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Compare and contrast great gatsby to the american dream
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Compare and contrast great gatsby to the american dream
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The 1920’s was a period full of entrepreneurs in search of the ‘American Dream.’ F. Scott Fitzgerald was not excluded from this group, writing Winter Dream and the better-known Great Gatsby in search of wealth and fame. The Great Gatsby was published in 1925 as an embodiment of the life Fitzgerald desired. However, before The Great Gatsby, he wrote a ‘rough draft’ with a similar plot called Winter Dream. Within both stories, the abundance of resources caused the characters to be ignorant to their demise. In both works, the main characters Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green struggle with society while trying to steal their first loves, Daisy Buchanan and Judy Jones. Given that Winter Dream is the primary draft of The Great Gatsby, the similar characters …show more content…
were to be expected, specifically the main characters Dexter Green and Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green’s characteristics are both similar and different by honesty, perception by others, and plot. The rich main character of the Great Gatsby is Jay Gatsby.
Jay Gatsby is extravagant and throws many parties to seem innocent and well-loved by his colleagues. However, Jay Gatsby is different from his predecessor in ways of honesty and mystery. In terms of mystery, the characters of the story speculate about Gatsby being German spy or the cousin of power in Germany. Additionally, Gatsby is not an honest man. He tells narrator Nick, “I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford, because all my ancestors have been educated there for many years. It is a family tradition.” (Fitzgerald 65). Gatsby is leading the audience to believe that he is well-educated because he tells them he was educated at a prestigious school. This would be beneficial to him because it would make him seem more appealing as a business partner. Later in the novel though, Gatsby admits that he only stayed at Oxford for five months and that's why he doesn’t say he’s an ‘Oxford man.’ (Fitzgerald 129). The truth shows that Gatsby may not be as educated as he was leading his acquaintances to think. The contrast between the way Gatsby led his surrounding supporters and the reveal of his truth confirms to the reader that Gatsby lies to people in order to appear more attractive. Concluding, Gatsby is dishonest and mysterious. On the other hand, Dexter has a different set of …show more content…
characteristics. Dexter Green is the main character of Fitzgerald’s Winter Dreams.
He is a desperate businessman chasing after his first love, Judy Jones, to make his jump between social classes less artificial. Dexter’s traits have key differences between him and Gatsby, including honesty and the way he is perceived. Firstly, he says to Judy that, “I’m probably making more money than any man my age in the Northwest. I know that’s obnoxious remark, but you advised me to start right.” (Winter Dreams 5). This quote highlights one of the biggest dissimilarities between the characters which is the way they are perceived. Gatsby is seen as mysterious, and many do not know his origins, whereas Dexter shows he is forthright with his acquaintances. Next, Mr. Mortimer Jones described Dexter as willing, intelligent, quiet, honest, and grateful. (Winter Dreams 1). The description by Mrs. Jones shows that Dexter is perceived as honest. Concluding, honesty is one of the most obvious differences between the characters. On the other hand, Gatsby and Dexter also have multiple
resemblances. Even though the main characters have a lot of differences, they also have a lot of similarities. Both Dexter and Gatsby chase a girl who eventually destroys their spirit. In The Great Gatsby, Jay chases Daisy. “... knew that when he kissed this girl (Daisy) and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God.” (Great Gatsby 110). In the quote, Gatsby is saying that he knew when he fell for Daisy he would never get over her. Parallely, in Winter Dreams, “As so frequently would be the case in the future, Dexter was unconsciously dictated to by his winter dreams.” (Winter Dreams 2). This shows that in Dexter’s case, his ‘winter dream’ was Judy, and he was dictated his entire life to her. Concluding, Gatsby and Dexter are similar in the way that they chased their first love. Also, both of the main characters were destroyed by their intense love. “...so he gave that up, and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, despairingly, toward that lost voice across the room.” (Great Gatsby 134). This quote shows that Gatsby being with Daisy was unable to happen, and Gatsby began to feel depressed. There is a similar quote in Winter Dreams. “‘Long ago,’ he said, ‘long ago, there was something in me, but now that thing is gone. Now that thing is gone, that thing is gone. I cannot cry. I cannot care. That thing will come back no more.’” (Winter Dreams 9). In this case, ‘that thing’ Green is referencing is his first love, Judy. Furthermore, he continues to say that he is so sad, he is unable to cry. Overall, both main characters had an intense passion for their first love, and this passion destroyed them. The quotes between the two books shows that there are many similarities between Gatsby and Green. Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green are both the same and different because of their honesty and perception by others. Gatsby was dishonest and mysterious, whereas Green was honest and forthright. Even so, Jay and Dexter were similar because they had chased their first love all the way into their demise. Everything considered, it was not surprising to find the similarities between Dexter and Gatsby because Dexter was the rough draft for the character of Gatsby. On the other hand, it was not expected to find the differences between them. Overall, Fitzgerald created two unforgettable characters, Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green.
