Perhaps one of the greatest ways Fitzgerald establishes the horrific times of the 1920s occurs when he evokes sympathy for Gatsby regarding his tragic death and the after affects. One night, after being in New York City for the day, Daisy and Gatsby are driving back to Daisy’s home. Daisy’s husband, Tom, has not remained faithful to her since their wedding day and he is in an affair with a woman named Myrtle Wilson. The road from New York City back to Daisy’s home travels past the home of Myrtle Wilson. As Daisy and Gatsby are driving by, Myrtle sees the car and recognizes that Tom was driving it earlier. Thinking that Tom is currently driving the car, Myrtle thinks that Tom has come to get her and take her with him. Myrtle then runs out to the car, but the car does not stop because Daisy is driving it, and ends up accidentally hitting and killing Myrtle. However, when George Wilson finds out that his wife has been killed, he is wrongly told that Gatsby was the one driving the vehicle. George Wilson becomes so upset by this that he goes to Gatsby house and shoots him. This event creates sympathy for Gatsby because he gets killed for an crime that he did not commit. Gatsby’s tell also signifies his love for Daisy and how he was willing to take the blame for the murder, so that Daisy would not suffer any …show more content…
The Great Gatsby displays how the time of the 1920s brought people to believe that wealth and material goods were the most important things in life, and that separation of the social classes was a necessary need. Fitzgerald’s choice to expose the 1920s for the corrupt time that it really was is what makes him one of the greatest authors of his time, and has people still reading one of his greatest novels, The Great Gatsby, decades
From early civilizations to modern day social systems, economic status has always been a determining factor of power. Kings, queens, dukes, princes, and princesses possessed the greatest amount of wealth and thus the greatest amount of power over others. By having large amounts of wealth, royalty could control the actions of others below their economic status. This fact even applies the functions of modern American society. For instance, regardless of the specific circumstance, wealthy individuals have power over the actions of those below them. They control others by buying their loyalty or simply through others’ envy of them. Such principles can be applied to both men and women of wealth. The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald,
“Nick-” she reluctantly drew words. “-Did I ever tell you of the letter Myrtle sent Tom, back in Christmas, about three years ago?” I already knew I didn’t want to have this conversation. I wanted to sit and hold my breath like a toddler until I got my way and she withheld this talk with me.
Many of the occurrences in The Great Gatsby produced far-reaching effects for several of the characters. Of these occurrences, one of the most influential and important incidents was the death of Myrtle Wilson. While her life and death greatly affected the lives of all of the main and supporting characters, her death had a very significant effect on the lives of Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby.
The 1920’s was a time of prosperity, woman’s rights, and bootleggers. F. Scott Fitzgerald truly depicts the reality of this era with The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby, an enormously wealthy man, is famous for his extravagant parties and striking residence. However, this is all that is known about Gatsby. Even his closest friends continue to wonder what kind of man Gatsby actually is. The mysteriousness of Gatsby is demonstrated by conceivable gossip, his random departures, and the missing parts of his past.
Considered as the defining work of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925, when America was just coming out of one of the most violent wars in the nation’s history. World War 1 had taken the lives of many young people who fought and sacrificed for our country on another continent. The war left many families without fathers, sons, and husbands. The 1920s is an era filled with rich and dazzling history, where Americans experienced changes in lifestyle from music to rebellion against the United States government. Those that are born into that era grew up in a more carefree, extravagant environment that would affect their interactions with others as well as their attitudes about themselves and societal expectations. In this novel, symbols are used to represent the changing times and create a picture of this era for generations to come. The history, settings, characters, and symbols embedded in The Great Gatsby exemplify life in America during the 1920s.
The Great Gatsby “The Great Gatsby”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, depicts the vast social difference between the old aristocrats, the new self-made rich and the poor. He vividly interprets the social stratification during the roaring twenties as each group has their own problems to deal with. Old Money, who have fortunes dating from the 19th century, have built up powerful and influential social connections, and tend to hide their wealth and superiority behind a veneer of civility. The New Money made their fortunes in the 1920s boom and therefore have no social connections and tend to overcompensate for this lack with lavish displays of wealth. As usual, the No Money gets overlooked by the struggle at the top, leaving them forgotten or ignored.
