries to join Tom's class by entering into an affair with him and taking on his way of 2001-04-08T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-Death-of-the-American-Dream-3171.aspx The Great Gatsby - “No—Gatsby turned out all right in the end…” In the beginning F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Nick states “No—Gatsby turned out all right in the end…” Nick sees many faces of Gatsby that no one has ever really seen before. He sees all of the emotions a human being can have. He sees Gatsby as a man in love, a good friend, and a man that wants everyone to be happy. Gatsby is so in love with Daisy Buchanan he would wait an eternity for her. Gatsby and Daisy found love at first sight while he was in the army. Unfourtunatly he was shipped over seas, him and Daisy were separated for months. Daisy tried to wait as long as she could, but after a while she married Tom Buchanan to heal her broken heart. Years later, Gatsby becomes a millionaire with Daisy still in mind. He dedicates his heart and soul and his “money” to her. Daisy and Gatsby finally reunite with the help of Nick. Gatsby and Daisy fall into a secret relationship. To Gatsby love and Daisy are the most important things in his life. Nick becomes a neighbor to a very mysterious man. That man is Gatsby. Gatsby befriends Nick very quickly. He begins to spend time with Nick, and take him places. To Gatsby Nick seems like a person he can really trust. Since Gatsby is so mysterious Nick does not completely trust him, Gatsby confides in Nick. Because Nick reunites Gatsby with Daisy, Gatsby wants to give him something in return. All Gatsby has in his life is money, so he offers him the one thing he has. Nick does not take the money, although Gatsby insists. Although Gatsby is mysterious to most he is a great friend to some. Gatsby is an all around nice guy. He does whatever he can to make everyone happy and content. He does not want to destroy anyone’s life. Even though Gatsby and Daisy accidentally kill Myrtle Wilson, the thought of killing anyone never even crossed their mind. When they killed Myrtle, it devastated her husband George. That accident ruined two people’s life, and maybe even Gatsby’s. Because of Daisy and Gatsby’s affair, Tom is left without a wife for a while. Gatsby did not want to hurt Tom, but he knew he had to follow his heart. Although Gatsby makes sure everyone is satisfied, he always follows his heart. Gatsby starts out being a very mysterious character. 2001-02-24T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-“No—Gatsby-turned-out-all-right-in-the-end…”-2920.aspx Character Analysis of Tom Buchanan Out of the five main characters in the Great Gatsby, I disliked Tom Buchanan the most ( however his wife Daisy was a close second). He just didn't seem like he was a nice person, and he also seemed extremely self-absorbed. I don't believe that he and I would choose the same values that we would consider important in guiding our lives. One of Tom's important values is wealth. He was very rich and thought that it made him superior to other people. He enjoys showing off his possessions, " I've got a nice place here. It belonged to the Demaine oil man" (Great Gatsby, 12). In this case, Tom is showing Nick his house and obviously thinks that because it belonged to the Demaine oil man that it makes it a little more important. Tom thinks that poor people are inferior to him and he is quite the snob. He is from old money and often refers to the newly rich as " bootleggers", people who distributed alcohol during prohibition.Tom doesn't think much of Gatsby , and claims that he pegged him as a bootlegger the moment he saw him. When Daisy tells Tom that she is leaving him for Gatsby he says, " She's not leaving me! Certainly not for a common swindler who'd have to steal the ring to put on her finger!" ( 140). Later, Tom even sends Daisy home with Gatsby , adding that his presumptous flirtation was over. Power and control over people is something that Tom considers important in guiding his life. Throughout the novel he has shown, time and time again that he is the type of person who likes to control others and what they do. Sometimes he is nothing more than a bully and other times he is just cruel.He often talks to George Wilson, his mistress' husband about selling him his car, which he never actually intends to do. He is simply toying with the man, but becomes angry when Wilson tries to talk to him about it: " Very well then , I won't sell you the car at all... I'm under no obligations to you at all...And as for your bothering me about it at lunch time I won't stand for that at all!" (122). Tom was being extemely cruel at that moment because Wilson needed the money that would come from the car and Tom didn't 2001-01-12T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Character-Analysis-of-Tom-Buchanan-2756.aspx Great Gatsby: Analysis of the American Dream The Great Gatsby is a novel that illustrates the society in the 1920's and the associated beliefs, values and dreams of the American population at that time. These beliefs, values and dreams can be summed up be what is termed the "American Dream"; a dream of money, wealth, prosperity and the happiness that supposedly came with the booming economy and get-rich-quick schemes that formed the essential underworld of American upper-class society. This underworld infiltrated the upper echelons and created such a moral decay within general society that paved the way for the ruining of dreams and dashing of hopes as they were placed confidently in the chance for opportunities that could be seized by one and all. