Category: The Great Gatsby

Gatsby’s Unfulfilled Love and Daisy’s Compromised Marriage

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby has many themes, such as it being a tragic love story, a mystery, as well as a social narration of American life or, as some would say, the American Dream. The story is told based on four wealthy characters who are observed and judged by Nick Carraway, who is the narrator of this story. This story takes place in New York, going back and forth between the East and the West Egg back in the 1920s. Nick Carraway is a young man from Midwest who received an education from Yale and moved to New York to learn about the bond business. At the beginning of the book, Nick’s father tells him, “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Fitzgerald,1 Chapter 1).

Gatsby opens up to Nick about his past when he met Daisy, and when he fell in love with her. In chapter eight, he pretends to be able to take care of her because he loves her, but he knows he can’t. At that time, Daisy also loved Gatsby, but things didn’t work out to plan. When he went to war, Daisy wanted him to come home, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t.

This left Daisy being forced to marry someone else who was wealthy, and that could take care of her, which resulted in her marrying Tom Buchanan. “She never loved you, do you hear?… She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart, she never loved anyone except me!” (Fitzgerald; 130, Chapter 7). The reason Gatsby opens up to Nick is because Gatsby does not want Nick to think he is a bad guy for leaving Daisy when he went to war.

The Unveiling of Carelessness and the Retreat from Deception

Nick refers to Tom and Daisy Buchanan as careless people in chapter nine. He says this because he witnessed and observed many things over the summer, such as them ruining other people’s lives and hiding behind their wealth while other people go and clean up their mess. Nick has seen Tom Buchanan control George Wilson as well as having an affair with his wife without George even knowing. “When almost immediately the telephone rang inside…The butler came back and murmured something close to Tom’s ear, whereupon Tom frowned, pushed back his chair, and without a word went inside” (Fitzgerald; 13,14 Chapter 1). Nick also saw how Daisy carried on an affair with Gatsby and played games with his heart but ended up going back to Tom once she found out Gatsby was a bootlegger.

After Gatsby died and Daisy stayed with Tom, I don’t think there was really much left for Nick in the East since he had no use for misleading impressions anymore. “After Gatsby’s death, the East was haunted for me like that, distorted beyond my eyes’ power of correction. So when the blue smoke of brittle leaves was in the air, and the wind blew the wet laundry stiff on the line, I decided to come home” (Fitzgerald; 176, Chapter 9). Nick returns to the MidWest to get away from memories and drama that happened while he was in the East, things he couldn’t unsee and that disgusted him. After the death of Gatsby and Myrtle, Nick realizes that the East Coast, as well as the American Dream, was misleading, fake, and only really based on greed. He believes the Midwest to be innocent when compared to the East.

American Dream’s Pursuit and Disillusionment

We mostly think of the American dream or, to some, the American Society, to be someone who comes from nothing and reaches fame and wealth. Gatsby represents the American Dream because he came from nothing into privilege, wealth, and power, even though his money and power came from illegal activities. In The Great Gatsby, you also see another way to view that dream. Many of the characters in the book are popular and wealthy, but unfortunately, they’re not happy with their life or themselves.

If you pay attention, even Gatsby himself isn’t truly happy or satisfied with where he is in the society he lives in now. The death of characters symbolizes the destruction of the American Dream. Each character chases this dream till the end of their life yet fails in its success because they value materialistic things instead of pure ideas. A lesson that is learned in this novel is that sometimes when we get what we wished for, we find out in the end that it isn’t truly what we wanted it to be.

References:

1. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “The Great Gatsby.” Scribner, 1925.
2. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “The Great Gatsby.” Chapter 1, Page 1.
3. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “The Great Gatsby.” Chapter 7, Page 130.
4. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “The Great Gatsby.” Chapter 1, Pages 13-14.
5. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “The Great Gatsby.” Chapter 9, Page 176.
6. Bloom, Harold, editor. “F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.” Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.
7. Cowley, Malcolm, editor. “F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Collection of Critical Essays.” Prentice-Hall, 1963.

Gatsby’s Pursuit of Love, Belonging, and the Turbulence of Obstacles

The classic American novel, The Great Gatsby, tells the tale that belongs to the book’s narrator Nick Carraway. How the roaring 1920s were unforgettable as he retells the summer of 1921 when he comes to live on West Egg across the water from his former college classmate, the arrogant Tom Buchanan, and his wife, Nick’s distant beautiful, and sophisticated cousin, Daisy Buchanan and their palace of a home on the wealthier East Egg.

Back in West Egg, Nick meets his neighbor Jay Gatsby, a mysterious but infamously wealthy man who throws massive parties each week when he receives an invitation to those parties. He goes and runs into another member of the Buchanan household Jordan Baker, a cynical, competitive golfer, and spends the evening with her until he finally meets Gatsby himself and learns his true motives. Nick begins to now narrate the journey that is Gatsby chasing after his old Love, Daisy’s hand.

In a way, that very hand is symbolic of the American Dream. The way Fitzgerald eloquently describes the pursuit of one’s ultimate goals through Gatsby’s pursuit of his true Love and his eagerness to fit in with the crowd can be traced right back to Maslow’s third tier in his hierarchy of needs, Love, and belonging. However, in any and most journeys to success, there must be some sort of conflict or obstacle. In this case, it can be represented through water.

Connecting and Dividing Gatsby’s Dreams in Fitzgerald’s Narrative

In the novel, the first mention of Gatsby is when he is reaching his hand out to the “dark water in a curious way” at the end of his dock, looking at the green light across the bay on Daisy Buchanan’s property. Gatsby is separated physically from Daisy at this moment by the vast stretch of water between their two homes. Another example can even come from humble beginnings, like when Gatsby’s past is finally revealed, his claim to fame was when he was on his boat during a storm helping the alcoholic, tremendously wealthy Dan Cody dock his ship.

In doing so, he caught his ride out of what he once was and used this to become who he was. Unfortunately, the water comes back to separate him once more from his dream of Daisy In the form of a swimming pool when he requests his butler to “Don’t do it today” when the butler mentions draining the pool before the leaves start to fall. One can argue had Gatsby not decided to swim that day. He would not have been shot and killed while waiting for his dearest Daisy to call him and come to him finally.

F. Scott Fitzgerald has a way of showing that even in the chase of your dreams, there is always a but. Choosing to share this example through Nick’s eyes of Gatsby’s aim to finally get the girl and fit in with the wealthy people he always dreamed of being a part of but also choosing water to symbolically represent the struggles and obstacles that will stop that feverous pursuit in its tracks. Showing how everyone has a dream and can work their hardest to achieve it, but in the end, not everyone can succeed.

References:

1. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 1925.
2. Maslow, Abraham H. “A Theory of Human Motivation.” Psychological Review, vol. 50, no. 4, 1943, pp. 370-396.
3. Tucker, Lindsey. “Water Symbolism in ‘The Great Gatsby’.” Study.com, 15 Jan. 2021, www.study.com/academy/lesson/water-symbolism-in-the-great-gatsby.html.
4. Berman, Ronald. “The Green Light at the End of Daisy’s Dock: A Vision for Gatsby.” The Arizona Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 1, 1972, pp. 57-64.
5. Wulick, Andrea. “The Great Gatsby: Study Guide.” Course Hero, 25 Jan. 2017, www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Great-Gatsby/.
6. Donaldson, Scott. “Possessions in The Great Gatsby.” Modern Critical Interpretations: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, edited by Harold Bloom, Chelsea House Publishers, 1986, pp. 63-78.

