The Carraways are a wealthy, upper-class family in the mid-west. The Carraways are a family whose members like to follow in each other's footsteps. Nick Carraway, like his father 25 years before, graduated from New Haven in 1915. Following his graduation, Nick participated in World War I, much like his great-uncle did in the American Civil War. Nick’s father also established morals in Nick that parallel his, to never judge a person based off of first impressions because you don’t know what that person has been through. Nick began to break away from his family traditions with World War I. Following his graduation, Nick participated in World War I, unlike his great-uncle as he sent a substitute to the American Civil War. With a hesitant, but supportive family, Nick sought to move east to New York and try his hand in the
The novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald exposes the economic traps and social norms of the 1920s in through symbolism context and setting. Set in the 1920s, Jay Gatsby is a character that rose the poverty to millionaire status. He represents the new money during the 1920s. Tom Buchanan symbolizes old wealth. Daisy Buchanan represents a woman who marries for money, not love and regrets it her whole life. Myrtle is Toms Buchanan mistress and she represents a compromised, victimized stuck in limbo because of her social position. Nick Carraway narraters the novel as a neutral mid westerner who finds himself in the lurid east. He looses his equilibrium and dives into the vices of the east coast only to discover its moral emptiness symbolizes by the valley of ashes.
Nick Carraway is the narrator of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This novel is a story about the love triangle of Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, and Jay Gatsby, told from the perspective of Nick. Nick moves to Long Island, New York, where he encounters the lives of his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom, as well as his wealthy neighbor Jay. Throughout the story, Nick shows that he is judgmental, dishonest, and passive.
“The only building in sight was a small block of yellow brick sitting on the edge of the waste land, a sort of compact Main Street ministering to it and contiguous to absolutely nothing” (28). The apartment is simple, because the Wilson’s are simple people, living apart from the drama of the two eggs. The closeness of the Wilson’s home to their business represents George’s dedication to his work, while Myrtle sees it a as constant burden from which to escape. They live in the valley of ashes, a place ruined by the pollution and excesses of the rich, just as the Wilson’s lives will be ruined by the rich. Their home lies under the watchful painted eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. They are God-fearing people-and the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg represents the eyes of God. The eyes sit in judgment over the destruction the rich created in the valley of ashes where the Wilsons live, which has been rendered gray and lifeless by industrial pollution, and the destruction the upper class characters will do to the Wilsons themselves. Similarly, the drab grayness of the valley of ashes represents the gray morality they live in. The valley and ashes and their residents bear the burdens of the rich and reflect the social theme of decay and corruption in the 1920s that the pursuit of wealth and pleasure brings. A world away from their dreary apartment in the valley of ashes, is “a long white cake of apartment houses” where Tom and Myrtle have their affair (32). It is a reference to a wedding cake, and indeed the house and the affair represent romance, excitement, and sophistication Myrtle like a bride on her wedding day. Likewise, they play at being a married couple by getting a dog, hosting parties, and ordering around their
The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald is a highly symbolic book on 1920s America, in particular the fall down of the American dream in a period of materialism and idealism. And also, which was known as the Roaring Twenties. The book basically talks about a tragic story between Gatsby, a “New Money” gentleman and Daisy, a noble girl from “Old Money”. And also, the author tries to transform some ideas to the readers by using some symbolic examples, such as, the green light, Doctor T.J.Eckleburg’s eyes and Gatsby himself. Fitzgerald use The Great Gatsby to show the social situation of America and the real psychology of Americans.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, the icon of beautiful lyricism, uses many intriguing patterns within his novel, The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald, in his writing of the 1920s, introduces the reader to the world after the Great War; a world of overindulged wealth, unrealistic dreams, and undeniable poverty. Where there is wealth it is not used in an honorable way; where dreams may form, they are impossible to accomplish due to their exorbitant standards; and where dust accumulates, there poverty gathers as well. Throughout his novel, Fitzgerald uses the pattern of dust and ashes to display his essential themes of immorality, poverty, and death.