Nick Carroway is not a very judgmental person, in fact, he himself states that he withholds judgment so that he can get the entire story out of the person to whom he is listening. To say that Nick is both approving and disapproving is not suspiring, for Nick rarely looks at things from only one perspective. Nick finds Gatsby to be ignorantly honest, in that Gatsby could not fathom the idea of saying something without really meaning it. He respects Gatsby for his determination to fit in with the East Egg crowd, though Gatsby does not realize that he does not really fit in with them. On the other hand, Nick sees Gatsby to be excessively flashy and, in the words of Holden Caulfield, 'phony.' Gatsby's whole life is a lie from the moment he left behind the name James Gatz and became Jay Gatsby. Gatsby lies about his past to try to have people perceive him as an 'old money' guy when that really is not necessary. Gatsby's valiant efforts to lure Daisy are respectable, yet they show Gatsby's failure to accept reality and give up on his long lost dream.
No one can be perfect in everything; it is good to make mistakes as long as we learn from them. Jay Gatsby was a man of secrets; he leaves an insightful mark on every person he talks to. Gatsby’s neighbor, Nick, says “it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men.”(Fitzgerald 6-7). Nick was simply appalled by Gatsby and wanted to know about him and any secrets he may have, Nick felt Gatsby was a great man of mystery and was extremely interesting. Gatsby told Nick “I don’t want you to get a wrong idea of me from all these stories you hear” (69), then opened himself up to Nick and told him “My family all died and I came into
The similarities between Jay and Dexter are quite apparent when reading each story. They both come from the Midwest and although Dexter’s family has some money, both are similar in the fact that they did not start out as wealthy, upper class men from rich families. Their hard work and determination to make their own wealth and acquire the luxuries and social status that come with it are completely by their own doing. Both men achieve their goals of the American dream at a relatively young age and are able to be a part of the high society they once observed from a distance. Their desire to amass wealth and the perks associated with it come with an ulterior motive, to win back the girls they desire that will only be with them if they have the wealth and status to bring to the table.
The Great Gatsby is a book filled with dynamic characters, written by a dynamic person. Throughout the book, the themes and situations are on many symbolic levels. The Great Gatsby is such a novel, that the hero is portrayed to the reader by a man who, with seemingly no effort, will not judge a man easily. He perceives him, takes him in, and analyzes him. This man’s name is not, in fact, Gatsby, but Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story. The man who is being perceived, of course, is Jay Gatsby, our hero.
Gatsby has this mysteriousness about his character and in the novel when Gatsby first introduces himself to Nick; something is drawn to finding out more about the man called “Gatsby”. Gatsby only reveals little about himself throughout his relationship with Nick, and the first time that he reveals his character to Nick, he is very interested “ My incredulity was submerged in fascination now; it was like skimming hastily through a dozen magazines.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald pg.72) Nick’s perception of Gatsby is show through this quote by him showing fascination and interest towards Gatsby’s character. When Gatsby shows him tokens from his past, nick is like a kid in a candy store, looking through all of the tokens, wanting more and more, but Gatsby only tells him a little about himself. Nick thinks that Gatsby is interesting because of what he tells and shows him, but a major part of why he is so interesting to Nick is because he only has revealed little of his character, where Nick wants to see all of it. Gatsby is called a great man in this novel, and what makes him so great is the way that he reveals himself to others. Gatsby does not make interactions with too many people, and that is part of why he is so “great” when you meet him. At his parties there is a mysterious mood that settles once his name is said because of al the contradicting rumors of who he is. When Nick is
“The American Dream”. What is it? What is it all about? “The American Dream” by definition is; the idea that everyone should have an equal opportunity to live a successful life through hard work and dedication. In both the novel ; The Great Gatsby, as well as the film ; Catch Me If You Can, both protagonists, James Gatz (Gatsby) and, Frank Abagnale Jr demonstrate how they view their own “American Dream” as well as how they pursued it. Although they both view it differently, they both pursue it in similar ways.
The American Dream There is no set definition to be found anywhere of the true meaning of The American Dream. Any hope, dream, or goal pursued by anyone in the history of America is an American Dream. In modern times the accepted dream seems to be 2.5 children, a house with a white picket fence, and a perfect spouse. However, as it is shown throughout literature from the early days of America to contemporary times, the American Dream is not always so simple a concept. America was originally founded on the dream of freedom.