Unveiling Gatsby’s Pursuit of the American Dream

In the story, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the narrator Nick Carraway tells the long-awaited story of the mysterious Jay Gatsby, originally known as James Gatz. People heard many stories about this man, but none of them seemed to be upright because there were many different ones that he used to cover up the truth. People just thought of him as the wealthy guy who inherited all of his wealthy family’s money when they all passed. But the real truth is Gatsby was actually born into a poor family and didn’t become wealthy until he started working with Dan Cody, who was a millionaire. But, behind everything people do in life, there is always a hidden reason for the person’s determination to accomplish a goal, and in Gatsby’s case, it was his love for Daisy Buchanan after many years.

This shows the American Dream in the story, which is the ultimate life goal that can be achieved through a good work ethic and determination. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby shows the American Dream when he completely changes his life and his goals for the better just so he can have a chance to get with her after many years. In the end, he was able to accomplish the wealth he desired, but unfortunately, he was never able to fully win over Daisy. When in reality, his love for Daisy was what caused the destruction and conflict in his life. In the novel, Gatsby is constantly trying to achieve something that is better than himself, which gets to be dangerous for him because he starts to burn bridges with people who mean a lot to him.

Gatsby’s Evolution: From Humble Beginnings to Lavish Pursuits

The character Gatsby and the way he acts is a very good example of the American Dream, like how he was born poor and worked very hard to be where he is now. Nick explains how “[Gatsby’s] parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people… For over a year, he had been beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam digger and a salmon fisher or in any other capacity that brought him food and a bed.” (Fitzgerald, 98) This shows that in life, there are always opportunities for people to improve themselves. Although Gatsby didn’t have his ideal life when he first started, with a little hard work and determination, he was able to turn his life around completely. To be successful, Gatsby worked with the millionaire Dan Cody in hopes of winning over Daisy with his wealth and charm.

To Gatsby, it seemed like nothing else mattered in the world. If he had Daisy all to himself, she was his world. To contrast, the way his life was when he was poor to how he lives in his mansion now is shown when Nick talks about his well-known mansion. “It was a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden.” (5) To any normal person, what Gatsby has seems like more than enough, but to Gatsby, nothing in this world is enough if he doesn’t have Daisy, and he won’t stop until he wins her over.

Even though Gatsby achieved the wealth he desired, he still wasn’t completely satisfied because he was still missing one thing, Daisy. One thing that could be shown about the American Dream is that it doesn’t always guarantee happiness, and what you accomplish may not be how it was when you expected it. Very frequently, Gatsby would host these extravagant parties for hundreds of people to get together and have a good time. Nick explains that “At least once a fortnight of corps of caterers came down with several hundred feet of canvas and enough colored lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby’s enormous garden.

Gatsby’s Elaborate Parties: A Facade to Win Daisy’s Affection

On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors d’oeuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys.” (40) Only a certain amount of people were invited to these parties, and one thing odd about them is that no one has ever seen Gatsby or has gotten a handwritten letter for him. Even though this didn’t stop people who weren’t invited from coming, they would still show up at the door, walk in, and help themselves to the huge variety of foods and drinks. As Nick is trying to find Gatsby, he goes around asking people where they could be, and they aren’t giving him much hope because no one has officially seen Gatsby before. Nick starts to hear rumors about Gatsby among the drunken guests at the party.

People would say, “He is a bootlegger… One time he killed a man who had found out that he was a nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil.” (61) This gossip shows that there was no connection between Gatsby and the party guest, it seemed that he would only throw these parties to catch Daisy’s eye and for her to think highly of him. It seemed that he was putting on a show for her to fall in love with him, even though she is married, which Gatsby does not care about. But, the American Dream could distract people from what’s actually important in life, like the relationships you have with the people around you. Gatsby claims to be happier once he becomes friends with Nick and Daisy, and it isn’t because of his wealth.

The Ephemeral Nature of Gatsby’s Connections and the Elusive American Dream

Even though hundreds of people came to his parties, not one of them showed up to his funeral, which could be due to the fact that he never built connections with them. Nick explained at the funeral, “At first I was surprised and confused; then as [Gatsby] lay in his house and didn’t move or breathe or speak hour upon hour it grew upon me that I was responsible [for the funeral] because no one else was interested” (172) After Gatsby’s death, it seemed that his generosity from hosting all those parties was quickly forgotten because people started to value what was more important in life. The American Dream has illustrated a more self-centered and inconsiderate type of society because people start to be more focused on themselves and their dream than the people around them.

Which I feel has happened to Gatsby because when he died, it seemed that no one really truly cared about him; they just pretended to so they could go to his house and have a good time. This shows how society has changed because of Gatsby and the American Dream, and it would be hard to change people’s lifestyles and get things back to the way they used to be. Even though this happened, Fitzgerald still tries to convey to the readers that in the American Dream, it’s the constant striving to do better but to fully achieve your goal could be impossible. Even after Daisy expresses her love for Gatsby, he demands that she take a big step and tell Tom that she never loved him, which doesn’t end well in the least bit. Gatsby says, “Just tell him the truth that you never loved him.” (132). This shows how nothing is ever enough for Gatsby, and he always has the desire to do better. Once he accomplished his dream of winning over Daisy, it seemed like he already moved on to something more that he was trying to achieve.

The Illusion of the American Dream and the Tragic Unraveling of Gatsby’s Pursuit

Throughout The Great Gatsby, it was foreshadowed that the people living in the town weren’t living in the best society because people were living carelessly and didn’t really seem to care about anything except wealth and their dreams. This quickly led to disaster because nothing was really in control; people just did whatever they wanted without thinking about any of the consequences. At the end of the story, Nick looks back on Gatsby’s attempt to achieve his dream and how he failed. Nick says, “I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.” (180) The green light symbolizes the dream everyone hopes to achieve at some time in their life. The destruction of Gatsby’s dream for Daisy showed that sometimes dreams can be too big and impossible to achieve completely.

The American Dream is still demonstrated in the world we live in today, and people will still continue to make mistakes like Gatsby did if people aren’t educated about it. Gatsby sacrificed everything in his life just for a possible chance to be with Daisy, and he never gave up even when things got hard. The way he went about it could be considered a little bit extreme for ordinary people because not everyone would do anything in the world just for a girl. Unfortunately for Gatsby, nothing he expected became his reality at the end. He expected that his plan would work and he would live a happy and healthy life with Daisy.

One thing he realized is that in life, nothing goes exactly to plan, and unfortunately for him, his life ended with him having no friends to support him because he was only focused on Daisy. He forgot about some of the most important things in life and sacrificed them all for Daisy just for her not to want to be with him. At the end of the day, the American Dream is just a goal people like to accomplish sometime in their life, and just because you have a dream doesn’t mean you have to give up your whole life for it. This could be why everything went wrong for Gatsby, and now he’s dead, and no one showed their love and appreciation to him because he didn’t give it to anyone else except for Daisy in the first place.

References:

1. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 1925. This is the primary source, the novel itself, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
2. APA Style, Fitzgerald, F. S. (1925). The Great Gatsby. Scribner.

The Illusions of Unattainable Dreams

What is the American Dream? Well, the American Dream for me is fame and fortune. We get to read about the 1920s and the characters of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and their journey while they pursue the classic American Dream. The novel is told by a young man named Nick Caraway, who is also Daisy Buchanan’s cousin. As we read through the novel, we learn about Jay Gatsby and the different people that surround him as they attempt to try to have the American Dream. Fitzgerald illustrates the lifestyles of the human beings that pursue the American Dream and the effects of the pursuit all through his portrayal of Jay Gatsby’s life and the humans who encompass him.