F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is about a wealthy couple, both with lovers that were born into a low social class. Nick Carraway is the narrator of the story. His neighbor, Jay Gatsby, always throws large parties and is Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan’s, lover. Nick and Daisy have a boatload of history, and no matter how hard they try to forget one another, they eventually retreat to their former ways and become lovers. Meanwhile, Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan, is also having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, a poor woman that lives in the Valley of Ashes. Daisy knows about Tom’s affair, but Tom does not know about hers until Daisy almost leaves him for Gatsby while they are in the city. Realizing what she almost did, Daisy returns
In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Jay Gatsby was murdered by George Wilson Husband of Myrtle. In the court of law there’s only one person who was responsible and guilty for the murder of Jay Gatsby. Although in the eyes of god there was more than one person responsible for the murder or had the ability to stop the outcome of the murder. Weather it was Tom being honest about his affair, Daisy doing the right thing and stopping during the accident or Jay Gatsby himself by taking control of the situation and doing what was good for both Daisy and himself instead of just what 's best for Daisy. Tom, Myrtle, Daisy, and Gatsby were selfish and self centered leading them to become Morally responsible for the death of Jay Gatsby.
Towards the end of chapter three in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carraway recalls his daily routine, which not only consists of going to work early in the morning and late aimless walks alone down the avenues, but also tells of Nick’s internal clash between wanting friends and the lack of effort he puts into establishing and sustaining a relationship. Fitzgerald describes Nick as a confused man, who’s delusional about how close he is to people he considers friends, which causes him to be restless and sad; often left to wander the streets for something to do Nick defaults to inaction, only observing and imagining what he desires.
In “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzgerald, Myrtle Wilson plays a role in not only her own death, but also the tragic demise of J. Gatsby. In chapter 2 she is described as “in her middle thirties and faintly stout” (29). Myrtle Wilson is the wife of degenerate garage owner George Wilson. She expresses her feelings for her decision on marrying George as “The only crazy I was was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake” (34-35). She regretted being married to her husband. She “thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe” (34), feeling as if her husband George wasn’t good enough for her. By her words, she displays her true feelings for her husband. This showed the character is selfish and has
Jazz is most often thought to have been started in the 1920s as this explosive movement, but that is in fact not the case. Starting in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century many African American musicians have started to explore their taste in improvising, and where better to do that than New Orleans (Anderson). Before the 1920s these jazz musicians have already been going around sharing the unique sound, but up until then, jazz had remained majorly in New Orleans. Interestingly during this period, a common jazz band would consist of a cornet, a clarinet, a trombone, and a rhythm section when at this period of time the clarinet is not commonly associated with being a jazz instrument, it moved into being the saxophone rather. A big
How does the desire to pursue money and power negatively impact the characters' moral sense of right or wrong?
The Valley of Ashes is a valley of hopelessness everyone who lives there is poor and the sky is alway grey and filled with ashes. For example when the valley of Ashes is described in the beginning of the book (Fitzgerald 23) “This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air.” This examples gives the city a gloomy mood. The greyness of weather in the valley of ashes represents sin and a sort of impureness because Myrtle cheats on her husband with Tom, and Tom cheats on his wife Daisy. Furthermore the this supports the claim of “The Valley of Ashes” “of the ash heap and its "ash-grey men, who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air" over which the eyes brood changelessly; of George Wilson's despairing mutter as he gazes at the eyes, "You may fool me, but you can't fool God!" (“The Eyes of Dr. Eckleburg: A Re-examination of "the
F. Scott Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby portrays many themes, however the most significant theme relates to man 's unsuccessful attempts at the American dream. The Great Gatsby shows how not one by many characters fail at achieving their American dream. The American Dream as defined by James Truslow Adams in 1921, "life should be better, richer, and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each regardless of social class or circumstances of birth”. The desire to strive for what one wants can be achieved if one is willing to work hard enough. The dream is represented by the ideas of a self sufficient man or woman, who is willing to do anything to achieve the goal of becoming successful. The Great Gatsby shows what happened to the American Dream in the 1920’s, a time period when dreams became corrupted for many reasons. The desire for a luxurious life, the hope for happiness, and the ambition for something unachievable and work together to ruin the American Dream. The Great Gatsby shows a time when the American Dream is failing, humanity is corrupting it by their wants of possessions leading to the all out demise of the American Dream.
Love is the most powerful and mysterious force in the universe and a vital part of love is one’s sexuality, because it decides who you love. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a tragic novel set in the roaring twenties. The central theme in the story is love, and what it means in this time period of extravagance and lavish lifestyles. Questions arise about power and wealth, and what this signifies in a romantic relationship. The reality is that this is a loveless tale, because there is no love between the characters. On the other hand, sexuality is an underlying theme, vital to numerous characters. There are scenes that have a deeper level of meaning, suggesting events that only Fitzgerald knows the correct meaning of.