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates the American Dream and the "foul dust" or the carelessness of a society that floats in the wake of this dream. By looking at each character and their situation and ambition it can be seen that the American Dream was not limited to one social class or type of person, that it was nation wide and was found within everyone. From the position as narrator the reader has access to the thoughts and feelings of Nick Carraway more than any other characters; but this same position also reduces the effectiveness of the reader as a judge of character because he is presented in a biased way compared to others. With that said, it can be seen that Nick suffers greatly from his experiences in New York. His regard for human decency is ruined and he leaves with his hopes dashed and a disgust at how the materialism that runs rampant throughout his social class is capable of ruining lives and dreams. Nick, as with all characters is a believer in the American Dream because even he moves East to work in the bond business - then a booming industry. Because of the actions of his cousin Daisy, her husband Tom and the beliefs held by his love interest in the novel Jordan, Nick is finally privy to how the dreams and values held by all these people overrun their sense of sensible behavior and how the general society caused their personalities to be affected this way. The transformation between James Gatz and Jay Gatsby is an example of how people can transform themselves according to their ambition for wealth and prosperity. The use of illegal activities to gain Gatsby's wealth 2000-11-06T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Great-Gatsby-Analysis-of-the-American-Dream-2451.aspx Great Gatsby: Confusions and Complexities Novelists are often concerned with exploring the confusions and complexities of social relationships. In the context, confusions refer to puzzling relationships, which are confusing to comprehend. Whereas, complexities relate to complicated and intricate issues. The different social relationships discussed in F.Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, THE GREAT GASTBY, are business colleagues, lovers and married partners. The characters involved in these relationships consist of, Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Myrtle and George Wilson, Jordan Baker, Mr Wolshiem and Nick Carraway. Each character interacts with others, establishing either confusions or complexities within their social relationship. A complex social relationship explored in this novel is between Wolshiem and Gatsby. The two are business colleagues who work together, however the nature of their business is rarely discussed. During lunch between Gatsby, Wolshiem and Nick, Wolshiem mistakes Nick’s reason of invitation, which Gatsby quickly states, ‘I told you we’d talk about that some other time.’ (p69) This suggests to the audience that their business is not above board, as Gatsby does not wish to discuss their business dealing in front of company. Throughout the novel, their business relationship is kept very vague. On the surface it appears to be a normal business relationship, however due to the uncertainty of their dealings, it is established to the audience that there is a complex relationship existing between the two characters. Thus showing how complexities can be explores through the social relationship of business colleagues. Another example of a social relationship explored in the novel, containing complexities, is between Wolshiem and Gatsby from Wolshiem’s point of view. In the final chapter, Wolshiem sends Nick a letter in regards to Gatsby’s death. He states that he is, ‘…tied up in… very important business… cannot get mixed up in this thing now.’ (p157) This reinforces that their relationship was strictly business and there was not a very strong friendship existing between the two characters. It appears that Wolshiem has very little respect for Gatsby, as he doesn’t have the courtesy to attend his funeral. It is portrayed that all Gatsby was to Wolshiem was a business colleague, nothing more. Wolshiem doe not want to further their relationship as friends. Within the letter, Wolshiem refers to Gatsby as a ‘thing.’ This represents Gatsby’s death as an inconvenience on Wolshiem’s behalf. As Wolshiem was involved in some ‘very important business,’ this once again reinforces the idea that their business relationship was below board. Therefore, this shows 2000-09-07T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Great-Gatsby-Confusions-and-Complexities-2224.aspx Love, Lust and Obsession in The Great Gatsby There is a fine line between love and lust. If love is only a will to possess, it is not love. To love someone is to hold them dear to one's heart. In The Great Gatsby, the characters, Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan are said to be in love, but in reality, this seems to be a misconception. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrays the themes of love, lust and obsession, through the character of Jay Gatsby, who confuses lust and obsession with love. By the end of the novel however, Jay Gatsby is denied his "love" and suffers an untimely death. The author interconnects the relationships of the various prominent characters to support these ideas. The character of Jay Gatsby was a wealthy business man, who the author developed as arrogant and tasteless. Gatsby's love interest, Daisy Buchanan, was a subdued socialite who was married to the dim witted Tom Buchanan. She is the perfect example of how women of her level of society were supposed to act in her day. The circumstances surrounding Gatsby and Daisy's relationship kept them eternally apart. For Daisy to have been with Gatsby would have been forbidden, due to the fact that she was married. That very concept of their love being forbidden, also made it all the more intense, for the idea of having a prohibited love, like William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, made it all the more desirable. Gatsby was remembering back five years to when Daisy was not married and they were together: His heart began to beat faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning-fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete. His memory of her is sweet and beautiful so that even without saying it, it is obvious that he was, and possibly is still, in love with her. He remembered the past and convinced himself that it could be like that once again. He became delusional with love, and was blinded by it. Because Daisy was married, it was impossible for she and Gatsby to be together, but 2000-05-02T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Love,-Lust-and-Obsession-in-The-Great-Gatsby-1904.aspx The Great Gatsby Book Report <b>Summary</b> At the onset of this book, the reader is introduced to the narrator, Nick Carraway, who relates the past happenings that construct the story of Jay Gatsby and Nick during the summer of 1922. After fighting in World War I, or the Great War as Nick called it, Nick left his prominent family in the West of America for the North where he intended to learn the bond business. Nick was originally supposed to share a house in West Egg near New York City with an associate of his, but the man backed out and so Nick lived with only a Finnish cook. Right next door, Gatsby lived in a glorious mansion with expansive gardens and a marble swimming pool, among other luxuries. Yet Nick did not even hear about Gatsby until he went to visit his distant family at East Egg next to West Egg. Daisy was Nick’s second cousin once removed, and Tom Buchanan was Daisy’s hulking brute of a husband and classmate of Nick’s from college. Jordan Baker, a prominent tennis player of the time, was staying with Daisy and Tom. As they sat down and chatted, it was Jordan who mentioned Gatsby, saying that she had been to one of his extravagant parties that he held every weekend. The four sat down to dinner when Tom received a phone call, which Daisy suspected to be from Tom’s mistress. Afterwards, Daisy and Nick talked and Jordan and Tom went out to walk about the grounds. Daisy talked about her little daughter and how when she was born Tom was not even there and she had wished out loud that she would be a fool, for that was the only way she could ever be happy. The four met again at the house and then Jordan went to bed and Nick went home. In the next chapter, the reader is introduced the bleak stretch of land between New York City and West Egg. It was there that Nick first met Tom’s mistress. Nick and Tom were taking the train into New York City one Saturday when Tom signaled to Nick that they were going to get off the train halfway to their destination in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. Tom walked into an auto garage where he talked with a man named George Wilson, who asked about a car Tom was supposed to sell him. Wilson’s 2000-03-25T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-Book-Report-1794.aspx The Great Gatsby - Nick Carroway's Role In his novel The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald had the main character Nick Carroway stand out as being overall, a decent person. Nick stands out especially when being compared to the other characters in the story. It is Nick’s honesty with himself and toward others, his morality, and his unbiased, slow to judge qualities that make him the novel’s best character. The chain of events that occur in the story begin with Nick meeting Jordan Baker at Gatsby’s party. It was this meeting that causes Nick to mention the topic of honesty. Nick learns about Jordan’s cheating in a golf tournament, and he realizes how dishonest Jordan really is. "She was incredibly dishonest," (Page 58) Nick said, adding, "Dishonesty in a woman is a thing that you can never blame deeply." (Page 59) Jordan seemed to contrast her own dishonesty with Nick’s honesty. On the night of the