Firstly, the novel depicts the American Dream through the many characters as they are described through the eyes of the novel’s narrator, Nick Caraway. “It passed, and he began to talk excitedly to Daisy, denying everything, defending his name against accusations that had not been made. But with every word, she was drawing further and further into herself, 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, undespairingly, toward that lost voice across the room” (144). With this quote, we get to see the perception of how Daisy’s husband, Tom, is so unhappy and unfaithful to Daisy in his marriage, and yet he tries to protect what he and Daisy have made in life so that Daisy won’t just leave him.

Even though Daisy knows that her husband is constantly cheating on her, she continues to be with him. She is always sad, but she stays with him to keep her reputation. Jay Gatsby pursues a dream that will never come true, and everyone knows it except him. “I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it” (180). His dream of being with Daisy, who is a married woman, was impossible. Nick had it correct, Gatsby’s dream was so feasible and simple, but others see Jay’s dream as being too far out of reach.

The Elusive Happiness Within the American Dream

Next, while all the characters are seeking the pursuit of the American Dream, some don’t obtain what they strive for. Even the people that have the American Dream cannot be happy in their lives. Within the novel, we read about Daisy and Tom and how they live together. “Her husband, among various physical accomplishments, had been one of the most powerful ends that ever played football at New Haven—a national figure in a way, one of those men who reach such acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterward savors of anti-climax. His family was enormously wealthy—even in college, his freedom with money was a matter for reproach.”(8)

Tom and Daisy have it all: wealth, reputation, and everything anyone ever dreams of. They do have problems that they continue to hide from the world. They are not happy in their marriage, and Tom even cheats on Daisy. Daisy’s dream is not complete with simply wealth or fame, but it is additionally about keeping an excessive status. She continues in her marriage with Tom, despite his infidelity, just so she can keep her status in the community. Tom does love Daisy and stays with her, so she can keep her reputation. With their pursuit of the American Dream, Gatsby cannot be with Daisy and achieve his dream. With others chasing the American Dream, it can ruin the chances of another’s dream.

Thirdly, at first glance, you would think Jay Gatsby, who is rich and very famous, is all but happy with his life. He only wants one thing, Daisy. “His heart beat fast and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star.

The Tragic Pursuit of the American Dream in the Twenties

Then he kissed her. As his lips touch blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete” (134). Gatsby only wants to be with Daisy Buchanan, who is a married woman with a sufficient life for her. When people discovered that Jay became rich through criminal ways, it changed their view of him. Now without his highly respectable reputation, he cannot have the woman he has always loved and wanted. Daisy can never ruin her perfect reputation by being with a damaged, lying man. Gatsby only wanted one woman for his entire life, but she only wanted fame and fortune and not true love.

In conclusion, all throughout the twenties, people only wanted the American Dream. People see the American Dream as many things, but the most common is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Throughout The Great Gatsby, we learn about each character’s pursuit of the American Dream. We are told everyone’s story by Nick Caraway, one of the main characters throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book. We are told about their individual lifestyles and how badly each of them wants to win over everyone else and needs to have the best lives. We also get to get see how their fighting to achieve the American Dream can destroy people and their lives.

References:

1. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “The Great Gatsby.” Scribner, 1925.
2. Bloom, Harold, editor. “F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: Modern Critical Interpretations.” Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.
3. Bruccoli, Matthew J. “Some Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald.” Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981.

Chapter 1: Setting

“I graduated from New Haven in 1915, just a quarter of a century after my father, and a little later I participated in that delayed Teutonic migration known as the Great War. I enjoyed the counter-raid so thoroughly that I came back restless. Instead of being the warm center of the world the middle-west now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe—so I decided to go east and learn the bond business. Everybody I knew was in the bond business so I supposed it could support one more single man. All my aunts and uncles talked it over as if they were choosing a prep-school for me and finally said, ‘Why—yees’ with very grave, hesitant faces. Father agreed to finance me for a year and after various delays I came east, permanently, I thought, in the spring of twenty-two. The practical thing was to find rooms in the city but it was a warm season and I had just left a country of wide lawns and friendly trees, so when a young man at the office suggested that we take a house together in a commuting town it sounded like a great idea. He found the house, a weather beaten cardboard bungalow at eighty a month, but at the last minute the firm ordered him to Washington and I went The Great Gatsby out to the country alone. I had a dog, at least I had him for a few days until he ran away, and an old Dodge and a Finnish woman who made my bed and cooked breakfast and muttered Finnish wisdom to herself over the electric stove. It was lonely for a day or so until one morning some man, more recently arrived than I, stopped me on the road. ‘How do you get to West Egg village?’ he asked helplessly.”

In the excerpt above the author uses two stylistic devices. The author’s description of the Season as warm is an example of thermal imaging appealing to temperature heat or cold the usage of this element gave me the idea of the overall weather of the city. The author secondly describes the trees as friendly (personification) in contrast to his former residence in the country, this portrays an urban setting in my mind not filled with plenty of vegetation. The time period is also stated; post world war one and during the roaring 20’s, a time period in America characterized by economic boom and a blunt change in social norms. The overall time period is distinguished by an economic rise in the stock market, more progressive thinking, and a ban on alcohol.

Chapter 2: Character Development

“The interior was unprosperous and bare; the only car visible was the dust-covered wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner. It had occurred to me that this shadow of a garage must be a blind and that sumptuous and romantic apartments were concealed overhead when the proprietor himself appeared in the door of an office, wiping his hands on a piece of waste. He was a blonde, spiritless man, anaemic, and faintly handsome. When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes. ‘Hello, Wilson, old man,’ said Tom, slapping him jovially on the shoulder. ‘How’s business?’ ‘I can’t complain,’ answered Wilson unconvincingly. ‘When are you going to sell me that car?’ ‘Next week; I’ve got my man working on it now.’ ‘Works pretty slow, don’t he?’ ‘No, he doesn’t,’ said Tom coldly. ‘And if you feel that way about it, maybe I’d better sell it somewhere else after all.’ ‘I don’t mean that,’ explained Wilson quickly. ‘I just meant——‘ His voice faded off and Tom glanced impatiently around the garage. Then I heard footsteps on a stairs and in a moment the thickish figure of a woman blocked out the light from the office door. She was in the middle thirties, and faintly stout, but she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can. Her face, above a spotted dress of dark blue crepe-de-chine, contained no facet or gleam of beauty but there was an immediately perceptible vitality about her as if the nerves of her body were continually smouldering. She smiled slowly and walking through her husband as if he were a ghost shook hands with Tom, looking him flush in the eye. Then she wet her lips and without turning around spoke to her husband in a soft, coarse voice: ‘Get some chairs, why don’t you, so somebody can sit down.”

The author further develops Mr. Wilson’s character by noting physical descriptions as well as the manner in which he reacts. Mr. Wilson is described as ‘blond,’ ‘anaemic,’ and only ‘faintly handsome.’ This description reveals that he looks bland and also broken down or feeble. This is description makes me look down Mr. Wilson and maybe even feel bad for him. He also said to have had a damp gleam of Hope when he saw on Nick and Tom Signifying that his business is going under and was so hopeful because you saw potential customers. He also seems like a pushover his wife and Tom take him for a fool and he fulfill that role. My overall reaction to Mr.Wilson is based on his description is not very positive or optimistic.

Chapter 3: Parties & Stylistic Devices

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor-boats slit the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam. On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city, between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains. And on Mondays eight servants including an extra gardener toiled all day with mops and scrubbing-brushes and hammers and garden-shears, repairing the ravages of the night before. Every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruiterer in New York—every Monday these same oranges and lemons left his back door in a pyramid of pulpless halves. There was a machine in the kitchen which could extract the juice of two hundred oranges in half an hour, if a little button was pressed two hundred times by a butler’s thumb. At least once a fortnight a corps of caterers came down with several hundred feet of canvas and enough colored lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby’s enormous garden. On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors d’oeuvres, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold. In the main hall a bar with a real brass rail was set up, and stocked with gins and liquors and cordials so long forgotten that most of his female guests were too young to know one from another.”