For many, death could truly be the worst thing to happen. The theme of morality is explored thoroughly both literally and metaphorically throughout Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. While murder is certainly gruesome, it can also be a symbolic form of karma. The murder of Jay Gatsby, not that of Myrtle Wilson, is the greater crime. This is demonstrated using the presence of hope, for Gatsby unmaterialistic views while Myrtle suffers from the clouded view of false glamour. Tragedy offers another opportunity to explain how Jay Gatsby’s death was wrongfully served, whereas Myrtle’s death was payment for her sins. Finally, one could argue that Jay’s death was deliberate revenge while Myrtle’s was not.
Fitzgerald sets up the scene of Gatsby’s death with changing weather. From the beginning of the chapter Fitzgerald mentions how autumn has arrived, and autumn has the message of the end of life. In this chapter, we also find out why Gatsby fell in love with Daisy and that was because “she was the first ‘nice’ girl he had ever known.” But Gatsby had to go to the army and Daisy ended up meeting Tom. Gatsby, however, was convinced he can get Daisy back by telling Nick “of course she could of loved him, just for a minute…”. Gatsby’s love ended up with him taking the “blame” for Myrtle’s death. George Wilson was still devastated with his wife’s death, and he wanted to get revenge on the killer. Therefore, he decided to kill Gatsby and himself -
In the past century in America, one of the decades that has stood out most as a time of change is the 1920s. In a post-war economic boom, the decade was a time of cultural and societal change. Among the parties and the more relaxed way of life, Americans experienced new wealth and luxury. Capturing the essence of the Roaring Twenties is a daunting task, especially because of the many different factors contributing to the decade’s fame. However, F. Scott Fitzgerald managed to capture and define the spirit of the 1920s through his novel. In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the characters and events of the novel manifest the trademark qualities of America in the 1920s.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald took place in the 1920’s when the nation was undergoing rapid economic, political, and social change. Looking through different literary lenses the reader is able to see the effects of these rapid changes. The marxist lens reflects the gap between rich and poor while the feminist lens showcases the patriarchal society.
“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, he told me, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had,” (Fitzgerald 5). The Great Gatsby, by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, is about the troubles of an elite society throughout the “Roaring Twenties.” Throughout the story there are several symbols that help Fitzgerald advance and help the quality of the plot and the themes of the novel.
Throughout the existence of the human species, men have always been superior to women. It could of been a biblical standpoint that created this ideology, but it influenced many American literature today and for many years. In Fitzgerald's novel, “The Great Gatsby,” is describes life after the second world war, and since prohibition is in effect, many become wealthy through bootlegging. Nick Carraway, the main character, is the cousin of Daisy, and the neighbor of Gatsby, and plays the ultimate role in Gatsby’s and Daisy’s affair. Women for the most part in this book, are seen truly as trophy wives, encouraging the concept of being seen and not heard, "All right, I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool-that the best thing a girl can
In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a minor character to develop the theme that based on a character’s relations with others, they can have a different outcome. As the reader knows about Tom Buchanan’s affair with Myrtle Wilson, Myrtle was asked if she had any right to mention Daisy’s name, which she didn’t know was the wife of Tom: “ ‘Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ shouted Mrs. Wilson. ‘I’ll say it whenever I want to! Dai-’ Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (37). By this quote, it is quite vivid to see that Tom, is quick to anger, as they were discussing. However, Myrtle, on the other hand, still continues this relationship with Tom Buchanan even though she was the victim to his temper. As their affair continues through the chapters, Tom, Nick, and Jordan stops by a garage owned by George Wilson, as Tom and Mr. Wilson were talking, Myrtle was upstairs peering down from her window: “but on Myrtle Wilson’s face it seemed purposeless and inexplicable until I realized that her eyes, wide with jealous terror- -on Jordan Baker, whom she took to be his wife” (125).
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.
F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby in 1925 reflecting the absurdity of the 1920s or the “Gilded Age.” The roaring 20s were a unique time in the American society with a strong contrast in wealth. A strong contrast of wealth meaning, the rich were extremely rich and the poor were extremely poor. Fitzgerald depicts the class conflicts through his characters. Tom one of the main characters portrays the superior upper class. Daisy Tom’s wife demonstrates female inferiorityinfeorioty of the time. Gatsby the upstart, earns his money to make Daisy fall in love with him. Nick the main character the observer, realizes that all the class conflict is time consuming and meaningless. Fitzgerald uses his characters to convey the wealth and class conflict in the 1920s.