Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Social effect of the great depression on the American society essay
Meaning of the great gatsby symbolism
The affect of the great depression
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Due to the high rising scene of this social media based world, there has been a decline in the world of literature. There has always been a strong correlation between reading and performing well academically and for that reason it is crucial that high school’s across the country provide reading curriculum that encompasses an accurate historical outlook, forces critical thinking, and accessible language and syntax for the high school level. The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a worthy example of a suitable high school material as it incorporates a provoking view of the 1920’s, uses symbols that forces the reader to think beyond, and provides and simple yet complex read at the literal level. Due to these factors every student in …show more content…
America should read this all American classic. The Great Gatsby takes place in the midst of 1920’s after World War 1.
The novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway is a young man from Mid West who recently moves to New York in hopes to be successful in the business of bonds. Nick befriends his mysteriously wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby. The millionaire Mr. Gatsby takes pride in throwing the most lavish parties in his Long Island mansion. The reason behind the decadent parties are to capture the attention of the lovely Daisy Buchanan, who happens to be Nick’s cousin. Daisy is the wife of Tom Buchanan a successful yet arrogant and unfaithful Yale graduate. Daisy and Gatsby had history in the past, but after Gatsby left for war Daisy broke her promise and married Tom. As Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship begins to rekindle Tom becomes suspicious and envious of their “friendship” although he himself is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson a co-owner of a run-down car shop. As Tom’s jealousy prevails he frames Jay Gatsby as the murderer of Myrtle Wilson, who was killed at impact after being hit by a car. George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband is notified by Tom that Gatsby killed Myrtle. After hearing the news of his wife’s alleged killer George makes an appearance at Gatsby’s mansion and shoots Jay Gatsby. This novel not only is a source of entertainment, but more importantly serves a representation of the failed American Dream of the
1920’s. The Jazz age or the “ the greatest, gaudiest spree in history” according to Fitzgerald represents a complex time in American History. Contrary to the stereotypical flapper girl era, Americans especially, East Coasters delt with the controversial issue of prohibition. By depriving citizens of alcohol, the temptation and fortunes behind the crime became unbearable turning many citizens into criminals. A prime example would be Jay Gatsby. Gatsby was one of the wealthiest citizens in all of Long Island. Although he claimed to have inherited his money it is no secret that Gatsby made his fortune off of bootlegging when he explains to Tom that “I've been in several things, I was in the drug business and then I was in the oil business. But I'm not in either one now" (62). Tom proceeded to ask Gatsby which business he was in and Gatsby’s response was, “That's my affair” (62). Because of this conversation between Tom and Gatsby it can be inferred that Gatsby was involved with bootlegging. Many high school students learn about prohibition in there American History courses, but generally do not see or hear stories of how this law effected a rowdy time in American history. This novel does a remarkable job of provoking the history of America during the roaring twenties. Along with the history of America, this novel requires much critical thinking as Fitzgerald uses a great amount of symbolism that plays a major in the story. Throughout the book many classifications made; the most prominent is the distinction of the social classes, or as Tom describes it as, “old money and new money, East Egg represents the established aristocracy, West Egg the self-made rich.” (15). Daisy and Tom Buchanan are residents of East Egg, while Gatsby is a resident of West Egg, which contributes to more evidence that Gatsby was involved with bootlegging. Throughout the 1920’s many people were in search for the “American Dream” Gatsby’s American Dream was to spend the rest of his life with Daisy, but just like many people’s Americans being crushed in the 1920’s Gatsby’s dream was ultimately unable to happen because of his death. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther….And one fine morning—” (180). The message here is that attaining the perfect American Dream is impossible no matter how much money and power one has. Fitzgerald’s use symbolism forces the reader to think beyond the literal message. The world of Literature has much includes much variety. Each book has its unique style, syntax, and language. High School students read a variety of books in high school ranging from classics like Romeo and Juliette to more modern pieces like 1984. To keeps students involved in their readings it is important that the book is a simple read. Many students do not have the intellect to keep up with Shakespere’s stylistic writing; it is books like the Great Gatsby that allows students to stay engaged in what they are reading. It is sentences like ““He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room” (89). that make an average sentence interesting. Fitzgerald’s style in the Great Gatsby serves as simple, yet creative read for students. This book is a great example of a basis to encourage students to read more as provides and simple yet complex read at the literal level. High Schools must realize that social media is dominiating the way classrooms are run. Students are more entertained with reading online articles, rather than classic books that can impact students in ways that they will never understand. The Great Gatsby should be required to be read by every high school student as it serves to provide examples historically, forces the reader to think critically, but still enjoy a simple enteranining read. It is versatile books like this that spark a student’s interest in reading.