The author, TJ Fitzgerald, first uses a simile to explain the size of the party comparing the men and girls travel to moths. Meaning the party was quite Grand and packed. He also describes Gatsby’s vehicle as a ‘scampering like a brisk yellow bus’ meaning that he was in a constant haste, which makes me think everything was very fast-paced and hurried. The author’s last statement about the eight servants toiling to repair the ravages of night before sent the message that this was an absolute absolute spree and people were intoxicated and reckless. Gatsby seems like he’s trying to fill a void, inviting thousands to his home in search of one.

Chapter 4: Gatsby’s Background

“A little overwhelmed, I began the generalized evasions which that question deserves. ‘Well, I’m going to tell you something about my life,’ he interrupted. ‘I don’t want you to get a wrong idea of me from all these stories you hear.’ So he was aware of the bizarre accusations that flavored conversation in his halls. ‘I’ll tell you God’s truth.’ His right hand suddenly ordered divine retribution to stand by. ‘I am the son of some wealthy people in the middle-west—all dead now. 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.’ He looked at me sideways—and I knew why Jordan Baker had believed he was lying. He hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford,’ or swallowed it or choked on it as though it had bothered him before. And with this doubt his whole statement fell to pieces and I wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him after all. ‘What part of the middle-west?’ I inquired casually. ‘San Francisco.’ ‘I see.’…Then came the war, old sport. It was a great relief and I tried very hard to die but I seemed to bear an enchanted life. I accepted a commission as first lieutenant when it began. In the Argonne Forest I took two machine-gun detachments so far forward that there was a half mile gap on either side of us where the infantry couldn’t advance. We stayed there two days and two nights, a hundred and thirty men with sixteen Lewis guns, and when the infantry came up at last they found the insignia of three German divisions among the piles of dead. I was promoted to be a major and every Allied government gave me a decoration—even Montenegro, little Montenegro down on the Adriatic Sea!’ Little Montenegro! He lifted up the words and nodded at them—with his smile. The smile comprehended Montenegro’s troubled history and sympathized with the brave struggles of the Montenegrin people. It appreciated fully the chain of national circumstances which had elicited this tribute from Montenegro’s warm little heart. My incredulity was submerged in fascination now; it was like skimming hastily through a dozen magazines. He reached in his pocket and a piece of metal, slung on a ribbon, fell into my palm. ‘That’s the one from Montenegro.’ To my astonishment, the thing had an authentic look. Orderi di Danilo, ran the circular legend, Montenegro, Nicolas Rex. ‘Turn it.’ Major Jay Gatsby, I read, For Valour Extraordinary. ‘Here’s another thing I always carry. A souvenir of Oxford days. It was taken in Trinity Quad—the man on my left is now the Earl of Dorcaster.’ It was a photograph of half a dozen young men in blazers loafing in an archway through which were visible a host of spires. There was Gatsby, looking a little, not much, younger—with a cricket bat in his hand. Then it was all true. I saw the skins of tigers flaming in his palace on the Grand Canal; I saw him opening a chest of rubies to ease, with their crimson-lighted depths, the gnawings of his broken heart. ‘I’m going to make a big request of you today,’ he said, pocketing his souvenirs with satisfaction, ‘so I thought you ought to know something about me. I didn’t want you to think I was just some nobody. You see, I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad thing that happened to me.”

The author uses to suspense to reveal Gatsby through the dialogue between him and Nick. It’s very interesting however, the more the author reveals about Gatsby the more mysterious he becomes, certain information is strategically revealed and even more is held back arising curiosity. For example I am so intrigued to know what exactly what exactly is a sad thing that happened to him. My overall take on Gatsby that he is mysterious and that he holds back a lot not letting anyone get too close to him, which explains why he is circulated by so many rumors. He doesn’t make many connections with people, he is a very lonely man even though most of the time he is surrounded by thousands. None of the people that flock into his house for parties really know him or care to and vice versa, Gatsby doesn’t want them to. He only revealed certain information to Nick to give himself credibility so he could negotiate a favor. The fact that he had to pull out empirical evidence to support his claims is hilarious to me and also reveals a lot about his character. Perhaps he had to show Nick proof to back up his story not only because Nick wouldn’t belive him- which he didn’t at first, but because he himself is very skeptical and knows what it would take to get him to trust a story.

Chapter 5: Daisy & Gatsby

“While the rain continued it had seemed like the murmur of their voices, rising and swelling a little, now and the, with gusts of emotion. But in the new silence I felt that silence had fallen within the house too. I went in—after making every possible noise in the kitchen short of pushing over the stove—but I don’t believe they heard a sound. They were sitting at either end of the couch looking at each other as if some question had been asked or was in the air, and every vestige of embarrassment was gone. Daisy’s face was smeared with tears and when I came in she jumped up and began wiping at it with her handkerchief before a mirror. But there was a change in Gatsby that was simply confounding. He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room. ‘Oh, hello, old sport,’ he said, as if he hadn’t seen me for years. I thought for a moment he was going to shake my hands. ‘It’s stopped raining.’ ‘Has it?’ When he realized what I was talking about, that there were twinkle-bells of sunshine in the room, he smiled like a weather man, like an ecstatic patron of recurrent light, and repeated the news to Daisy. ‘What do you think of that? It’s stopped raining.’ ‘I’m glad, Jay.’ Her throat, full of aching, grieving beauty, told only of her unexpected joy. ‘I want you and Daisy to come over to my house,’ he said, ‘I’d like to show her around.’ ‘You’re sure you want me to come?’ ‘Absolutely, old sport.’ Daisy went upstairs to wash her face—too late I thought with humiliation of my towels—while Gatsby and I waited on the lawn. ‘My house looks well, doesn’t it?’ he demanded. ‘See how the whole front of it catches the light.’ I agreed that it was splendid. ‘Yes.’ His eyes went over it, every arched door and square tower. ‘It took me just three years to earn the money that bought it.’ ‘I thought you inherited your money.’”

The author uses a lot of figurative language to develop the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. He uses many accounts of simile, symbolism, and idioms to review how these to feel now reunited. He Compares Gatsby stop to that of a weatherman reporting good news, to an ecstatic patron of recurring light. The author describes Gatsby like never before contrasting Gatsby’s usual firmness or sternness to his newly found bursting glow. Daisy reciprocates Gatsby’s feelings and is now filled with ‘unexpected joy.’ The rain coming to a halt holds a great deal of symbolism. Perhaps this is a sign of new beginnings and sunshine following the tumultuous clouds. My view on their relationship due to this development is pessimistic. I feel as though now that their relationship is on such high of a pedestal they can only descend and crumble. Nevertheless their relationship right now seems like a fairytale and I’m intrigued to see what is to come.

Chapter 6: Narrator’s Nature

“He talked a lot about the past and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was… One autumn night, five years before, they had been walking down the street when the leaves were they came to a place where there were no trees and the sidewalk was white with moonlight. They stopped here and turned toward each other. Now it was a cool night with that mysterious excitement in it which comes at the two changes of the year. The quiet lights in the houses were humming out into the darkness and there was a stir and bustle among the stars. Out of the corner of his eye Gatsby saw that the blocks of the sidewalk really formed a ladder and mounted to a secret place above the trees—he could climb to it, if he climbed alone, and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder. His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete. Through all he said, even through his appalling sentimentality, I was reminded of something—an elusive rhythm, a fragment of lost words, that I had heard somewhere a long time ago. For a moment a phrase tried to take shape in my mouth and my lips parted like a dumb man’s, as though there was more struggling upon them than a wisp of startled air. But they made no sound and what I had almost remembered was uncommunicable forever.”

