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    The Great Gatsby Essay

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    The essay analyzes F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and how it depicts the corruption of the American Dream in the 1920s. Several examples from the novel are discussed that show how the Dream became obsessed with materialism, led to a segregation of social classes, and resulted in selfish and blind pursuits of desires that ended in suffering. The essay argues that Fitzgerald used the novel to provide a harsh criticism of 1920s American society by showing how the ideals of the Dream, such as equality and freedom, were abandoned in favor of wealth, social status, and empty pursuits.

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    The Great Gatsby Essay

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    api-285213466
    3K views5 pages
    The essay analyzes F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and how it depicts the corruption of the American Dream in the 1920s. Several examples from the novel are discussed that show how the Dream became obsessed with materialism, led to a segregation of social classes, and resulted in selfish and blind pursuits of desires that ended in suffering. The essay argues that Fitzgerald used the novel to provide a harsh criticism of 1920s American society by showing how the ideals of the Dream, such as equality and freedom, were abandoned in favor of wealth, social status, and empty pursuits.

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    The essay analyzes F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and how it depicts the corruption of the American Dream in the 1920s. Several examples from the novel are discussed that show how the Dream became obsessed with materialism, led to a segregation of social classes, and resulted in selfish and blind pursuits of desires that ended in suffering. The essay argues that Fitzgerald used the novel to provide a harsh criticism of 1920s American society by showing how the ideals of the Dream, such as equality and freedom, were abandoned in favor of wealth, social status, and empty pursuits.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    3K views5 pages

    The Great Gatsby Essay

    Uploaded by

    api-285213466
    The essay analyzes F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and how it depicts the corruption of the American Dream in the 1920s. Several examples from the novel are discussed that show how the Dream became obsessed with materialism, led to a segregation of social classes, and resulted in selfish and blind pursuits of desires that ended in suffering. The essay argues that Fitzgerald used the novel to provide a harsh criticism of 1920s American society by showing how the ideals of the Dream, such as equality and freedom, were abandoned in favor of wealth, social status, and empty pursuits.

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    The passage discusses how Fitzgerald critiques 1920s American society and shows how the American Dream has been corrupted by materialism, selfishness, and the pursuit of empty desires.

    Fitzgerald portrays the American Dream in the novel as being corrupted and no longer representing equality and the pursuit of happiness, but rather becoming obsessed with wealth, materialism, and social status.

    Some examples Fitzgerald uses include Daisy's reaction to Gatsby's wealth, the valley of ashes representing the suffering of the lower classes, and Myrtle's death revealing how she tried to fit into high society.

    Tracy Yang

    5/12/2015
    Mrs. Franks
    English II

    The Great Gatsby Essay


    The novel of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald suggest that if its worthy to pay the
    price of life for chasing a dream? In 1920s New York reached the pinnacle of social statue and
    wealth, many people believed they had reached the American dream, they make a spectacle of
    their wealth with fancy and fashionable proprietorship of incredibly luxuries, but behind the
    flashy appearance the true value of humanity and a simple dream are abandoned. The
    American dream believed in equality and freedom of pursuit happiness, but it ends up being
    materialism, segregation of classes, selfish pursuit of ones desire, blindly pursuing dream and
    suffering. The idea of American dream has been twisted and misunderstanding to fill full selfs
    pleasure, Mr. Fitzgerald create the theme by using symbolism to represent the counterfactual
    of the society.
    The examples that proves the American dream had become obsession of materialism.
    Said by Daisy Buchanan describing Jay Gatsbys shirts Theyre such beautiful shirts, she
    sobbed..It makes me sad because Ive never seen such such beautiful shirts before.
    (Chapter 5, Page 59). Daisys realization of Gatsbys wealth making her emotion empathy
    toward the lost years of her life and Gatsbys latent love, representing ones love and emotion
    can be effect by the wealth and obsession of material. Another example is Said by Jay Gatsby
    and Nick Carraway about the indiscreet voice of Daisy Buchanan Her voice is full of money, he
    said suddenly. That was it, Id never understood before. It was full of money..........kings
    daughter, the golden girl (Chapter 7 Page 76). Daisys voice suggested she is from a wealthy

