Second-hand car vendor Mr. George Wilson determinedly grabbed his gun and shot Mr. Jay Gatsby dead without an accident of fate that prevented him from pulling the trigger. Known by all for his signature way of addressing people as “Old Sport”, Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, was a wealthy man who often wore flamboyant suits, drove a rich cream colored car of monstrous length, and hosted decadent parties with wild jazz music weekend after weekend in his mansion. He had a rare smile that seemed to emanate reassurance without end, but he was mysterious. Nobody knew who he really was, what he did, or why he organized so many parties - or, at least, most people did not until just recently… Rumors hence traveled here and there in whispers, …show more content…
He recounted being brought up in America, having fought in the war, and later being educated at Oxford because it was a “family tradition”. He even described living like a “young rajah” in Europe, collecting jewels and hunting big game. Now, of course, people were incredulous about this self-told story - it was much too outrageous and sounded impossible. Bond seller and good friend of Gatsby’s Mr. Nick Carraway has, however, recently revealed the TRUTH to us. Yes, the very TRUTH we have been searching for. Yet, even he admitted that Mr. Gatsby did not open up honestly to him until a few moments before his …show more content…
Nick Carraway developed a close relationship with Mr. Gatsby and grew quite fond of him. He described how Gatsby had clear flaws, but that he also had qualities Mr. Carraway found admirable, such as his smile and his determination. Nonetheless, in the short time he got to spend with him, Mr. Carraway found out all sorts of truths about him, such as how his real name was James Gatz but that he had invented a new, upgraded conception of himself in the pursuit of hiding and removing his poor background. He also discovered that Gatsby’s parents were unsuccessful farmers from Minnesota, and that he earned his fortunes from illegally selling alcohol. His American dream? It was all about discovery, individualism, and achieving greater happiness in the form of wealth. Specifically, it was to win Mrs. Daisy Buchanan’s love and to marry her. Daisy, as Mr. Carraway describes, was from a wealthy background, and the fact that someone from an upper social class like her could fall for a poorer man like him led him to instill her with an idealized perfection. To Gatsby, Daisy embodied money, and he believed that by marrying her, he, too, could belong to the upper
Through this conversation with Nick as well as later revelations, Gatsby shows just how much he has truly put into this new persona, and is also willing to lie to his closest friends to uphold this new
The rumors regarding Gatsby spread rampantly as somebody told [them] they thought he killed a man once, and Gatsby was a German spy during the war. When people are curious about one’s past, people tend to conjure up theories they see fit. Gatsby does not share his upcoming with others, which leads to a reputation that proceeds Gatsby. This notion is expanded in Roger L. Pearson’s discussion of the relation between Gatsby’s past and the American Dream, where “Gatsby relates his ‘past,’ Nick wonders if ‘there wasn’t something a little sinister about him, after all’ (65)” (Pearson 640).
In F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway meets a man named Jay Gatsby, who throws parties in the summer of 1922, in West Egg, New York. They live in a world shaped by social class and status, which is highlighted by East Egg which is home to the ‘old’ money individuals, that has been passed down for generations, and West Egg which is home to the ‘New’ money and self made wealthiness. Fitzgerald uses the character of Jay Gatsby to highlight the American dream, which is that someone could rise from nothing to wealth and achieve all their desires and wishes. In this case, Gatsby’s main goal is to impress his former lover, Daisy, by putting on a facade in an attempt to win her over .
The protagonist Jay Gatsby is deemed a tragic character as his flaws begin consuming his character until his fatal fall. Gatsby is seen as a old war hero and a legend of the town who throws extravagant parties with his family's riches. Gatsby's name gets rumored around in both good ways and bad giving the reader possible insight on his true character. People of the town begin to claim “He's a bootlegger”[and] “one
Nick Carraway migrated from the midwest to the West Egg, a wealthy preserve of Long Island. He moves there to increase his opportunity to learn about business and seize for better education. Having a higher education level, Nick will be capable of capturing a stronger hold of the American Dream. In the same sense, Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a self-made man who has achieved the American Dream through hard work and determination. He is a symbol of the wealthy and glamorous lifestyle of the 1920s and his success is a result of his ability to capitalize the booming stock market.
“Today, we few are gathered here to reflect upon the life of a great man - Jay Gatsby. I knew him for many years, if not personally, then subjectively, as a servant of his household during the latter part of his extravagant life. Though he has always kept me at distance, in an impersonal and preoccupied way, there existed a certain, undeniable intimacy between us. Through years of dusting his lavish furniture, I’ve come to develope an inexorable sense of respect for this man out of great conviction and understanding.
He didn't even accept his own parents or any part of his past as his own. Gatsby’s past is full of lies, a life created from imagination that is not even real. “I wouldn’t ask too much of her,” [Nick] ventured. “You can’t repeat the past.” “Can’t repeat the past?”
