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Nick's character analysis in The Great Gatsby
Literary Analysis Of'The Great Gatsby
Literary Analysis Of'The Great Gatsby
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Racism is very prominent in the late 1920’s. White people establish segregated institutions and they feel as though, because they are white, they are inherently superior to all other races. In The Great Gatsby, set in the 1920’s, F. Scott Fitzgerald subtly shows this racism. Three main characters show the racism: Nick, an unsuccessful businessman; Tom, a wealthy polo player; and Daisy, Tom’s wealthy wife. Nick narrates the story so the racism he exhibits is shown in his descriptions and perceptions of others around him. Racism towards African- Americans and Jews also comes up frequently in normal conversation between the Buchanans and Nick. The white society, represented by Nick and the Buchanans, feel like they are superior to other races and they are entitled to subjugate them. In many cases, both Nick and the Buchanans casually discuss the inferiority of …show more content…
the African-American race. Tom enjoys reading articles about society and science. He talks to Nick about this one book he read, The Rise of the Colored Empires, which “scientifically” explains what would happen if African-Americans got into power. “The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be - will be utterly submerged… It’s up to us who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will have control of things” (17). Tom thinks that if other races manage to gain power and wealth, the white race will fall therefore leaving civilization in pieces. He feels that all races besides the Nordic race are inferior and are not capable of running their own society without the assistance of whites. Even Daisy agrees with this proclaiming “We’ve got to beat them down”(17). The idea is that it is not enough just to be white, they also have to take advantage of other races in order to keep the white supremacist society. Later on, Nick rides with his neighbor Gatsby. Perhaps because of the “advice” he received from Tom about the possible collapse of white supremacy, Nick notices a certain car that passes them. “As we crossed Blackwells Island a limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish Negroes, two bucks and a girl” (73). Nick was surprised at the wealth of these black people. They were able to afford a limousine and a white chauffeur. Nick is distraught with what he saw. He had no idea that there were black people in the world that had it better off than some white people (the chauffeur). He also refers to the black men as “bucks” which is essentially comparing them to animals. Tom again brings up the inferiority of African-Americans when he expresses his beliefs in marriage. “Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white” (137). Tom disapproves of interracial marriage due to his belief that other races are inherently inferior to the white society and they should not be associated with each other. Nick also believes in the inferiority of Jews when he describes all the Jews he meets by their noses.
Jews in the 1920’s were thought to greedy and most Jews have a specific nose that many people describe them by. When Nick first meets Wolfshiem, he only describes him by his nose. “A small flat-nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril. After a moment I discovered his tiny eyes in the half darkness” (73-74). The way that Nick describes Wolfshiem essentially mocks his appearance. He has small eyes and a large nose so Nick describes him first by his nose and then “after a moment” he realizes that he has eyes. Nick says there are “two fine growths of hair” in each nostril which is rude and to most people, it makes them feel repulsed from Wolfshiem. Everything that Wolfshiem does is described by his nose. “Mr. Wolfshiem’s nose flashed at me indignantly” (75), not Wolfshiem himself. When Wolfshiem is intrigued, Nick describes it as “His nostrils turned to me in an interested way” (75). Nick stereotypes the Jews by their
noses. The Buchanans believe in the superiority of the Nordic (white) race which is shown through their comments about civilization.
