Books are one of the many things that are incorporated into school curriculums. However, the question is what books should be prioritized in schools over others? Many would argue that these should be the books that intrigue the reader while also letting them look through the lenses of the books to understand more about the critiquing values of the time period. The novel Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald allows readers to look through the lens of the roaring twenties in America. The novel takes place with a character named Nick Carraway who follows Jay Gatsby, a man who orders his life around one desire: to be with his love Daisy. Throughout the story, the reader follows the dramatic ups and downs of Gatsby as they see him rise from a poor …show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald should be our school curriculum for a number of reasons, one of the prominent reasons is that it gives insight into the critiquing values and ideals of the Roaring Twenties. Books are put into the school curriculum to help students better understand the stance writers had during a specific time period. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Nick Carraway to serve as a moral compass, observing and commenting on the consequences of the Roaring Twenties. One of the many aspects the Great Gatsby illustrates to its readers is the lack of opportunities women had. As Nick states, "I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool (Fitzgerald 17)." Just from this little quote, it is seen that women are not granted the same opportunities as men during the Roaring Twenties. This type of information makes it reasonable for this book to be in school curriculums as the author brings awareness of the lack of opportunities women had during this time period. Another aspect the Great Gatsby illustrates to its readers is the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, one of the main characters, shows how one can work hard and move up in life to pursue the American Dream. The American Dream was big during this time because many immigrants were coming to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. As Jay Gatsby states, "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us …show more content…
Giving life lessons for students to succeed in life is one of the most important parts of school and Great Gatsby does it best. One of the lessons the Great Gatsby teaches readers is the dangers of living in a superficial world obsessed with material wealth. As Fitzgerald writes, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made (Fitzgerald 179).” This quote exemplifies how the characters in the book, particularly Tom and Daisy, This passage perfectly illustrates how the book's characters, especially Tom and Daisy, are so preoccupied with their wealth and prestige that they lose concern for the consequences of their deeds. This can serve as a warning to students about the importance of being aware of the impact their actions have on others and the world around them. These types of life lessons help build the youth of the new generation. To further prove this experts say, “Learning life skills helps young people understand who they are and what they want out of life. Moreover, young people grow more aware of their own struggles and those of the people around them.” Students are able to further understand what they want to do in life
The Great Gatsby is perfect for the 1920s because America is flying high after World War One and many parties were being thrown. Fitzgerald’s writing influences the changing lifestyles that were occurring in
The 1920's was a time filled with rich and wild parties thrown by corrupt people who were trying to achieve the American Dream. People wanted an ideal life filled with wealth and love. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the wishes of love and corruption that follows the American Dream and Gatsby. Using imagery, similes, and the setting, Fitzgerald establishes a dreamy and nostalgic mood. He shows how the elements being presented throughout the passage can change the way a scene in the novel is interpreted by the reader.
The Modern Library places The Great Gatsby at #2 on its list of Best Books of the 20th century. This is because the main theme in the novel is about The American dream. “The American Dream is the belief that anyone, no matter their race, their class, their gender, or their nationality, can still be successful in America if they just work hard enough.” Students seem to enjoy The Great Gatsby, this is because in highschool and collage there are many differences in schools, and students start to see the “real world”. The last line of the book teaches a great life lesson, along with the American dream teaches which teaches everyone a life lesson.
Nick explains that Gatsby "believe[s] in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before [him]. It eluded [him] then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow [he]
Written by Scott F. Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is considered one of the greatest American novels. Published at the height of the Roaring Twenties, the novel brought societal issues to the spotlight, conveying that the American dream is unattainable and unveiling the nightmare behind it. The Great Gatsby recognizes various issues in American society during the 1920s: racism, classism, sexism, and privilege. Fitzgerald critiques the societal norms of his times through the eyes of the main protagonist, Nick Carraway, rebelling against the standards of 1920s society utilizing Carraway’s sexual ambiguity and characters representing toxic masculinity and fluctuating gender roles, such as Tom and Daisy Buchanan.