It is New York in the 1920s. Nick Carraway moves to the West Egg from Minnesota. He lives in a small house next to Jay Gatsby, a mysterious man who throws lavish parties, and decides he wants to know more about him. Then conflicts ensue about affairs and the secrets about all of the characters’ pasts. Nick, Daisy, and Tom (Daisy’s husband) “hang out” and later on, Gatsby joins on their travels. One day, when they are on an outing, Daisy hits Myrtle (Tom’s mistress) accidentally with Gatsby’s car and Myrtle dies. Tom then assures Daisy that they will cover up who killed Myrtle. Wilson thinks Gatsby killed his wife, so in a fit of madness goes to Gatsby’s house and kills him and
The two were young lovers who were unable to be together because of differences in social status. Gatsby spends his life after Daisy acquiring material wealth and social standing to try and reestablish a place in Daisy’s life. Once Gatsby gains material wealth he moves to the West Egg where the only thing separating he and Daisy is a body of water. It is through the eyes of Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, that the reader gains insight into the mysterious Jay Gatsby. In Nick’s description of his first encounter with Gatsby he says, “But I didn't call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone—he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” The reader soon discovers that the green light is at the end of Daisy’s dock, signifying Gatsby’s desperation and desire to get her back. Gatsby’s obsessive nature drives him to throw parties in hopes that his belonged love will attend. The parties further reveal the ungrasping mysteriousness of Gatsby that lead to speculations about his past. Although the suspicions are there, Gatsby himself never denies the rumors told about him. In Nick’s examination of Gatsby he says, “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 and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself.” This persona Gatsby portrays shows how he is viewed by others, and further signifies his hope and imagination
“The Great Gatsby” was a extremely sophisticated novel; it expressed love, money, and social class. The novel is told by Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s neighbor. Nick had just moved to West Egg, Longs Island to pursue his dream as a bond salesman. Nick goes across the bay to visit his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan in East Egg. Nick goes home later that day where he saw Gatsby standing on his dock with his arms out reaching toward the green light. Tom invites Nick to go with him to visit his mistress Mrs. Myrtle Wilson, a mid class woman from New York. When Nick returned from his adventure of meeting Myrtle he chooses to turn his attention to his mysterious neighbor, Gatsby. Gatsby is a very wealthy man that host weekly parties for the
Great literary characters are immortalized and perpetually discussed not because they are individually so grand and majestic, but because they exist as more than themselves. A great literary character truly exists in the external and symbolic associations that the author and audience apply. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals social and emotional elements of his character Daisy Buchanan through the symbols of white dresses and a pearl necklaces in order to convey a message concerning detrimental class values, a theme that can be better understood by comparing Daisy to a diamond.
The central focus of the story is the enigma of Gatsby, his past life, and his perusal of Daisy. Desperate to rekindle their former love, Gatsby works tirelessly to achieve the pinnacle of the American dream, settles in a large, posh house, throws lavish parties, and seems on excellent terms with the world at large. That, however, is not what makes him truly happy. All he did, he did in pursuit of Daisy, and initially it appears to work. She insists that she still loves him ardently. However, when pressed, she chooses Tom once more, and Gatsby is shattered. Nick says that, “If that was true, he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream,” (161). In the end, Gatsby’s dream turns on him, betraying him to the caprice of the world. He had sincerely believed in the American Dream, and believed it would help him secure Daisy’s love. When both failed him, he was left with a lavish but empty house, and to Gatsby, his wealth and prosperity were nothing without someone to share them with. The final nail in the coffin is Gatsby’s funeral, where it becomes clear what his immense wealth gained him in terms of the human affection he was truly after. Nick Carraway jumps through all sorts of hoops and harasses many people in order to get them to go to Gatsby’s funeral, to no avail. When it came time for the burial,
... Nick makes a small funeral for Gatsby and Daisy does not attend it. He took the blame for her, and he is dead all because of her, he sacrificed for her. She and Tom decide to travel and take off. Also Nick breaks up with Jordan, and he moves back to Midwest because he has had enough of these people, and hates the people that were close to Gatsby and for bareness, emptiness, and cold heart they have of the life in the middle of the wealthy on the East Coast. Nick realizes, and reveals that Gatsby’s dream of Daisy was ruined by money and un-loyalty, dishonestly. Daisy all she cared about is wealth, she chased after the men that have a lot of money. Even though Gatsby has control, influence, and authority to change his dreams into making it into real life for him this is what Nicks says makes him a good man. Now both Gatsby’s dream and the American Dream are over.
Jay Gatsby’s funeral is a small service, not because that 's what was intended, but because no one bothered to show up. Nick wanted to give Gatsby the popularity he desired, even in death, but only three people were present in the end. Gatsby’s father, Henry C. Gatz, shows up unexpectedly from Minnesota because he heard about the news in the papers. He believes that the man who shot his son must 've been mad, that no one in their right mind could commit such a horrible act. Daisy and Wolfsheim, the people closest to Gatsby in the book, do not attend. This exemplifies that it was always about wealth and social status for them, including Tom, and they never genuinely cared for Gatsby. Nick held up hope,
In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick’s unreliability as a narrator is blatantly evident, as his view of Gatsby’s actions seems to arbitrarily shift between disapproval and approval. Nick is an unreliable and hypocritical narrator who disputes his own background information and subjectively depicts Gatsby as a benevolent and charismatic host while ignoring his flaws and immorality from illegal activities. He refuses to seriously contemplate Gatsby’s negative attributes because of their strong mutual friendship and he is blinded by an unrealized faith in Gatsby. Furthermore, his multitude of discrepancies damage his ethos appeal and contribute to his lack of dependability.