Chapter 1: Chapter one introduces the reader to the narrator Nick Halloway and most of the other other characters of the story. Including his cousin daisy, her husband tom and their friend jordan - the golfer. Nick comes from a wealthy family; however, doesn’t believe in inheriting their wealth. Instead he wishes to earn his own wealth by selling bonds in the stock market. Chapter one also talks about the separation of the rich. Where the east egg represents the inherently rich whereas west egg represents the newly rich. The people in the east also seem to lack social connections and aristocratic pedigree. Whereas the people in west egg possess all those qualities usually lacked by people in the east.With nick living
Cruelty plays a major part in developing an author’s portrayal of different characters, as well as the connection between these characters and what they represent. As a young writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald grew up in Minnesota, and in many ways his life is paralleled by the background of Nick Carraway, the narrator and a character in his book The Great Gatsby. In this novel, Fitzgerald uses many strategies to develop each character - among these is the cruelty of one character towards another. The most significant act of cruelty in the book is Daisy Buchanan’s role in Myrtle’s death, and her actions following this death. By connecting her to the high class, the author articulates his outlook and attitude towards the ideologies and values of the
The Great Gatsby: The Impact of Race and Gender F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1922) involves some important social issues and anxieties, such as race and gender. Throughout the nine chapters, he uses his characters to deliver a message on how the effects of power and inequality coincide with the social norms of the twentieth century. In the text, the characters are involved in a love triangle that has been threaded together by deception and greed; and also, we have the perspective of an outsider, who is eventually entangled into an already unkempt situation. In reading, you would see that wearing a different face is common nature to these characters. However, Fitzgerald channeled both theatrics and facts through Nick Carraway and playfully executed the ideology of racism and sexism.
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.
...nts of conversation with Nick, the characters remain on the levels of small talk and public knowledge. The only insight given to their lives is that they can easily be defined by a stereotype. Daisy is the Southern Belle/Easterner: rich, proper, and reckless. Gatsby is a Western Pioneer: continuously working toward his dreams. Tom is the Rich Easterner Jock: large, hypocritical, and ignorant. Fitzgerald used these common 1920's stereotypes to create the one-dimensional characters in this very multi-dimensional story, The Great Gatsby.
F. Scott Fitzgerald was accurate in his portrayal of the aristocratic flamboyancy and indifference of the 1920s. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores many aspects of indifference and flamboyancy. A large influence on this society was the pursuit of the American Dream. Gangsters played a heavily influential role in the new money aristocracy of the 1920s. The indifference was mainly due to the advent of Prohibition in 1920. One major societal revolution in this period was that of the “new women,” who expressed new actions and beliefs. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald accurately portrayed his characters Nick Carraway, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, and the novel’s eponym, Jay Gatsby, as a part of the society of the 1920s.
Hugh Hefner once said, “I looked back on the roaring Twenties, with its jazz, 'Great Gatsby' and the pre-Code films as a party I had somehow managed to miss.” The parties of the Roaring Twenties were used to symbolize wealth and power in a society that was focused more on materialism and gossip than the important things in life, like family, security, and friends. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, portrays the characters of Tom and Daisy Buchanan as the epitome of the era. The reader sees these characters acting selfishly and trying to meddle with others’ lives. On the other hand, Nick Carraway, the narrator, acts more to help others and act honestly. Initially the reader sees Carraway’s views towards Jay Gatsby as negative as Gatsby’s actions are perceived as being like the Buchanan’s. As the novel moves forward, the reader notices a change in Carraway’s attitude towards Gatsby. Carraway sees Gatsby for whom he truly is, and that is a loving person who only became rich to win Daisy’s heart. But in this the reader also sees how corrupt and hurtful Gatsby’s actions were to the love of his life. Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy reveals that just as Gatsby’s dream of wooing Daisy is corrupted by illegalities and dishonesty, the “American Dream” of friendship and individualism has disintegrated into the simple pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasure.
Racism was common all throughout the early twentieth century. For instance, according to bbc.co.uk, “In 1921 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a serious race riot took place and 25 blacks and 9 whites were killed” and, “By the mid-1920s, the Klan had over 100,000 members”. In addition, according to www1.assumption.edu, “Ford became a virulent anti-Semite”, showing that the 1920s were filled with racism against multiple races. Likewise, racism is not absent from The Great Gatsby and is often overlooked in its significance throughout the novel. It is largely portrayed through Tom Buchanan, a rich, caucasian-nordic male.