party, Jordan leads Nick to say, "Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people I have ever known." (Page 60) He supports his words with his actions as a narrator, as well as his role as a character in the story. As the narrator, he was honest with himself, one example being Nick admitting to himself that Jordan was not only dishonest, but selfish and cynical as well, but he loved her regardlessly. As the novel’s main character, he was the only one that did not feel the need to mislead other people. All of the other characters would use an impressive, unreal facade in order to attract people and make a good first impression. For example, Daisy acted completely different around company from when she was with Tom. However, this happened while Nick would always let his honest, true character show through the entire time. Nick also seemed to be The Great Gatsby’s only uncorrupted, unmaterialistic character. Every other character, including Gatsby himself, seemed to think that money could buy happiness. Gatsby’s though process is a prime example of that: he thought that he could win over Daisy by impressing her with his extravagant parties. The fact is, Daisy, being materialistic herself, probably would have been won over, had she not been already married to a rich man. That materialism is what leads to the character’s corruption. Gatsby was so materialistic that his morality was 2000-03-17T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-Nick-Carroway-s-Role-1762.aspx Great Gatsby: Theme and character anlysis of Tom and Daisy <center><b>Greed, Corruption, the Search of One’s Self and the 1920's</b></center> The characters' search of their own identities and the struggle that ensues is the most suffusive theme throughout The Great Gatsby . The fact that we never really know the characters, and the corrupt immoral things they do, directly represent the 20's high society lifestyle. The characters continued to cheat on their spouses, let money become their obsession, and debated the American dream for the hopes of one day obtaining happiness. But the fact remains that they have no true morals or ideals of themselves as individuals. These are a group of people who --no matter how cocky and self- confident they seem-- have absolutely no idea of what they are doing (as many men and women of the 20's do not). Tom and Daisy are two examples. Daisy is a hospitable character who had a love for parties and tended to lose herself in them and the drinking. Daisy once said, "What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon, and the day after that, and the next thirty years?" This quote not only means she lives for one day at a time never thinking of the future, but that she truly has no idea of what to do with herself. She is like loose change floating around wandering from party to party, man to man, friend to friend, in a big house in East Egg with no sense of purpose. She once attempted to plan something when she first reunited with Nick. She said, "What'll we plan? What do people plan?" meaning she has never had to make decisions nor has she had much responsibility. Not only does she have no purpose, she has no morals. She literally killed a woman and went home to eat cold chicken. What more, her lover was killed and she left on a trip missing his funeral. Show me a woman who has no morals or goals and I'll show you a woman who is searching for her own identity. Tom Buchanan is a small man hiding in a big house with an equally large ego. In fact, he once remarked that women run around too much and meet the wrong kind of people. This statement is both arrogant and ironic because he runs around with the wrong people, and women run around with him- he being the wrong people. Also, when stating this he was 2000-02-14T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Great-Gatsby-Theme-and-character-anlysis-of-Tom-and-Daisy-1644.aspx Great Gatsby Symbolism What is unknown is often talked about as being mysterious, perhaps even ominous. Naturally, many people become curious and want to find out what lurks about in the dark and be able to say that they know what others do not. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, the main character, Jay Gatsby is quite enigmatic. Seclusion and isolation are well known to Gatsby, especially when it comes to his personal life and his history. Throughout the novel, except when with Nick or Daisy, Gatsby asserts himself as an observer, who would rather watch others than to join in with the crowd. The silhouette of a moving cat wavered across the moonlight, and turning my head to watch it, I saw that I was not alone--fifty feet away a figure had emerged from the shadow of my neighbor's mansion with his hands in his pockets . . . (p. 21) Being the absolute mystery that he is, Gatsby is this "silhouette of a moving cat," and lives his life this way. As this quote shows, Gatsby emerges from the shadow to reveal himself to Nick (who is one of a very few amount of people that he confides in with the truth of who he really is). Whether Gatsby is throwing extravagant parties in his own home or with a small group of people, who he is remains a secret. Gatsby is constantly encompassed by darkness and secrecy When Gatsby threw his large parties, he was rarely seen amongst his guests and was most often alone, observing them. "Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another."