The narrator, Nick, has taken an overall realistic and practically oriented tone. The author suggests that the narrator is a bit self-centered as he dismisses Gatsby’s ‘appalling sentimentality’ and continues further at an attempt to recover something he had almost remembered but was ‘uncommunicative forever.’ Similar to Gatsby’s relentless search but opposing in that Gatsby is more of a mythical dreamer. This tone is conveyed through his monologue in the stated excerpt above. The narrator’s purpose in this chapter is to inform and allow us (the reader) to get to know Gatsby as well as himself a bit more. In this chapter I got to see how deep Gatsby lets his delusions get the better of him he is incredibly naive and his interpretations of social clues is ridiculous. Gatsby is unrealistic and unfair as he expects Daisy to denounce her love for Tom and leave him and their child to pursue this fairy tale he’s embedded in his mind he explains that that is his true desire. The fact that Gatsby still believes Daisy will come back to him show how in his head he is and unwilling to see things for what they are- his obsession with Daisy won’t let him. The narrator also portrays daisy, coming from the East Egg, as judgmental as he describes her misery at the party because she feels she is above everyone else there, all of West Egg.

Chapter 7: Symbolism

“‘What do you want money for, all of a sudden?’ ‘I’ve been here too long. I want to get away. My wife and I want to go west.’ ‘Your wife does!’ exclaimed Tom, startled. ‘She’s been talking about it for ten years.’ He rested for a moment against the pump, shading his eyes. ‘And now she’s going whether she wants to or not. I’m going to get her away.’ The coupé flashed by us with a flurry of dust and the flash of a waving hand. ‘What do I owe you?’ demanded Tom harshly. ‘I just got wised up to something funny the last two days,’ remarked Wilson. ‘That’s why I want to get away. That’s why I been bothering you about the car.’ ‘What do I owe you?’ ‘Dollar twenty.’ The relentless beating heat was beginning to confuse me and I had a bad moment there before I realized that so far his suspicions hadn’t alighted on Tom. He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world and the shock had made him physically sick. I stared at him and then at Tom, who had made a parallel discovery less than an hour before—and it occurred to me that there was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the well. Wilson was so sick that he looked guilty, unforgivably guilty—as if he had just got some poor girl with child. ‘I’ll let you have that car,’ said Tom. ‘I’ll send it over tomorrow afternoon.’ That locality was always vaguely disquieting, even in the broad glare of afternoon, and now I turned my head as though I had been warned of something behind. Over the ashheaps the giant eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg kept their vigil but I perceived, after a moment, that other eyes were regarding us with peculiar intensity from less than twenty feet away. In one of the windows over the garage the curtains had been moved aside a little and Myrtle Wilson was peering down at the car. So engrossed was she that she had no consciousness of being observed and one emotion after another crept into her face like objects into a slowly developing picture. Her expression was curiously familiar—it was an expression I had often seen on women’s faces but on Myrtle Wilson’s face it seemed purposeless and inexplicable until I realized that her eyes, wide with jealous terror, were fixed not on Tom, but on Jordan Baker, whom she took to be his wife.”

The ashheaps symbolize failure, decay and corruption. The eyes of TJ eckleburg keeping vigil, relating to religious observance, symbolizes a higher power keeping watch over everyone in the valley of Ashes through all their destruction. The ashheaps also symbolize loss. Loss as in death but also a loss of hope and dreams- the American dream. Everyone in this region is barely getting by and are living deplorable lives. For example Wilson’s business, his livelihood, was going under and he was doing nothing about it, and Myrtle was committing adultery. The religious presence gives the overall story hope of justice. God or a higher power is looking down on all the chaos so there might be a bigger plan for everything to be set right and Justice to be served.

Chapter 8: Nick’s Attitudes

“I’m going to drain the pool today, Mr. Gatsby. Leaves’ll start falling pretty soon and then there’s always trouble with the pipes.’ ‘Don’t do it today,’ Gatsby answered. He turned to me apologetically. ‘You know, old sport, I’ve never used that pool all summer?’ I looked at my watch and stood up. ‘Twelve minutes to my train.’ I didn’t want to go to the city. I wasn’t worth a decent stroke of work but it was more than that—I didn’t want to leave Gatsby. I missed that train, and then another, before I could get myself away. ‘I’ll call you up,’ I said finally. ‘Do, old sport.’ ‘I’ll call you about noon.’ We walked slowly down the steps. ‘I suppose Daisy’ll call too.’ He looked at me anxiously as if he hoped I’d corroborate this. ‘I suppose so.’ ‘Well—goodbye.’ We shook hands and I started away. Just before I reached the hedge I remembered something and turned around. ‘They’re a rotten crowd,’ I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.’ I’ve always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to end. First he nodded politely, and then his face broke into that radiant and understanding smile, as if we’d been in ecstatic cahoots on that fact all the time. His gorgeous pink rag of a suit made a bright spot of color against the white steps and I thought of the night when I first came to his ancestral home three months before. The lawn and drive had been crowded with the faces of those who guessed at his corruption—and he had stood on those steps, concealing his incorruptible dream, as he waved them goodbye. I thanked him for his hospitality. We were always thanking him for that—I and the others.”

The author reveals how negatively and low Nick thinks of the people of East egg. The author uses in the dialogue between Nick and Gatsby to reveal how Nick perceive East egg in its inhabitants. By stating Gatsby’s past and how he had to work for his wealth unlike some others and East egg the author explains what led to this point, the point where Nick has had enough of the people of East egg and sympathizes with Gatsby. I agree with Nick. As pathetic and naive Gatsby is he always meant well. He was one of the majority of people in this novel blinded by the ‘American Dream’ and love. Everything he did was to end up with Daisy and give her everything she ever wanted. Daisy along with almost everyone else took advantage of him.

Chapter 9: Themes

“‘Hello!’ I interrupted breathlessly. ‘Look here—this isn’t Mr. Gatsby. Mr. Gatsby’s dead.’ There was a long silence on the other end of the wire, followed by an exclamation … then a quick squawk as the connection was broken. I think it was on the third day that a telegram signed Henry C. Gatz arrived from a town in Minnesota. It said only that the sender was leaving immediately and to postpone the funeral until he came. It was Gatsby’s father, a solemn old man very helpless and dismayed, bundled up in a long cheap ulster against the warm September day. His eyes leaked continuously with excitement and when I took the bag and umbrella from his hands he began to pull so incessantly at his sparse grey beard that I had difficulty in getting off his coat. He was on the point of collapse so I took him into the music room and made him sit down while I sent for something to eat. But he wouldn’t eat and the glass of milk spilled from his trembling hand. ‘I saw it in the Chicago newspaper,’ he said. ‘It was all in the Chicago newspaper. I started right away.’ ‘I didn’t know how to reach you.’ His eyes, seeing nothing, moved ceaselessly about the room. ‘It was a mad man,’ he said. ‘He must have been mad.’ ‘Wouldn’t you like some coffee?’ I urged him. ‘I don’t want anything. I’m all right now, Mr.——‘ ‘Carraway.’ ‘Well, I’m all right now. Where have they got Jimmy?’ I took him into the drawing-room, where his son lay, and left him there. Some little boys had come up on the steps and were looking into the hall; when I told them who had arrived they went reluctantly away. After a little while Mr. Gatz opened the door and came out, his mouth ajar, his face flushed slightly, his eyes leaking isolated and unpunctual tears. He had reached an age where death no longer has the quality of ghastly surprise, and when he looked around him now for the first time and saw the height and splendor of the hall and the great rooms opening out from it into other rooms his grief began to be mixed with an awed pride. I helped him to a bedroom upstairs; while he took off his coat and vest I told him that all arrangements had been deferred until he came.”

