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creating and saving your own notes as you read. A+ Student Essay: The Automobile as a Symbol in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby Background. But that knowledge doesn't dampen his pursuit of wealthif anything, it makes it even more desirable. Print. Fitzgerald conveys a message warning against the perils of materialism during the course of the novel. She was incurably dishonest. The main plotline of the novel reflects this assessment, as Gatsbys dream of loving Daisy is ruined by the difference in their respective social statuses, his resorting to crime to make enough money to impress her, and the rampant materialism that characterizes her lifestyle. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. Gatsby, like a peacock showing off its many-colored tail, flaunts his wealth to Daisy by showing off his many-colored shirts. For example, it's all well and good to assume that Daisy should leave the boorish Tom, but divorce would have been way more complicated for a woman in the 1920s than it is today. Excited to dive in? IvyPanda. When Nick Carraway, narrator of The Great Gatsby, . After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir of Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1914, Austro-Hungary and its ally Germany declared waragainst Russia. Daisy representing money also suggests money is as alluring and desirableor even more sothan Daisy herself. Like his fellow modernists, Fitzgerald was deeply critical of the wealth and capitalist success ushered in by the post-war boom, considering the new obsession with money and status shallow. (3.1-3.6). You can use them for inspiration, an insight into a particular topic, a handy source of reference, or even just as a template of a certain type of paper. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. "American Culture in the Novel "The Great Gatsby"." Looking for other literary guides? LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Great Gatsby, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. A mentionable character representing the American Dream was Jordan Baker and her representation of womens independence. Jews also served in the American military during World War I in very high numbers. Ask below and we'll reply! Everyone who comes to the parties is attracted by Gatsby's money and wealth, making the culture of money-worship a society-wide trend in the novel, not just something our main characters fall victim to. Women who were never contented with pleasure wore knee-length skirts, overly long draping necklaces, and rolled stockings (Leader 14). It's not enough to "bounce high" for someone, to win them over with your charm. On the one hand, it elevatedthe U.S. into a world super power and ushered in a decade-long economic boom. In Myrtle's eyes, money is an escape from life with her husband in the valley of ashes, something that brings status, and something that buys class. The various social climbers and ambitious speculators who attend Gatsbys parties evidence the greedy scramble for wealth. This article will guide you through the historical, economic, and social movements of the 1920's as they relate to events, themes, and characters in The Great Gatsby. Scherer and Ross remark that Americans purchased durable goods in the 1920s, thus increasing their spending on clothes and various mass-produced items (105). Development Arrested. This pessimism is also reflected in the fates of Myrtle and George, who are both trying to increase their wealth and status in America, but end up dead by the end of the novel. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. Everyone who comes to the parties is attracted by Gatsby's money and wealth, making the culture of money-worship a society-wide trend in the novel, not just something our main characters fall victim to. Ed. Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream. Modernism was all about breaking with the past. "She's got an indiscreet voice," I remarked. He gets wrapped up in Gatsby's dreams and his cousin's difficult marriage, all while learning about the pitfalls of wealth and the truth of the American dream. (7.103-106). Jordan temporarily flouts expectations by ""[running] around the country," (1.134) playing golf, and not being in a hurry to marrya freedom that she is allowed because of her money, not in spite of it. To Nick, the way that Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby line up morally correlates with their geographical choice of lifestyle (The Great Gatsby Novels 73); in other words, Nicks unsophistication and simplicity reflect his admiration for the Midwest just as Toms, Daisys and Gatsbys materialistic and immoral behaviors mirror their affinity for the fast-paced life of New York. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? At the beginning of the novel they move to fashionable East Egg, after moving around between "wherever people played polo and were rich together," and are able to very quickly pick up and leave at the end of the book after the murders, thanks to the protection their money provides (1.17). Gatsbyis now seen as both a product of and a record of the 1920s. On the surface, The Great Gatsby is a story of the thwarted love between a man and a woman. This speaks to her materialism and how, in her world, a certain amount of wealth is a barrier to entry for a relationship (friendship or more). The dizzying rise of the stock market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden, sustained increase in the national wealth and a newfound materialism, as people began to spend and consume at unprecedented levels. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Daisy maintains her "old money" status by marrying a very rich man, Tom Buchanan, and ultimately sticks with him despite her feelings for Gatsby. Fitzgerald captured this period of rapid post-war growth and the frenzy surrounding the era with insightful examples of the eleterious effects of superficial behavior. In fact, it seems that the accident may have brought them closer. Gatsby is accurately accused of being a bootlegger by those who attend his parties as he displays no signs of difficulty acquiring liquor and breaking the law (Fitzgerald 17). Why does Tom insist on switching cars with Gatsby when they go to the city? IvyPanda, 12 Aug. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/american-culture-in-the-novel-the-great-gatsby/. The book will always be considered a great classic in American literature for its exceptional plot and the themes it conveys. She has it exceptionally clear in her mind that her success is not honestly acquired, and that it can depart from her any time. However, that was my fault, for he was one of those who used to sneer most bitterly at Gatsby on the courage of Gatsby's liquor and I should have known better than to call him" (9.69). At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. In addition to the perception of the American Dream, the opposing cultures of the Midwest and Eastern regions of the United States are depicted by Fitzgerald and embody the characters morals. Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and first published in 1925, the setting of The Great Gatsby is an island, which is dominated by prosperous, wealthy, and poor communities of East Egg and West Egg. Clearly, having old money sets you far apart from everyone else in the world of the novel. Gatsby's business partner Meyer Wolfshiem is a gangster who is affiliated with organized crime and is based on the real-life crime boss Arnold Rothstein, who was indeed responsible for fixing the World Series in 1919. Meanwhile, Tom's mistress Myrtle, a car mechanic's wife, puts on airs and tries to pass as rich through her affair with Tom, but her involvement with the Buchanans gets her killed. Print. 2022. You should know about WWI (and its aftermath) because: The war and its devastating after-effects, particularly in Europe, fed into the creation of a new artistic movement: modernism. . "American Culture in the Novel "The Great Gatsby"." Scott Fitzgerald criticizes the culture of materialism and greed amongst people in the higher social classes. Vol. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! At the same time, many of the social restrictions of the early 20th century were being rejected, and progressive movements of all kinds were flourishing. Print. A prime example of such an immoral character is Meyer Wolfsheim who, as Gatsby nonchalantly stated, fixed the World Series back in 1919 (Fitzgerald 73); the character of Wolfsheim acts as a representation of the man who was actually responsible for the crime, Arnold Rothstein. American Culture in the Novel "The Great Gatsby". Tracing historical development in the US, Scherer and Ross inform that only 16 percent of homes in America had electricity by 1912 (82). Gatsby's comment about Daisy's voice explicitly connects Daisy the character to the promise of wealth, old money, and even the American Dream. If you understand the history of Prohibition, you'll make better sense of some plot and character details inThe Great Gatsby: Police emptying out confiscated barrels of beer into the sewer. Jordan Baker is the best example of this kind of woman. Set in Jazz Age New York, the novel tells the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman whom he loved in his youth. Fitzgerald positions the characters of The Great Gatsby as emblems of these social trends. As further proof of Nicks morals, he declines Gatsbys reward for reuniting him with Daisy, a risky business deal that would provide Nick with a surplus of money, as he realizes its faults, and he retains his dignity. Fitzgerald and Bruccoli reckon, Tom would drift on forever seeking a little wistfully for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game (10). IvyPanda. Nick Caraway, a native of Minnesota and an advocate of Midwestern values, narrates it in the first person. You can read more about the American Dream for details on The Great Gatsby's ultimately skeptical, cynical attitude towards this classic American ideal. In Nicks mind, the ability to create meaningful symbols constitutes a central component of the American dream, as early Americans invested their new nation with their own ideals and values. Related to money and class, the fact that both Gatsby and the Wilsons strive to improve their positions in American society, only to end up dead, also suggests that the American Dream -- and specifically its hollowness -- is a key theme in the book as well. ), happiness, or family. This paper discusses these aspects as essential constituents of 1920s American culture as revealed in The Great Gatsby. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Together with the examples of deceit under Prohibition, Fitzgeralds novel was inspired by the corruption of certain Americans during the 1920s as reflected in the actions and deceit used by the major characters he created. However, while Nick is wealthy, he is nowhere near as wealthy as the Buchanans or Gatsbyhe expresses surprise both that Tom is able to afford bringing ponies from Lake Forest ("It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that" (1.16), and that Gatsby was able to buy his own mansion ("But young men didn'tat least in my provincial inexperience I believed they didn'tdrift coolly out of nowhere and buy a palace on Long Island Sound" (3.88)), despite the fact they are all about 30 years old. Fitzgerald himself waspart of a circle of modernists who regularly met inParis (others included Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Sinclair Lewis, and the painters Picasso and Matisse). Central Idea Essay: What Does the Green Light Mean? These gardeners cleaned the leftovers of the products that had been consumed during Gatsbys parties that were dominated by haphazard expenses. All these developments illustrated increased consumer spending as noted by Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby. They have an immense belief in the capacity of money to make them look superior to other people who are short of it. Few characters in literature or indeed life embody an era quite so tenaciously as Jay Gatsby does the Jazz Age. In addition, Gatsby himself also perfectly personifies one who represents all things pertaining to the American Dream: wealth, happiness, and prosperity; he is able to attain his success while chasing after his perfect girl, Daisy. Indeed, Tom Buchanan believes that he needs additional power and influence despite being already powerful and blessed with a beautiful daughter and wife. Furthermore, the rest of that quote explicitly describes Daisy as "High in a white palace, the King's daughter, the golden girl" (7.106). Unlike Jordan, Mytle possesses little material items. The amendment came close to eventually being ratifiedin the 1970s, but was defeated by conservatives. Myrtle mentions this with regard to her husband, George, whom she mistook for someone of better breeding and hence greater prospects: I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasnt fit to lick my shoe. Similarly, Gatsbys pursuit of Daisy is bound up with class. The novels narrator illustrates well the increased consumerist culture. She was not able to endure being at a disadvantage, and given this unwillingness, supposedly she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was unusually young in order to keep that fresh insolent smile turned to the world, and yet satisfy the demands of her hard jaunty body (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli 63). (5.117-118). Myrtle is obsessed with shows of wealth, from her outfits, to insisting on a specific cab, to her apartment's decoration, complete with scenes of Versailles on the overly-large furniture: "The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles" (2.51). Fitzgerald illustrates the era of Prohibition by displaying Gatsbys flagrant misuse of the law, which only results in his own demise and failure as he perishes the same way he entered the city of New York with himself being his only true friend. Why Did Gatsby Fail to Achieve the American Dream? The Great Crash and the Onset of the Great Depression. Quarterly Journal of Economics 10.5 (1990): 597-625. must. Fitzgerald, Scott, and Matthew Bruccoli. So all three women push the boundaries of their expected societal rolesDaisy's affair with Gatsby, Jordan's independent lifestyle, and Myrtle's affair with Tombut ultimately either fall in line (Daisy, Jordan) or are killed for reaching too far (Myrtle). For some time now I have been thinking about the validity or vulnerability of a certain set of assumptions conventionally accepted among literary historians and critics and circulated as "knowledge." This knowledge holds that traditional, canonical American literature is free of, Wealth, Class, and Society So while Daisy is materialistic and is drawn to Gatsby again due to his newly-acquired wealth, we see Gatsby is drawn to her as well due to the money and status she represents. You can connect modernism withthe novel's descriptions of East Egg and West Egg extravagance. 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. In the time period immediately following the Civil War until the Great Depression, America experienced a period of rapid growth and fortune, especially located in this novels setting, New York (The Great Gatsby Novels 74). Romer, Christina. At the end of the book, class dynamics dictate which marriage survives (Tom and Daisy), which one is destroyed (George and Myrtle), and which one will never come to be (Gatsby and Daisy). Great Gatsby", the American Dream plays a big role. is also why the novel's symbols of the green light and the valley of ashes are so memorable and charged. In this novel, actual mountain climbing is safer than social climbing. That was it. In 1920s, this figure rose to more than 75 percent. Perhaps this attitude was tempered at Yale, where he would have been surrounded by other ultra-wealthy peers, but in any case, Nick's cynical, sarcastic attitude seems to be a cover for jealousy and resentment for those even more wealthy than him.

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