The word visually stunning could be used to describe the 2013 Baz Luhrman directed adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel The Great Gatsby. Speaking of the director, I enjoyed his portrayal of the lavish lifestyle and carefree party like attitude in such a beautiful visual experience. The way in which the party scenes were filmed in the movie made perfect sense compared to the source material and were something I have never seen done by any other directors in a live action film. Another positive for me about this film was the soundtrack. When I first started watching the film I expected to hear old time music prevalent in the 20s. I however was pleasantly surprised when I learned the soundtrack was compiled by Jay-Z and featured many tracks I enjoyed featuring him either alone or accompanied by another musical guest. While Jay-Z is not exactly an accurate representation of the music of the 20s, the soundtrack adds a modern flavour over the previously mentioned beautiful backgrounds and architecture. The story however is where the movie at times falls flat. When stripped down to basics it is nothing more than a generic love story with a few twists added in for extra kick. The characters in the same vain can be very bland and not make you care much for them due to their backstories not being deeply explored. The only character that I found to be interesting was Jay Gatsby because of the mystical aura that surrounds his character at the beginning of the movie that leads you to want to uncover more of this ever mysterious man. All in all the visuals clearly outpace
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.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was being set in New York in 1922. . It was in Long Island where the rich and wealthy people lived and that was split into West and East Egg. The wealthy people lived in East Egg. There are seven characters that make up The Great Gatsby is. First there is Nick Carraway and he is a graduate student from Yale, and he used to live in the Midwest. He was in World War 1 and later moved to New York to become a bonds salesman. Next there is Jay Gatsby. He is a millionaire that lives in a mansion and is known for throwing massive parties. He got all of his fortune from doing illegal criminal activities. He is in love with a woman named Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is Nick’s cousin and is married to Tom. She has had history with Gatsby before she got married to Tom. Tom Buchanan is a millionaire that lives in East Egg. He is rich because of his family name and He attended Yale with Nick. Jordan Baker is one of Daisy’s friends that is a professional golfer. She later ends up being Nick’s girlfriend for a while. George Wilson is a man that owns an auto shop and is married to Myrtle. Myrtle is Tom’s mistress that he fools around with. Lastly there was a man named Meyer Wolfshiem. He was known for fixing the 1919 World Series.
Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s neighbor and close friend, considers Gatsby to have achieved greatness. Nick sees greatness in Gatsby that he has never seen in any other man; unfortunately, all great characters do not always have happy endings. Gatsby’s ambition from a young age, along with his desire to please others, pave the road to his prosperity, but, ultimately, his enduring heroic love for Daisy, steers him to his demise. Several individuals mark Gatsby as a man of great wealth, with a beautiful estate, and an abundance of friends.
Jay Gatsby is the protagonist in the story. The protagonist is the leading character. Gatsby has a huge fortune and lives next to Nick Carraway in a huge gothic mansion. Every Saturday night he throws lavish parties in hopes that the girl he loves, Daisy Buchanan, will notice that he is there. Gatsby made his fortune through criminal activity. So he is obviously deeply flawed. But he has a big heart and everything he did was so that he could win the woman that he loved back. Nick Carraway is the Narrator of the story. He had just moved to West Egg, Long Island from Minnesota to learn about the bond business. He is honest and tolerates a lot of things, but most importantly, he is Daisy 's cousin. Daisy Buchanan is the woman that Gatsby loves and at one point, she loved him too. She even told him that she would wait for him but when she met Tom she couldn 't turn down the opportunity. She is a beautiful socialite, sardonic, and a little
In this story by F. Scott Fitzgerland the characters are Jay, Nick, Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson, Catherine, Henry C. Gatz, Dan Cody, Ewing Kilpspringer,
F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the most compelling twentieth century writers, (Curnutt, 2004). The year 1925 marks the year of the publication of Fitzgerald’s most credited novel, The Great Gatsby (Bruccoli, 1985). With its critiques of materialism, love and the American Dream (Berman, 1996), this dramatic idyllic novel, (Harvey, 1957), although poorly received at first, is now highly regarded as Fitzgerald’s finest work (Rohrkemper, 1985) and is his publisher, Scribner 's most popular title, (Donahue, 2013). The novel achieved it’s status as one of the most influential novels in American history around the nineteen fifties and sixties, over ten years after Fitzgerald 's passing, (Ibid, 1985)