One of the most prominent themes in this novel was loyalty and family. After Gatsby’s death men and girls were no longer flocking to his house like moths. None of his so called friends, other than Nick, were selfless enough to even show up to his funeral. Even though thousands spent a large span of time around him none of their Loyalties was with him. His father was the only one to show up and actually see him- not to help engage rumors but genuinely to say goodbye to his son. As twisted as Tom and Daisy are they too stuck by their family. Not once did Daisy have intentions of leaving Tom to try to rekindle what she and Gatsby had, Tom was aware of that fact and therefore never showed signs of insecurity towards the whole situation. Daisy’s loyalties were never to Gatsby but always with Tom.Gatsby was barely alone his whole life but when he died incredibly lonely.

CITATIONS

1. Wulick, Anna. “Everything You Need to Know: The Great Gatsby Era.,”4 Nov. 2018 blog.prepscholar.com/great-gatsby-era-backdrop-1920s.

In modern society, being an American means to be free and loyal. Being free means to live in the country without prejudices and to have the ability to fairly attain your dreams. On the other hand, “fake it till you make it” is a phrase adopted by Americans, which simply means to imitate certain qualities one wishes to have until one does obtain those qualities. With this phrase in mind, people create a mirage of their idealized selves in order to achieve their goals and be “free.” Based on the analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, the play Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, and the film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, the definition of American adopts a negative connotation with the meaning that being an American means to be a con artist; however, being a con artist does not guarantee that one will successfully achieve their goals. First, Gatsby in The Great Gatsby fails to achieve his goals in life despite his new rich persona; next, the color symbolism in Fitzgerald’s novel accentuates the idea of a fraud; then, Moss and Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross literally are conmen; and finally, Ransom Stoddard creates a name for himself through a single “con.”

In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald presents Jay Gatsby as a man who fails to achieve his goals but succeeds in being an American. Gatsby lives in the town called West Egg where everyone is considered to be “new money,” and they try to copy the lifestyle of those who live in East Egg. Even though the residents of West Egg try to imitate the lifestyle of those who live in East Egg, the residents in East Egg know that the residents of West Egg will never have as high of a class. Based on his encounters with everyone, Gatsby could be described as a pathological liar. He seems to falsify most of his stories pertinent to his past. When Tom suggests that they all go to New York together, he taunts Gatsby about his past, saying he heard Gatsby was “an Oxford man” (Fitzgerald 137). Tom’s taunts convey the idea that in their world, one has to lie in order to attain a high class if he or she was not already born into it. Gatsby creates this “oxford man” persona to maintain his rich status and display it to the world. In fact, he slightly changes all of his stories to make him seem worth more than he actually feels. Gatsby creates a different part of himself to be “free.” He throws parties frequently to show off his new wealth, yet he can’t seem to reach all of his dreams much like the green light he cannot reach across the water.

Although the color green symbolizes naiveness and inexperience in the novel, it does not fully accentuate the ‘American’ definition like the color blue does. Usually, the color blue symbolizes positive qualities like “trust” and “stability”; however, ironically, the color blue holds the opposite meaning in the novel (Bourn). When Gatsby starts working for Dan Cody, Cody buys him a “blue coat,” which symbolizes the start of Gatsby’s road to West Egg (Fitzgerald 107). Also, Cody portrays the lifestyle that Gatsby wants. The blue coat is a physical accessory to Gatsby’s new persona as he continues forward to build his wealth. Ironically, Gatsby attains Cody’s lifestyle through one of Cody’s faults: alcohol. Gatsby’s illegal means to his wealth accurately depicts the negative connotation of an American as he took the illegitimate route to wealth. In chapter three, Nick mentions that people came and went into Gatsby’s “blue gardens…among the…champagne and the stars” (Fitzgerald 43). Gatsby’s blue gardens represent his stability in West Egg, but they also represent his ostensible class. The garden and champagne may physically be there, but he will never have the East Egg status that he desires. Myrtle, another character who will never have the status she desires, goes out in a blue dress when she engulfs the role of being Tom’s mistress. The “blue and gigantic” eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg lure over where Myrtle lives and taunt her with the idea that she has a chance to obtain wealth and class (Fitzgerald 26). Myrtle may appear in the dress and play the part, but her death only proves that she will never become someone with a higher social standing no matter how hard she fakes it. The overarching idea of “faking it” does not actually successfully help anyone “make it.”

In contrast, the play Glengarry Glen Ross adopts “faking it” as the only strategy to success. All four salesmen are con artists since they trick people into sales. Even in their everyday lives , the salesmen are actively conning amongst themselves and others. In Act 1, Scene 2, Moss tells Aaronow that someone should break into the office and steal all the good leads. Moss tricks Aaronow and tells him that he will tell the police Aaronow was an accomplice if they get caught. Moss cons Aaronow into his grand scheme; however, Moss never broke into the office and got the good leads. Moss’ futile efforts to con Aaronow backfired on him as someone else broke into the office. Even Moss’ name corresponds with the American definition; his name represents a plant that grows in shady areas, which implies that he can only thrive when he acts shady. In Act 2, Roma states the well-known phrase “always be closing…,” which signifies the continuity of the salesmen jobs (Mamet 1021) . They always have to be on the lookout for new sales like they are hamsters on a wheel. They’re continuously going in circles only to never reach their goal. So, as salesmen, Roma and Moss exemplify the negative aspect of being an American.

Comparatively, the character Ransom Stoddard exemplifies my American definition to an extent. Ranson, who thinks he shot Liberty Valance, realizes that he will be nominated on the basis that he shot Valance. Although Tom Doniphon reveals that he was the one who shot Valance, Ransom makes no move to tell the town the news. In fact, after Doniphon releases this information, Ransom accepts the nomination. Ransom’s acceptance conveys the idea that lies are the only way to be successful, even if it is morally opposed.

Ultimately, being an American means to cheat, lie, and steal—the true skills of a con artist. As discussed above, Gatsby, Moss, Roma, and Ransom each represent this definition, whether it be wholefully or in part. Gatsby, Moss, and Roma con their way through life, only to never attain their goals. Meanwhile, Ransom uses one lie in order to gain his status but symbolically represents the somewhat cynical aspect of the meaning. Clearly the aphorism “fake it till you make it” represents the term American in a somewhat true manner during the 20th century; however, in the 21th century the meaning has adopted a more positive connotation where people can successfully obtain their dreams while still being truthful.

Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women’s most significant professions. Considering that the role of women in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was kept mostly concealed and unrecognizable throughout the whole novel, Fitzgerald uses small yet potent words in the form of imagery to show the power of women in the book. As a result he maintains the innocence and gracefulness of the multiple women in the story.

All the women in the Great gatsby posses this mysterious but powerful influence over a man in the story. Gatsby although innocent, takes the blame for Daisy’s murderous mistake.

Yes,.. he said after a moment, but of course I’ll say I was. You see, when we left New York she was very nervous and she thought it would steady her to drive – and this woman rushed out at us just as we were passing a car coming the other way. It all happened in a minute, but it seemed to me that she wanted to speak to us, thought we were somebody she knew. Well, first Daisy turned away from the woman toward the other car, and then she lost her nerve and turned back. The second my hand reached the wheel I felt the shock – it must have killed her instantly (Fitzgerald 143).