(p. 50) The one time that Gatsby is noticed talking to his guests is when he introduced himself to Nick and started a conversation with him. Yet, most of the time that he throws these parties at his own home, he is alone and does not socialize with the people who attend. Trying to understand Gatsby is a very difficult thing to do, because there is so much to grasp. Entering into the upper class of wealthy people, Gatsby not only held onto a secret past, but also had the hidden agenda of trying to get Daisy back, whom he had fallen in love with while in the war. As people became more and more curious as to where he came from and who he really was, Gatsby stepped farther 2000-02-11T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Great-Gatsby-Symbolism-1639.aspx The Great Gatsby In today society, many people like to follow the current. They want to catch the wave. Which mean, it does not matter if things were good or bad, right or wrong, they just follow and do them without any thinking. Therefore, there are not too many people would like to be a normal, thoughtful nor neutral person. However, in the novel, The Great Gatsby, by Scott Fitzgerald, one of the character name is Nike Carroway, he was the good and neutral narrator. It was because, in the novel, he analyzed all of the things with regard to accuracy of observation. In The Great Gatsby, when Mr.Gatsby told Vick he wantedto return the past over again with his lover- Daisy, Nike Carroway warned him to give it up, because it was impossible. Unforturately, Mr.Gatsby was not believe it. So at the end, Mr.Gatsby's dream still had not came true because Daisy did not break up with Tom and go with him. It can be seen in the last chapter on the novel, when Gatsby was murder, Daisy went to somewhere else with her husband, and did not go to Gatsby's funeray. <i>I called up Daisy half an hour after we found him, called her instinctively and without hersitation. But she and Tom had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them.</i> Therefore, Nike Carroway's analysis was right by these clear observation. However, Nike Carroway is a good narrator, he sees everything happen and does not trust everybody easily. So during the people discuss about something at a time, he does not believe it is true. After he proves it, he will accept the truth. Moreover, when Nike went to Gatsby's party, there is a drunk lady telling everyone Gatsby killed a man before. <i>Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once.</i> Also, there is one more lady said that Gatsby was a German spy: <i>It is more that he was a German spy during the war.</i> Nike heard it, but when Nike had a chance to have a lunch with Gatsby, he told Nike, he was an Oxford man and show him that fought in World War One. Then Nike knew Gatsby was not a German Spy nor a murderer. Furthermore, at the end of the novel, when Daisy drove Gatsby's car and killed Mrs.Wilson in a car accident, Nike's first though Gatsby killed Mrs.Wilson. But after Gatsby told him all of the things at 1999-11-24T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-1275.aspx The Great Gastby F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" is rich in symbolism, which is portrayed on several different levels in a variety of ways. One of the most important qualities of symbolism within this novel, is the way in which it is so fully integrated into the plot and structure. Some of the symbols are used mostly as tools for characterization such as Wolfsheim's cuff links, Gatsby's huge library of uncut books, and Tom's repeated gesture of physically pushing other people around. Other symbols such as Gatsby's car, symbolizing material wealth in America and its destructfulness, have a function in the plot as well as a more abstract significance. However, the major symbols such as the valley of ashes, the green light, and the east and west, are filled with meanings that go beyond the plot, and truly capture Fitzgerald's theme of this novel; the corruption of the American dream. The corruptive effect of wealth is shown by the conflict between the established rich, represented by the East Eggers, and the newly rich, represented by the West Eggers. West Egg is the home of the nouveaux riche, of Gatsby and those like him who have made huge fortunes, but lack the traditions associated with inherited wealth and are therefore vulgar. The East Eggers, represented by the Buchanans have the traditions and lack vulgarity, but they have been corrupted by the purposelessness and the empty futures their money has provided. The downfall of the American promise is also symbolized by the reversal of east and west. When the settlers came to the "New World" (America) to escape persecution and the corruption of their countries, they traveled from east to west. However, since the ideal has been corrupted, people travel from west to east attracted by the wealth and a materialistic life, masking the true emptiness of their goal of happiness. Daisy, Tom, Nick, Jordan, and