Any average person would desire to be a “Gatsby” who is extremely wealthy, widely idolized, and seemingly impeccable. Indeed, what makes Gatsby great is his lavish lifestyle and self-earned wealth. However, the more one observes Gatsby, the more one realizes that his epithet is incongruous with his actual character. Not only is the major factor that makes him remarkable, wealth, a result of illegal bootlegging, but he seems to contradict his ‘greatness’ in various instances in the novel. This leaves the readers to speculate that the title of the book is ironic as Gatsby is not great because he is too naïve, pursues after a married Daisy and does not achieve the American Dream.
In the last passage of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the reader gains insight into Gatsby’s life through the reflections of Nick Carraway. These reflections provide a summary of Gatsby’s life and also parallel the main themes in the novel. Through Fitzgerald’s use of diction and descriptions, he criticizes the American dream for transformation of new world America from an untainted frontier to a corrupted industrialized society. In the novel, Fitzgerald never mentions the phase “American Dream,” however the idea is significant to the story.
Jay Gatsby, one of the main characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, is a wealthy man with dubious sources of money; Gatsby is renowned in New York due to the lavish parties he holds every friday in his mansion. These are spectacles that fully embody the wealth and glamour of the roaring twenties, and are narrated through the eyes of another character Nick Carraway, an ambitious 29 year old man that recently moved back to a corrupt new york in a cramped cottage next to Gatsby’s palace. After admiring the careless behaviour of the parties from a distance, Nick gets a personal invitation to Gatsby’s next party, he promptly becomes infatuated by the extravagant and frivolous lifestyle the parties portray, along with the superficial
Risk taking, ground breaking changes, and wild parties are all important aspects of the 1920’s. The massive parties that included dancing, alcohol, and a house full of strangers were so essential to this magical era that F. Scott fitzgerald made them a key element in his book, “The Great Gatsby.” These extravagant parties that Jay Gatsby was notorious for hosting, attracted strangers from all corners of New York to take part in these luxurious events. These parties were so popular and well known in the eastern New York area that they basically become Gatsby’s trademark. Upon hearing the name “Gatsby” guests did not visualize the face of a young man, but rather envisioned the wild parties he threw.
The Great Gatsby Literary Analysis “They were careless people…” says Nick Carraway, the narrator of The Great Gatsby. In a story depicting the 1920s during a time of prosperity, growth, and the emergence of the America as a major global power, this statement may seem to be contrary. But in reality, Nick Carraway’s description of his friends and the people he knew, was not only true, but is an indication of those who were striving for the American dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald suggests that the American Dream is foolish, the people who pursue it are immoral and reckless, and this pursuit is futile. First, F. Scott Fitzgerald proposes that the American dream is foolish.
On the inside, Gatsby is the same boy who does not know what to do with his life, but on the outside, he is a lavish man, who throws sumptuous parties which attract hundreds of people. Despite having thousands of acquaintances, Gatsby is lonely and has only a few loyal friends. He is “broken by a conflict between [imagination] and reality” (TFM, page 39); he wants Daisy back and tries to assure himself that it is possible to repeat the past, but deep inside he understands that nothing in this world can reunite him and his first and only love. Gatsby does everything imaginable to prevent the bitter reality, and he tries to avoid the painful truth by living in a sugary dream and never stops hoping. Although many people knew the “mysterious Gatsby,” (TGG, Chapter 3) attended his parties, and had fun, no one except for a few people show up to his funeral, when he is killed, in part due to Daisy.
Gatsby was a man who came up from essentially nothing by gaining his money through bootlegging and other illegal acts in order to gain a reputation in society. Gatsby’s constant desire to accomplish more in his life demonstrates the corruption of the American Dream. It is evident that Gatsby has had a thirst for the American dream since a young age, this is shown when Gatsby’s father says: “Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he’s got about improving his mind?
Gatsby’s hard work is evident in the efforts he puts into working for Dan Cody, his service in World War I, his work in remedial jobs such as clamming and almost as a janitor, and his brief time spent at Oxford University. Nick’s encounter with Gatsby’s father after Gatsby’s death further demonstrates the effort Gatsby puts into planning his journey of self-improvement by setting a daily schedule of studying, working, exercising and “[practicing] the art of elocution, poise and how to attain it”. Per the American Dream, this would result in his success, however Gatsby does not receive Dan Cody’s inheritance, drops out of Oxford, and only achieves wealth after resorting to illegal business and bootlegging. Gatsby’s character displays how the American Dream is corrupted through lack of morals leading to wealth, while honest hard work does not. This is better portrayed in the novel, which describes Gatsby’s journal of self-establishment in detail – such as Gatsby’s “schedule” – that is not evident in the film.