This shows how Daisy although completely guilty, does not have to take responsibility for her actions because Gatsby will take the blame and leave her fully innocent. Another example of a women having power over a man is when Myrtle Wilson(Tom’s Mistress) teased Tom (who is a very confident man) to the point of complete frustration that he striked Myrtle. ‘Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ shouted Mrs. Wilson. ‘I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai –Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.”(Fitzgerald 37)

Tom has a fondness for both Daisy and Myrtle so when Myrtle teases him about Daisy his immediate reaction is to strike her.

The women display their power by showing off how they use their “feminine Space.” The image the author is trying to show is how Daisy is showing off how Daisy and Jordan are being shown as enormous with power. “The only completely stationary object in the room was an enormous couch on which two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon.”(Fitzgerald 8) The image the author is portraying is how Daisy and Jordan are careless and stress free because of the money that they posses. The author is showing how Daisy and Jordan both are very elegant and rich which in the society the setting is taking place in, it means they posses enormous power. “Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols, weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans.” Instead of being compared to a “buoy”, now they are being compared to silver idols. Fitzgerald does this to deepen the paradox that he is creating that illuminates the portrayal of female characters in the novel and how the discourse of the novel at first seems to be traditionally patriarchal of the women’s portrayal but is in actuality feminist in tone.

Women are to be discussed primarily in order to understand the male characters. Women are valued more when they increase the value of men that are around them. Daisy explains her views on life, specifically how women are supposed to act.

It’ll show you how I’ve gotten to feel about – things. Well, she was less than an hour old and Tom was God knows where. I woke up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling, and asked the nurse right away if it was a boy or a girl. She told me it was a girl, and so I turned my head away and wept. ‘All right,’ I said, ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool (Fitzgerald 16-17).

Since Fitzgerald took the time to explain Daisy and Tom’s past, this gives the reader some insight and some evidence to infer the kind of relationship Tom and Daisy are in. This is one of the ways Fitzgerald uses Daisy’s power and voice to describe her spouse. At one of Gatsby’s many parties, a woman makes a request to Nick, “Reach me a rose, honey” (65). In this quote the woman is speaking directly and making a command to Nick that he must comply with. With this action, Nick indirectly characterizes himself as a gentlemen by complying with the request of the woman.

Overtime, The Great Gatsby shed light on the issue of women rights all over the world. But as discussed, women power was overall hard to find but was a huge theme throughout the entire novel. The use of imagery also enhanced the difficulty to recognize the influence the women actually possessed. In which Daisy a character described as fragile still holds an immense amount of power over others.

Throughout chapter 8, Fitzgerald compares the past with the present. Gatsby is trying to recreate his past-recalling his history and memories with Daisy, allows Nick to understand the depth of love he still has for Daisy. But after the accident, Daisy has been loyal only to Tom represents the end of Gatsby’s happiness.

Symbolism

Fitzgerald states, “I waited, and about four o’clock she came to the window and stood there for a minute and then turned out the light.” Throughout the novel, the green light symbolizes the hope of Gatsby and Daisy’s destiny together. Turning off the light, suggests the end of their hope and future for Gatsby and highlighting the unattainability of Gatsby’s dream. With Gatsby hoping to acquire and Daisy (her social status, power, lifestyle) he represents a symbol of America during the 1920’s along with the flawed nature of the American dream.

Fitzgerald describes, “We pushed aside curtains that were like pavilions, and felt over innumerable feet of dark wall for electric light switches — once I tumbled with a sort of splash upon the keys of a ghostly piano.” Within the statement, the reader can sense a dark mood, while in the previous chapter the mood contrasts with Gatsby’s well-lit mansion representing happier vibes.

Imagery

In this chapter, the imagery is dark and gloomy with phrases such as “ghostly piano” and “stale cigarettes.” Fitzgerald only includes happier imagery when recalling the past memories of Daisy and Gatsby portraying that, that was when Gatsby was truly happy when he had acquired Daisy (her position, social status, wealth, power, and lifestyle.)

Simile

Fitzgerald mentions a simile, “because “Jay Gatsby.” had broken up like glass against Tom’s hard malice, and the long secret extravaganza was played out.” In this statement Fitzgerald juxtaposes Gatsby and Tom. He suggests that Gatsby is fragile like glass and Tom is a more accomplished and powerful man, therefore, Daisy chose to be with him not Gatsby. The broken glass also symbolizes Daisy’s frail personality and feelings.

Allusion

This sentence, “All night the saxophones wailed the hopeless comment of the Beale Street Blues” is an example of allusion. The Beale Street Blues is a song by W.C. Handy representing the Jazz Age during the 1920’s, creating a low-spirited mood because the saxophones are personified to be wailing rather than portraying a happy mood.

The weather throughout the novel, can signify a change of atmosphere within the characters. In the previous chapter, it was the hottest day of summer. That same day Myrtle’s death occurred. But as the night cooled off and as morning approached Daisy decides to stay with Tom rather than Gatsby. In this chapter as autumn arrives (season changing) symbolizes the end to Gatsby’s hopes and dreams and eventually an end to his life.

The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in April of 1924, demonstrates close resemblance to the history of the 1920s. The 1920s commonly referred to as the “Roaring Twenties,” is most popular for its wild parties, dancing, and illegal drinking to its post-war prosperity and its new freedoms for women (Southern). All of these components and more can easily be identified in Fitzgerald’s award-winning novel. The Great Gatsby represents the history of the 1920s by expressing changes in women’s rights, illegal drinking, and economics.

Women’s rights were a prominent issue in the 1900s and still are to this day. Women have always been taught that their main purpose is to cook, clean, and take care of a family. Yet, during the 1920s women began stepping out of their comfort zone and exploring all of the possibilities that life offers. This revolution began with the 19th Amendment passed in 1919, which gave women the right to vote. This great accomplishment empowered many women to fight for equal rights. As World War I continued, more women began to work to make up for the men fighting abroad (Wulik). This gave women more power and a larger role in society. The term “flapper” was used to describe women who would wear much less restricting clothing and go out drinking and dancing (Wulik). The Great Gatsby shows the advancement of the “flapper” through the development of the character Jordan Baker. She is athletic, single, and goes out with various men (Pruitt). Jordan is also known to lie and cheat. The narrator states, “at her first big golf tournament there was a row that nearly reached the newspapers- a suggestion that she had moved the ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round (Fitzgerald 62). This is just one example of how “impure and unladylike” Jordan is. There is also another scandal where Jordan was borrowing someone’s car, left the top down in the rain, and lied about the event. Jordan is a great example of how Fitzgerald integrated the advancement of women into The Great Gatsby. Another character that defies traditional roles is Myrtle Wilson. Throughout the novel, Myrtle is having an affair with Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan’s husband. Myrtle herself is married to George Wilson. Myrtle’s affair is elaborate, scandalous, and vile. The 1920s brought out a more experimental and wild side of women and Fitzgerald communicates that through the development of female characters.

Additionally, the division between genders and the different roles they played in society are evident throughout the Great Gatsby. The role of women during the time period the Great Gatsby is set, which is the 1920s, as expressed by Daisy, the only strength women had in society was to look beautiful and be married off to a richer man, she said “That’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful fool”. Women were also seen as just objects and possessions of men. Daisy’s worth increased in Gatsby’s eyes when it became obvious that many other men were fond of her, so she then became a prize to be won, other than being seen as an actual person, “It excited him too that many men had already loved Daisy- it increased her value in his eyes”. Furthermore, the way in which Tom Buchanan dominates his wife, Daisy, and Myrtle, shows that women were treated just as possessions in men’s eyes. Men were allowed to discipline their women as they saw fit if they did something wrong in their eyes. This is evident when “Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand”. How both the genders were also characterized is evident in the roles they played in society. Tom was represented as the stereotypical figure; a modern prototype of the ancient patriarch presiding over his family and property. At the time, males were supposed to be the alphas in society and the dominant figure in relationships who exerted power and control over other women and their families. Women were meant to be obedient to their husbands and even though the flapper was meant to represent the liberated woman which is what Daisy was, she is still extremely subservient and submissive to Tom. In summary, when reading the Great Gatsby through a gender stereotypical lens, the power that men hold over women is significantly represented throughout the text.