Do you think The Great Gatsby should still be read in schools today? Well, I do, and in this essay, I'll be explaining why I believe this. The Great Gatsby explores universal themes so there are many different situations in this novel. Also, it shows how money rules the world and what people would do for wealth. Lastly, it shows Gatsby's persona and how he isn't the person he seems to be.
This is so inspiring and uplifting because most people want to better themselves, especially back in the 1920’s. This idea is portrayed as an important theme in the book, The Great Gatsby. The author of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals many characters in the book that strive for the American Dream. However, it’s controversial if they achieved the American Dream or failed.
F. Scott Fitzgerald 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, which addresses topics including the American Dream, social class, and the corrupting power of money, was written and published. The book is still relevant in many respects, even though it was written almost a century ago. The primary reason why schools and companies use this book is that it is a timeless story where the themes still apply to today's society.
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald 179). This quote captures the advantages the upper class has because of their money. Tom and Daisy’s actions left three people dead, yet they received no punishments .They put all their baggage on the lower class, and left them to pick up the pieces. In The Great Gatsby, the theme of social class is very significant in the book. Scott F. Fitzgerald used the theme of social class to show the reader that it plays a much bigger role in life.
The 1920’s was a very interesting time in United States history. After all World War I had ended and many Americans did not realize that the Great Depression was in the near future, so the 1920’s fell between these two dramatic events. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby teaches many morals, but none more important than the duality of the 1920’s. Duality is evident in Gatsby's dreams, his death, his lover Daisy, his wealth, and his parties, which all reflect the duality of the 1920’s. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald makes the concept of achieving the American dream seem improbable.
Scott Fitzgerald. “The Great Gatsby” was about how life was before the great depression and how it went from great to not so good. This book taught people about our history and what made the roaring twenties so great. Well it used to teach people that, until it got band out of high school libraries because of its language and somewhat sexual content. Something that is not often thought about when banning a book, is the culture you’re throwing away with it.
The Great Gatsby is hailed as a great piece of 1920 's fiction due to its detailing of a new, fast paced America, and the way that America affected the population. These affects manifested as traits in people, and further developed into stereotypes. In the post World War 1 America this novel is set in, industry and technology were becoming readily available to the public, cementing these stereotypes into our population as we quickly moved along at a new pace. In The Great Gatsby, these people, actions, and relationships, are represented by the four main characters: Nick, Daisy, Tom, and Jay. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses these characters to symbolize the stereotypical people of a modern America.
The Great Gatsby is one of the greatest American Novels, due to its focus on the imperfections and reality of a society, both in the 1920's and today. It plays with the topics of social status, gender roles, wealth, and addiction. ¨The Great Gatsby tells the story of a self made man whose dream of success, personified in a rich beautiful young woman named Daisy, turns out to be a fantasy in every sense: Daisy belongs to a corrupt society, Gatsby corrupts himself in the quest for her, and above all, the rich have no intention of sharing their privileges¨( Baym, et al. " F. Scott Fitzgerald, Winter Dreams 2015). A quote from The Norton Anthology American Literature that describes the constant ups and downs throughout this book, along with a sense
There are several reasons why "The Great Gatsby" could be considered beneficial for high school students to read. First, In "The Great Gatsby," Fitzgerald portrays the American Dream as an illusion, as the pursuit of wealth and success does not bring lasting happiness and fulfillment. The character of Jay Gatsby represents the American Dream, as he is a self-made man who becomes wealthy through illegal means. Gatsby's wealth allows him to pursue his dream of winning back Daisy Buchanan, but his pursuit of the American Dream ultimately leads to his downfall, as he is unable to attain lasting happiness and fulfillment.
Gatsby then gets involved with the nightmare of the American Dream. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s perfectly as an era of decayed social and moral values, evidenced in its overarching greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure. This novel shows the lack of social skills in newly made millionaires such as Gatsby that cannot even pick up on an invitation to lunch. This book was enjoyable to read because it set in when America was becoming an economic superpower and it was relatable in some ways.