Gatsby all were westerners, and by moving east, they moved from a world of values to a moral vacuum, represented by the "valley of ashes." The valley of ashes represent a modern world, which is like a grotesque hell created by modern industry. Factories and trains, produced in the manufacture of wealth, has polluted America with its wastes. It is a physical desert that symbolizes the spiritual desolation, that a society based on money creates. Overlooking the valley, are the sightless eyes of T.J. Ecklburg, an advertisement on a billboard 1999-11-06T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gastby-1124.aspx The Great Gatsby Symbolism Essay <center><b>The Hidden Story in Green and White</b></center> Color symbolism is really popular in novels written during the 1920's. One such example is Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. There is much color symbolism in this novel, but there are two main colors that stand out more than the others. The colors green and white influence the story greatly. Green shows many thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and choices that Gatsby has throughout the story. White represents the stereotypical façade that every character is hiding behind. The color green, as it is used in the novel, symbolizes different choices the character, Gatsby, can make during his life. The green element in this novel is taken from the green light at the end of the dock near Daisy's house. The color itself represents serenity, as in everything is perfect. This warns Gatsby that he should not pursue his dream for getting Daisy back, because his chance has passed and everything is as it should be. This is shown with Nick's insight, "...His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him... (Pg.189)" Another symbolization of the color green, which contradicts the first, is the meaning "go." As in a traffic light signal, most people associate green with the word and action "go." This can be interpreted as meaning Gatsby should go for his dream without hesitation. It implies that Gatsby and Daisy are meant to be together and nothing should stop Gatsby from his destined happiness and love with Daisy. It inspires hope for Gatsby that he is on the right path, heading towards the best years of his life. He believes that things will soon be as they once were, only better. ""I'm going to fix everything just the way they were before," he said nodding determinedly. "She'll see."(Pg. 117.)" The last symbolization the color green has in this novel is an urge to strive ahead in life, to do better in life and succeed. Gatsby changes his entire persona for a better, more sociable, image and status. He is constantly striving to be a more successful figure in society. Ever since he was a boy he put himself on a schedule with hopes for becoming a highly respected, well-known person. "He knew he had a big future in front of him. (Pg. 181)," his dad says about him. "Jimmy 1999-10-25T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-Symbolism-Essay-1090.aspx The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald comments on the lighthearted vivacity and the moral deterioration of the period. It possesses countless references to the contemporary period. The aimlessness and shallowness of the guests, the crazy extravagance of Gatsby's parties, and the indication of Gatsby's connection in the bootlegging business all represent the period and the American setting. But as a piece of social critique, The Great Gatsby also describes the defeat of the American dream, and that the American ideals differ with the actual social conditions that exist in society. For the American constitutions stands for the freedom, and equality among people, but the truth of the matter is that social discrimination still exists and the grouping among the classes can never be overcome. Myrtle's attempt to become a "member" of Tom's group is predestined to fail, because he is of the wealthier, more "sophisticated" class. Taking advantage of her animation, her lively nature, she tries to elude the rest of her class. She gets involved in an affair with Tom, and inherits his values, and his way of living. By doing so, she only demoralizes herself, and becomes corrupt like the rich are stereotyped to be. She belittles people from her own class, and loses all sense of honor that she once had. And for all her social desires, Myrtle never does find her place in Tom's "high brow" world of the rich. Fitzgerald portrays Myrtle's condition, obviously, as a minor reflection to Gatsby's more substantial struggle. While Myrtle's ambitions come from her social desires, Gatsby's are linked more to his idealism, his strong belief in life's opportunity. For sure, his desire is influenced by social considerations as well; Daisy, who is beautiful and rich, shows a lifestyle which is distant to Gatsby's and therefore is more attractive to him, because it is so far out of his reach. However, social status is not his premier reason for loving Daisy. It only leads him, and makes him subject to believe in life's great opportunity. Like Myrtle does, Gatsby fights to fit himself into another social group, the one of old