Criticism of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald creates an artificial world where money is the object of everyone's desire. The characters, the setting, and the plot are very deeply submerged in a Capitalism that ends up destroying many of them. Fitzgerald's criticism of Capitalism can be seen as a move to subtly promote Socialism, an ideology in which value is placed on the inherent value of an object rather than its market value. In a late collection of notes, Fitzgerald himself proclaims that he is "essentially Marxist." [i] Marxism is a specific branch of Socialist theory. Fitzgerald makes Gatsby a novel that is not inherently Marxist or even Socialist, but one that is imbued with Marxist theory. He does this by denouncing nonhumanitarianism, reification, and market value. Fitzgerald implies that the Capitalist system does not work because at the end of the novel, all of the characters that represent typical American Capitalism end up either dead or completely unhappy. Fitzgerald's criticisms work to warn 1920's Americans of their behavior and how destructive it can be. Marxists believe very firmly in humanitarianism; they believe that as humans, we should look out for each other and care for each other, because we are all essentially on the same level. All of the characters in Gatsby nullify this idea, because they all use each other. For instance, Gatsby uses Nick to set up a meeting between he and Daisy. The characters also place very little value on individual human beings or on humanity as a whole. Each character is too wrapped up in him/herself that he/she does not take the time to care for others. Class levels are pr... ... middle of paper ... ... Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996. Lewis, Roger. "Money, Love, and Aspiration in The Great Gatsby." New Essays on The Great Gatsby. Ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985. 41-57. Posnock, Ross. " 'A New World, Without Being Real': Fitzgerald's Critique of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby." Critical Essays on Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: GK Hall and Co., 1984. 201-213. Notes [i] Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Crack Up. [ii] Lewis, Roger. "Money, Love, and Aspiration in The Great Gatsby." P. 51 [iii] Posnack, Ross. "'A New World, Material without Being Real': Fitzgerald's Critique of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby." P. 202. [iv] Ibid., p. 203. [v] Ibid., p. 206. [vi] Ibid., p. 208.
Overall, Rainsford is the bravest man in this story considering he stayed at a man’s house who he soon found later to be hunting people. He is brave by the fact that he stood up to General Zaroff, saying that the ‘sport’ General Zaroff was doing was not hunting—and that it was murder instead. He is also brave for the fact that he was able to keep his calm when General Zaroff was hunting him. Lastly, he was brave by thinking positively in a moment of life and death. To conclude, I think when life gives us a rocky road to walk on, we need to remember to be brave—Just like Rainsford was in his situations.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby provides the reader with a unique outlook on the life of the newly rich. Gatsby is an enigma and a subject of great curiosity, furthermore, he is content with a lot in life until he strives too hard. His obsession with wealth, his lonely life and his delusion allow the reader to sympathize with him.
Gatsby and Greed 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.
Trilling, Lionel. "F. Scott Fitzgerald." Critical Essays on Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby." Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: Hall, 1984. 13-20.
Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Views- F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Print.
... industriously at that time yet the doom of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 loomed over the heads of American citizens. One could say that throughout the course of history, the significance of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has gained more fame and momentum in the minds of Americans today. Fitzgerald was indeed the best modernist of his time, due to the fact that he predicted, based on the actions of the wealthy, that the direction of nations would be controlled by few people. In the United States today, one could say that most of this nation is controlled by the corporations and that in a few years, the massive companies will be able to buy a presidency. Although this is just a speculation, so was the idea of Fitzgerald. Modernists in the future should still read and praise this book, The Great Gatsby, because it is a look into the gears of the economy of a nation.
“Thank you, but I'm a hunter not a murderer.” This was a quote that Rainford said at the beginning of the book. This quote represents that he was still a hunter and he was letting the general know that. “Where there's gunshots, there's people, where there's people, there’s food.” This quote shows that he still has the instinct of a of a hunter. His mind instinctively thought on the spot some
Rainsford overcomes many obstacles, and in return he receives that special feeling of satisfaction in his body. To start, he overcomes the thought of him being weak. Furthermore, he conquers learning the value of even an animal’s life. Not to mention, he defeats becoming the hunted, when he is the hunter. In the short story Sanger Rainsford outwits General Zaroff in the battle of “The Most Dangerous
In the Most Dangerous Game, Rainsford’s hunting skills helps shape the plot but most importantly the resolution of the story. The General gets induced and a bit overconfident because of Rainsford’s hunting skills when he says, “‘You’ve done well Rainsford,’
Bruccoli, Matthew J. Preface. The Great Gatsby. By F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. vii-xvi.
Rainsford is highly intelligent when it comes to hunting. “That Cape buffalo is the largest I ever saw, said Rainsford.” Rainsford was able to tell what type of animal it was just by looking at the Cape buffalo head by looking at it. He hunts animals all around the world so he has skills in how to hide from the animals without them noticing him until he fires his gun. “A twenty-two,” he remarked. “That’s odd. It must have been a fairly large animal too.” Rainsford was
In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald explores the idea of the American Dream as well as the portrayal of social classes. Fitzgerald carefully sets up his novel into distinct social groups but, in the end, each group has its own problems to contend with, leaving a powerful reminder of what a precarious place the world really is. By creating two distinct social classes ‘old money’ and ‘new money’, Fitzgerald sends strong messages about the elitism underlying and moral corruption society. The idea of the American dream is the ideal that opportunity is available to any American, allowing their highest aspirations and goals to be achieved. In the case of The Great Gatsby it centres on the attainment of wealth and status to reach certain positions in life,
A skilled hunter sprints desperately through the woods, realizing the futility of hiding from his greatest foe: his own kind. Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” is the story of a hunter that becomes the hunted. The story explores the sense of extreme terror the protagonist feels being pursued by a psychopath living on a mysterious island. This protagonist, Rainsford, has many traits that aid him in his battle with the general. By demonstrating his cunning, sly, and remorseful traits, Rainsford shows the story’s theme of “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes”.
Trilling, Lionel. "F. Scott Fitzgerald." Critical Essays on Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby." Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: Hall, 1984. 13-20.
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.