Jordan’s and Gatsby’s memories of Daisy, the piecing together of Gatsby’s actual history and Nick’s reflections on his own life belong to different eras and possibly jumping between these different timelines and impressions and Nick’s present impressions would have been inelegant. Fitzgerald places him in this hard position for a reason, to help him reveal just how befoul the society was becoming. Rather, William Voegeli, a critic of “Gatsby and the pursuit of happiness” shows a different side to this, he states, “Nick rents, Gatsby buys, and the Buchanans inherit,” also stating “”you’re no better than anybody else and no one else is better than you” (William Voegeli 1). Which shown in the novel is not true, Nick is a middle class character compared to the magnificent West Egg class.
The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald F.S, 1925) is a novel which focuses on narrator Nick Carraway after he moves to New York in 1922. Nick is drawn into the world of wealthy and mysterious neighbour Jay Gatsby, and his quest to rekindle his love with Nick’s cousin Daisy Buchanan. This does not quite go to plan, and an unraveling chain of events leads to a fatal hit-and-run with Gatsby’s own death following shortly after. This essay will however be focusing on the women of the novel: Daisy Buchanan; Jordan Baker; and Myrtle Wilson. These three women are all radically different from one another upon first glance, but all are subject to the sexism of the time period. Fitzgerald portrays love as a battle, a “struggle for power in an
American educator, Booker T. Washington, once said, “There are two ways of exerting one’s strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up”. A way to build one’s self-esteem or value is through actions and interactions. One can be seen as hard-working while others act in ways that make them seem more valuable. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place in the 1920’s, the era of glamour and extravagance. In the novel, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, Jay Gatsby, and Nick Carraway spend a summer together attending ostentatious parties and indulging in the life of luxury and excess. During the summer the characters learn who they are and the reality of those surrounding them. Additionally, the reader discovers Nick’s moral values, of not
Fitzgerald and Questions of Racism in The Great Gatsby Racism is one of the most overlooked themes in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. This does not make it a racist book, but it does provide some uncomfortable moments for anyone reading the novel. At certain points, one is forced to ask, “Is this just Carraway’s naive, unEastern ways coming to the surface, or is there truly a racist point of view at work?” The novel isn’t intended to be an analysis of racism, nor is it intended to be a didactic work in the vein of Lee’s
Restraining the American people, the rigid structure of society evokes a strong desire to rebel against societal pressure, seen in many pieces of American literature. In many of their novels, American authors portray this feeling as being the most strong in youth, or those in transition to adulthood. Helplessly, these individuals feel as if they are not quite adults, but also not children. For this reason they are confused by societal expectations, and in return rebel. According to Salinger, many young American individuals feel confined by the expectations of society. In like manner, they go against the wishes of others in order to find themselves. In many cases a sense of being held back by society catalyzes rebellion. Naturally, individuals
Racism played a huge role between conflicts that happened. Blacks were treated unfairly by the whites. White people were powerful people that had control over Clare was passing because she wanted to get out of the white oppression over blacks. “Catlike...the best word that describe Clare Kendry” (Larsen, P.2). Clare’s friend Irene Redfield’s presents a despairing tone because Clare decides to pass as a white woman instead of embracing her true race. Irene looks down upon people who passes by creating a new identity for themselves just so society would accept who she is as a new woman and not looked down upon. In the “Great Gatsby”, Gatsby wanted to achieve the American dream. “ he hurried the phrase educated at Oxford” (Fitzgerald.P.65). This quote that was said by the narrator, Nick Carraway, demonstrates an anxious tone from Gatsby when he was telling Nick about himself and his wealth. The American dream was to be wealthy and powerful. Being capable of having those two in his hands, he’s able to show Daisy his love by showering her with all the money he had. In retrospect, Daisy left Gatsby because he was poor and not for who he is. Now that Gatsby came back with money, Daisy still doesn’t want him. Both characters changing their identity to be someone else, thinking it would help make the situation better just makes it worst. Money and changing your own identity, can’t buy happiness instead, it brings self destruction and misery to their
The 1920’s were a time of social and technological change. After World War II, the Victorian values were disregarded, there was an increase in alcohol consumption, and the Modernist Era was brought about. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a perfect presentation of the decaying morals of the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald uses the characters in the novel--specifically the Buchanans, Jordan Baker, and Gatsby’s partygoers--to represent the theme of the moral decay of society.