money, but his attempt is more significant, because his whole faith in life is rested upon it. Therefore, his failure is much more frightful to him, as any larger dream's failure turns out to be. His whole objective, his confidence in life and himself is completely smashed when he fails to win Daisy's love. His death, when it arrives is nearly meaningless, for, with the 1999-10-05T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-1033.aspx The Great Gatsby - Buying the American Dream "Our great cities and our mighty buildings will avail us not if we lack spiritual strength to subdue mere objects to the higher purposes of humanity" (Harnsberger 14), is what Lyndon B. Johnson had to say about materialism. He knew the value of money, and he realized the power and effect of money. Money can have many effects, however money cannot buy happiness. Many people disbelieve this fact, and many continue to try and actually buy articles that make them happy. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Fizgerald keenly shows us how Jay Gatsby is one of these people. Gatsby believes that if he has money, he can do attain great goals. Gatsby is a sensible man, yet he has many false conceptions. Jay Gatsby believes that money can recreate the past, can buy him happiness, and can be helpful in achieving a level of prestige in the prominent East Egg. Jay Gatsby believes he can buy happiness; and this is exhibited through his house, his clothes, and through Daisy. He owns a large portion of finances due to some mysterious source of wealth, and he uses this mystery source to buy his house, his clothes, and Daisy. Gatsby's house, as Fitzgerald describes it, is "a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden" (Fitzgerald 9). This house, as Fitzgerald fabulously enlightens to, is an immaculate symbol of Gatsby's incalculable income. "The house he feels he needs in order to win happiness" (Bewley 24), is an elegant mansion; that of which an excellent symbol of carelessness is displayed and is part of Gatsby's own persona. Every Monday after a party, this house is kept by eight servants. It has its own entrance gate, and is big enough to hold hundreds of people at a time. His careless use for money to impress others is portrayed through his clothes; a gold metallic hat, silver vests and gold jackets. The shirts and clothes that are ordered every spring and fall show his simpleness in expressing his wealth to his beloved Daisy. His "beautiful shirts . . . It makes me sad because I've never seen such beautiful shirts before" (Fitzgerald 98). It seems silly to cry over simple shirts, but "It is 1999-06-05T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Gatsby-Buying-the-American-Dream-707.aspx Great Gatsby: Fitzgerald's View of American Society "What people are ashamed of usually makes a good story," was said of Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is about the American Society at its worst and the downfall of those who attempt to reach its illusionary goals. The idea is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness. To get his happiness Jay Gatsby must reach into the past and relive an old dream. In order to achieve his dream, he must have wealth and power. Fitzgerald was wrong in the way he presented Gatsby's American Society because of the way Gatsby made money, found love, and lived his life. The way in which Gatsby made money was a despicable practice. Gatsby's bootlegging business made him millions. The time during Prohibition in the 1920's was a opportune time to take advantage of the lack of alcohol and sell it for those who would pay large sums for it. Organized criminals catered to the needs of the drinking public by illegally supplying them with liquor. The book and Fitzgerald didn't reference straight to this crime but implied that the American Society was blameworthy in its dealings with the problem. This is not the case in the least. The period know as the Roaring Twenties will always be remembered for its glittering lights and unbridles romances, not the crime. The manner in which these characters found love was also very upsetting. Gatsby spent countless years obtaining his fortune for one purpose only, to win back Daisy Buchanan. The quote, "Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay," demonstrates just how desperate Gatsby was to buy anything to impress his longtime love of Daisy. Affairs were commonplace in the book and in the time. Parties and having a good time easily influenced these actions. There are millions of cases in the American Society where the girl was not won over by money. A girl would not marry a guy because of their social status or financial status. If someone does not have enough respect for themselves to marry the person they love for their character, then the rest of their life is going to be full of embarrassment and failure to truly love. The process of morally living life in this story was also a challenge. Daisy wanted material possessions her whole life and couldn't be satisfied otherwise. Gatsby wanted her and wouldn't be 1999-03-14T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Great-Gatsby-Fitzgerald-s-View-of-American-Society-608.aspx