    Tracy Yang
    5/12/2015
    Mrs. Franks
    English II

    family and may had been properly educated, with her linguistic markers of wealth and privilege
    of society status her sort of high and musical voice sound like money had built up to it.
    Second example that stand out throughout the book is the segregation of classes that
    end up being negative turning point of the story. On the way with Tom Buchanan to see his
    mistress, Nick Carraway described This is a Valley of ashes a fantastic farm where ashes grow
    like wet into ridges and hills and geotactic garden.crumbling through the powdery air.
    (Chapter 2 Page 16) The Valley of ashes, a desolate area of the land in between West Egg and
    New York, represent the moral and social decay hidden by the wealthy and industrial hard
    working lower class people whose environmental suffering representing symbols of dead.
    Another way to look at this is through Nick Carraway describing Daisy and Tom Buchanan They
    were careless people, Tom and Daisy they smashed up things and creatures and then
    retreated back into their moneyclean up the mess they had made..(Chapter 9 Page 114)
    Daisy and Tom Buchanans wealth and no sense of obligation to others allow them to lie and
    run away from difficulties and left the wreckage behind for someone else with integrity and
    honor to clean up.
    Another strong indication throughout the book is peoples selfishness of pursuit their
    desire, they please themselves to have an ecstatic and gleeful life with all the materiality and
    wealth they can possibly get. In the apartment of Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson, Nick
    Carraway described Daisy! Daisy! Daisy! shouted Mrs. Wilson. Tom Buchanan broke her
    nose with his open hand. (Chapter 2 Page 25) Tom's explosive anger is revealed as frustration
    of the lie he told Myrtle Wilson about Daisy Buchanan and the selfish intention that he

    Tracy Yang
    5/12/2015
    Mrs. Franks
    English II

    wouldnt leave Daisy Buchanan for Myrtle Wilson but he also want to last the forbidden
    relationship with Myrtle. Another strong example is when Nick Carraway tried to reason with
    Jay Gatsby that he cannot repeat his past with Daisy Buchanan. I wouldnt ask too much of
    her, I ventured. You cant repeat the past. Cant repeat the past? he cried incredulously.
    Why of course you can!(Chapter 6 Page 70) Gatsbys selfish imaging of literally repeat the
    past within his illusion through his force, Daisy will tell Tom she never loved him at all so he and
    Daisy can escape memory and go back and begin their relationship again.
    The most conclusive of example that proves the American dream had been abandoned
    and becoming blindly pursuing dream is through Nick Carraway describing Jay Gatsbys
    unreachable dream, Gatsby believe in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year
    recedes before us.Stretch out our arms farther.....And one fine morning So we beat on,
    boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past (Chapter 9 Page 115) It is too
    simplistic to say green light is symbolic of Gatsbys hope, and hes longing for Daisy. The green
    light proves Gatsbys inability to move on from the past, shows Gatsby has been trying to goes
    against the current situation to recreate the past, and Gatsby has spent his whole life longing
    for money, success, acceptance from the society, and Daisys love, but with all the luxurious he
    can possibly reach, the gaping hole inside of him never feels complete. The unreachable dream
    that feel just off in the distance is what green light really represent.
    The most conclusive of examples that proves the American dream had been abandoned
    and becoming suffering is through Nick Carraway describing the terrible crash that killed Myrtle
    Wilson. A moment later she rushed out into the dusk, waving her hands and

    Tracy Yang
    5/12/2015
    Mrs. Franks
    English II

    shouting.choked a little in giving up the tremendous vitality she had stored so


    long.(Chapter 7 Page 88) Myrtle Wilsons death reveal the truth that she had endeavor to fit in
    the society and craving to be accepted, at the end she pays the price of death. Another example
    is through Daisy Buchanan response to the way society seek women in the roaring twenties.
    And I hope shell be a fool thats the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little
    fool.(Chapter 1 Page 13) Daisys truthful comment toward the women status in the society,
    does not only shows shes clever but also imply that the life of an ignorance woman is more
    joyful. Reason being a fool doesnt have to realize the harsh realities of the real world. Daisy is
    treated as a beautiful pawn, it suggests that beauty is an essential strength a woman can use to
    barter for a wealthy husband. And lastly, As Nick Carraway explain about Gatsbys torment "The
    truth was that Jay Gatsby...sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of
    God...he invented...Jay Gatsby...and to this conception he was faithful to the end." (Chapter 6
    Page 63) Gatsby is the one who endures the most of suffering, he could never possibly feeling
    belonged on either side of the social status. Gatsby has went through an extraordinary path to
    make himself appear to be completely different person, Gatsby throws luxurious and elaborate
    party that creates an entire image of himself as an educated and capable man who to try to win
    Daisys favor. At the end Gatsby lose his life because of his love for Daisy Buchanan
    representing his idea of the American Dream.
    The American dream that millions has been chasing is the prefect idea of pleasant and
    worth living life, but The Great Gatsby novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald has suggested differently.
    Materialism, segregation of classes, selfish pursuit of ones desire, blindly pursuing dream and

    Tracy Yang
    5/12/2015
    Mrs. Franks
    English II

    suffering had been mistaken and confused the idea of American dream. The idea had lose its
    true value, and become the excuse for degenerates and fallen society. F. Scott Fitzgerald had
    giving a harsh criticized of the American society through the novel of The Great Gatsby, it could
    be described as the harsh and bitter truth of the American society through the American
    dream, but no one could argued that the hard to swallow truth presenting in The Great Gatsby
    is the best reflect of the abominable and outrageous of the American society.

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