As the narrator of the novel, every event and piece of knowledge presented in the The Great Gatsby is filtered through Nick, although he credits himself as “one of the few honest people that I have ever known” the reader can deduce his inclination to lie, since his hypocritical comment that in spite of his “[inclination] to reserve all judgements” he has become “the victim of not a few veteran bores” (Fitzgerald 59, 1). Nick desires to be part of the upper class shown through his move to West Egg and his values held in luxury over truth causing him to highly regard tactfully convincing liars and mock amateurs. He admires a woman whose bold lies show a “surprising amount of character”, yet claims “dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply” (Fitzgerald 163, 58). On the other hand, Gatsby’s vibrant, “threadbare” yarns are worthy of mocking along with his supposed ruby collection and overly excited display of his Oxford photograph to prove he went there. While Nick is quick to point out deceit in the ways of others, he is oblivious to his own bias, hypocrisy, and lies, creating a delusion of self-righteousness. After starting to go out with Jordan, he reveals a “vague understanding” with a girl back in Minnesota, Nick’s home, that should be
When looking at Jay Gatsby, one sees many different personalities and ideals. There is the gracious host, the ruthless bootlegger, the hopeless romantic, and beneath it all, there is James Gatz of North Dakota. The many faces of Gatsby make a reader question whether they truly know Gatsby as a person. Many people question what exactly made Jay Gatsby so “great.” These different personas, when viewed separately, are quite unremarkable in their own ways.
The Great Gatsby is a story of the American Dream. The Great Gatsby is a view into the society of the 1920's masterfully created by Fitzgerald. In this society, the one and only Gatsby falls right into the middle. Gatsby is an exemplary example of one trying to live out the American Dream.
The novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, provides the reader with a character that possesses qualities both challenging to understand and difficult to endorse. These characteristics show themselves through the character’s desire and passion to pursue his dream. Jay Gatsby, an elusive, persuasive, and sometimes deceptive man displays such contrast in his moral foundation that leaves the reader questioning his true motives at nearly every action. There is an argument to be made that Gatsby is both great and not so great, making him the epitome of moral ambiguity. For example, Nick, another major character, who happens to be the narrator of the story, first describes Gatsby in the opening chapter of the novel as someone who he both
Gatsby is not so great because he is a liar. From the very start Gatsby is said to be an alumnus from Oxford, who fought in WWI, hunted big game, and had parents from the Midwest. He even justifies himself when Nicks asks and Gatsby pulls out a picture of him at Oxford and a WWI medal that he carried around in his pocket. He even changed his name, James Gatz to Jay Gatsby, but why? “James Gatz – that was really, or at least legally, his name. He had changed it at the age of seventeen and at the specific moment that witnessed the beginning of his career” (6). Gatsby is mysterious and mystifying, known for his large parties yet no one knows why he has them. Keep in mind this is the prohibition era, but at Gatsby’s parties there is always plenty of alcohol to go around and no one knows where it comes from or how he acquires so much, one of the many mysteries. In attendance at these parties there are people like Meyer Wolfshiem “the man who really did fix the 1919 World Series” (118), to the mayors and governors. More questions arise in this company as to how Gatsby is associated with gangsters and why they attend these large parties. It is completely ironic how so many attend these parties but none ...
The 1920’s was a time of great change to both the country lived in as well as the goals and ambitions that were sought after by the average person. During this time, priorities shifted from family and religion to success and spontaneous living. The American dream, itself, changed into a self centered and ongoing personal goal that was the leading priority in most people’s lives. This new age of carelessness and naivety encompasses much of what this earlier period is remembered for. In addition, this revolution transformed many of the great writers and authors of the time as well as their various works. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, perfectly symbolizes many emergent trends of the 1920’s. More importantly the character of Jay Gatsby is depicted as a man amongst his American dream and the trials he faces in the pursuit of its complete achievement. His drive for acquiring the girl of his dreams, Daisy Buchanan, through gaining status and wealth shows many aspects of the authors view on the American dream. Through this, one can hope to disassemble the complex picture that is Fitzgerald’s view of this through the novel. Fitzgerald believes, through his experiences during the 1920’s, that only fractions of the American Dream are attainable, and he demonstrates this through three distinct images in The Great Gastby.
The American Dream, “a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S.” (Dictionary.com) In both the Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, the American dream is a key concept throughout the book. Although the American dream is not the same for everyone, it still has the same result every time. It is truly just a dream. It is unrealistic and clouds your judgment, yet some still try to achieve it.
The novel, The Great Gatsby focuses on one of the focal characters, James Gatz, also known as Jay Gatsby. He grew up in North Dakota to a family of poor farm people and as he matured, eventually worked for a wealthy man named Dan Cody. As Gatsby is taken under Cody’s wing, he gains more than even he bargained for. He comes across a large sum of money, however ends up getting tricked out of ‘inheriting’ it. After these obstacles, he finds a new way to earn his money, even though it means bending the law to obtain it. Some people will go to a lot of trouble in order to achieve things at all costs. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, conveys the numerous traits of Jay Gatsby through the incidents he faces, how he voices himself and the alterations he undergoes through the progression of the novel. Gatsby possesses many traits that help him develop as a key character in the novel: ambitious, kind-hearted and deceitful all of which is proven through various incidents that arise in the novel.