To summarize, F. Scott Fitzgerald can be said to have captured the rollicking, tumultuous decade known as the Roaring Twenties (Pruitt). The Great Gatsby represents the history of the 1920s in several aspects including changes in women’s rights, illegal drinking, and economics.

In the novels The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, the protagonists are both unsatisfied with their lives. They either have everything that the average person would be envious about or they fill their days with partying and alcohol. Both are trying to fill an empty void that the whole generation is suffering from. The time periods of both novels take place after World War I so everyone is stuck in a never-ending longing of passion and pleasure, but they can’t get past the trauma that the war left. The main protagonists aren’t the only characters that struggle with dissatisfaction. Supporting characters also express how their lives are not what they want them to be; even though they come across as nothing is bothering them. The “lost generation” is stuck and they don’t know how to get out of their constant daily cycle that they are clearly sick of.

The dissatisfaction that the characters in The Great Gatsby have towards their lives represents the generation. The affects that the war left caused younger people to become distraught and have no drive to accomplish anything. Jay Gatsby left for the war and was in a different mental state of mind when he came back. Prior to leaving, Gatsby met Daisy Buchanan and instantly fell in love with her and her lifestyle which included luxury and sophistication; something that Gatsby longed for growing up poor. When trying to win Daisy over, Gatsby embellished his status in society claiming that he was a, “person from much the same strata as herself–that he was fully able to take care of her” (Fitzgerald 149). Daisy made a promise to Gatsby that she would wait for him to return home but being surrounded by an, “artificial world [that] was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery…she suddenly was again keeping half a dozen dates a day with half a dozen men…” (Fitzgerald 150). She ultimately marries Tom Buchanan—a wealthy man from a powerful family—only two years after Gatsby left for the war. When Gatsby heard that the woman he loved married another man, he never stopped trying to compete with Tom by always trying to one up him. Gatsby’s main goal was to impress Daisy Buchanan with riches and wealth. He would throw extravagant parties every week in hopes that she would come one night. He had everything that people were envious about, but he flaunted it to avoid his feelings of loneliness and love. Gatsby confided in Nick Carraway, Daisy’s cousin and Gatsby’s new neighbor, confessing his love for Daisy after all these years and how everything he’s accomplished, was for her. Since Daisy was the last thing that Gatsby was looking forward to coming home after a harsh war, he lost all hope of happiness and love so he’s holding onto the past in hopes he’ll feel that excitement again. He is “lost” and keeps on trying to find his way back to where he felt most comfortable; with Daisy.

Daisy, on the other hand, is very materialistic. She left Gatsby because another man was willing to provide her with endless jewels, clothes, and luxury items while Gatsby was absent. When Gatsby and Daisy reunite once again, one of the first things Daisy does is, “[bend] her head into the shirts and [begin] to cry stormily” (Fitzgerald 92). She sobs because it makes her, “sad that [she’s] never seen such—such beautiful shirts before’’ (Fitzgerald 92). This is an example at how Daisy is regretting leaving Gatsby because she’s intrigued with how he can take care of her and she wishes she can have everything that he has too. Daisy cares about materialistic items because it distracts her from the pain she’s feeling from not being with Gatsby and for being with Tom. Daisy is not amused by Tom and his constant negative attitude. She is fully aware about his infidelities and still doesn’t do anything about it because she is worried about losing the wealth that Tom has. Nick describes, “the fact that he had [a mistress] was insisted upon wherever he was known. His acquaintances resented the fact that he turned up in popular restaurants with her and, leaving her at a table, sauntered about, chatting with whomever he knew” (Fitzgerald 24). Daisy, and most of the upper class, knew about Tom’s scandalous ways but no one said anything because of the high position he holds in society. Daisy ignores these behaviors because she’s afraid of being left without money; she would rather suffer in a toxic relationship than be anything but the upper class. These actions from Daisy show that she is just trying to make herself happy with materialistic things than building close and personal relationships. Much like the rest of the generation, Daisy is hiding behind money, jewels, and extravagant parties to fill the void of loneliness that the affects of the war created.

Tom Buchanan might seem like a social highlight who has everything in the world, but he also is dissatisfied with his life. The money that he has, is not enough to make him happy. He has a beautiful house, a wonderful career, and a highly sophisticated wife but that isn’t enough. Tom cheating on Daisy lets the audience know that Daisy’s beauty is not enough to keep Tom satisfied but he wants to keep Daisy around for the popularity and fame. For example, Tom thinks it is perfectly acceptable for him to go out and be unfaithful to Daisy as long as he comes back to her in the end. He says that, “once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time” (Fitzgerald 131). Tom wants to keep his social status by staying with Daisy but also wants to fill the void of love—that he clearly doesn’t have with her—with sex and entertaining other women. In some way, Tom does feel some remorse for his infidelity but because the war left him, and many others, feeling empty, they’re always searching for something more.

Along with characters in The Great Gatsby, characters in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises experience the same negative affects that the war left on the generation. The protagonist Jake Barnes expresses how the war has left him physically and psychologically different. Since he got hurt in the war, it affects his sex life which during this time, takes a toll on his masculinity. However, the audience does not exactly know what happened and why he cannot perform sexual intercourse. Jake and his friends all ignore the obvious state that they’re all suffering from. Instead of confronting the issues at hand, they all decide to run from the conflict and bury themselves with partying, alcohol, and meaningless relationships. When Jake and Georgette are talking, Jake mentions how he got hurt in the war. Georgette doesn’t ask any questions but simply says, “oh, that dirty war,” and Jake continues his narration by saying, “We would probably have gone on and discussed the war and agreed that it was in reality a calamity for civilization, and perhaps would have been better avoided” (Hemingway 24). Avoiding seems to be the key when discussing and thinking about the war. The characters in the novel cannot move on and find peace because they can not come to terms with how horrible the war actually was.

Another example of how the characters are dissatisfied with their lives in The Sun Also Rises is how the romantic partners change frequently and suddenly. They cannot commit to one person because nothing is enough to satisfy them when they are in the state of mind that they are all dealing with. Relationships are formed—sexual and platonic—but they never get anywhere besides sex and partying. Marriage is talked about but it is never attempted besides Cohn’s awful first marriage. The “lost generation” is incapable of love and affection but they still crave the attention by trying to satisfy it with meaningless relationships. In the end of the novel, Jake and Brett finally receive closure from their relationship but it is unfortunate that they couldn’t be together because they couldn’t get over their own personal hardships. Brett says, “oh Jake…we could have had such a damned good time together,” and Jake replies with, “yes…isn’t it pretty to think so?” (Hemingway 250). They both know that they have some sort of connection with each other, but they also know it could never work. They both know that they are dealing with issues that the war left, and they know they are never going to be satisfied enough to commit to each other.

The lost generation lived an aimless and impersonal life by avoiding true emotion and not coping with the issues that they dealt with from the war. The characters in both novels mentioned struggled internally trying to fill a constant void that they knew was there but wouldn’t directly attack the issue head on. Their daily cycle consisted of activities and events that just distracted them from reality; Gatsby with his parties and expensive living, Jake and his friends with constant drinking and dancing. When their desires and wants became prevalent, they denied their true feelings and still resorted to hiding and avoiding just to not deal with the mental impact that it has. The characters all have some hidden motive and all of their actions and behaviors all relate back to it; when will I finally be satisfied with my life?