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Comparing The American Dream In The Great Gatsby And The Big Short

997 Words4 Pages

The purported American Dream filled with prosperity and prestige built upon dedication and ambition is unmasked as a mere illusion as both The Great Gatsby and The Big Short veneer nature erodes the ideology of unlimited wealth and happiness. The reckless pursuit of wealth depicted in both “The Great Gatsby” and “The Big Short” showcases how the desire for unrestrained wealth and status leads to moral decay and societal damage. Similarly, the illusory promises comprised within the American Dream in both texts stay evident, uncovering how happiness cannot be sustained solely through wealth but instead through the morals and ethics of the American ideal. Effectively, both texts embellish the reckless pursuit of wealth, undermining the American …show more content…

In Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” set in the Jazz Age in the 1920s, protagonist Gatsby epitomizes the limitations of his time, challenging the reckless pursuit of wealth for love and happiness. “will store up in his ghostly heart.” This metaphor effectively conveys the obsessive nature Gatsby has for Daisy. After being away in the war, Gatsby’s allusions to being with Daisy have stored up and after re-inviting himself into her life these ideas start haunting him. Gatsby’s allusions highlight the reckless interpretation of the American Dream, disregarding the morals it should possess. Additionally, in the quote “Truth about myself—What was my shortest way home?”, the ellipsis used indicates a moment of self-reflection hinting at the fact Gatsby is about to reveal his criminal past. His fortune, built upon bootlegging, illegal drug trafficking, and other criminal acts reinforces how the American Dream is undermined by the reckless pursuit of wealth ignoring the ethics and morals of the American ideal. Similarly, in Adam McKay’s “The Big Short” the 2008 housing bubble crisis exemplifies the egregious avarice of modern society. “Institutionalized criminality to be their ethical benchmark.” The close shot in this dialogue reflects the emotion of Mark Baum after discovering the banks giving subprime loans to families who couldn’t afford it. Effectively, McKay provides insight into the selfish acts financial institutions partook in the 2008 Housing Bubble Crisis, where the reckless pursuit of wealth caused innocent families across America to suffer drastically. Additionally, another example McKay uses is in the “Florida Trip”. The Steadicam shot represents the predatory nature of major financial institutions and their reckless pursuit of wealth as they ignore the well-being and current financial

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Similarities Between The American Dream And The Great Gatsby

247 Words | 1 Pages

The last few paragraphs of F. Scott Fitzgerald's legendary novel, "The Great Gatsby" connect the dream of Jay Gatsby and the "American Dream" through the comparison of Jay Gatsby's dream and the dreams of others. Nick Caraway first compares the dreams and motivations of Gatsby and New York's first settlers in a similar way, as something that both parties had been long seeking out and visually portrayed through the use of the color green, in the case of the settlers this was the land they found and in Gatsby's case it was the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. Nick also compares the dream of Gatsby to the dreams of others by saying that "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded

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What Is The Turning Point In Chapter 3 Of The Great Gatsby

505 Words | 3 Pages

In this chapter, the truth behind the “Great Gatsby” is disclosed. The source of his wealth, his real name, and his journey from grass to grace, is revealed. This chapter marks the end of Gatsby’s mysteriousness and the beginning of a reignited secret affair with Daisy. In this chapter, the author’s desire to show the rapid decline of the American dream is accomplished, as a portrayal of decayed social and moral values were exhibited by both Gatsby and Daisy. This could also be seen as a story of long separated lovers, which is also another theme in the

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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Great Gatsby

864 Words | 4 Pages

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man 's needs, but not every man 's greed.” As humans, we work hard in order to have the greatest opportunity to succeed in life, which will fulfill our wants. F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, utilizes effective language and punctuation in the text, which helps him accomplish his purpose: Illustrate what material goods does to a society. From a rhetorical standpoint, examining logos, ethos, and pathos, this novel serves as a social commentary on how the pursuit of “The American Dream” causes the people in society to transform into greedy and heartless individuals.

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Moral Dilemmas In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

950 Words | 4 Pages

Jay Gatsby pursued the American Dream with incredible dedication. His methods were of course questionable, he got involved in morally weak scams with Wolfsheim, his entire identity was built around lies, and he debatable used Daisy’s love as an object. However, his child-like hopefulness was pervasive throughout every action he made. If nothing more, he undeniably had one dream that he fought for with everything in him. That type of passion is what made him so human, and in this society, on must pay “a high price for living too long with a single dream” (Fitzgerald 161).

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Connotation Of Women In The Great Gatsby

1169 Words | 5 Pages

In today’s duplicitous society, men often pursue the “perfect woman”. This woman is construed to be; fit, provocative and ravishing. However, in greatly distinguished American novel, The Great Gatsby, the men have strayed from stalking women for their looks. Instead, Gatsby chases Daisy to achieve her as a prize of his bounty and any affection Gatsby demonstrates toward her, is simply to appease to her sense of status and wealth. The author F. Scott Fitzgerald, exhibits Gatsby’s these feelings for Daisy through the clever usage of connotation, symbolism and metaphors.

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How Is Whippman Dream Relevant In The Great Gatsby

1581 Words | 7 Pages

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, Jay Gatsby chases the American Dream and materialistic things, but it is not because he wants them. He wants to gain wealth to attempt to win over his old lover. From the outside looking in, people would think that Gatsby has an amazing life, yet he is putting on a show of money to get Daisy to “love” (The Great Gatsby, 90) him and his visible wealth. On the surface, it seems apparent that he pursues money just for himself when in reality his intentions are different than expected. Another way the article shows the difference between the American Dream and reality is instead of showing true meanings and intentions behind actions, the article shows what the byproduct of the American Dream is, not the expectation at face value.

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Daisy Buchanan Obsession

641 Words | 3 Pages

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, the love that the titular character, Jay Gatsby, feels for Daisy Buchanan serves as a driving point for the plot as a whole and for Gatsby’s character. His feelings for her dramatically alter the course of the lives of all characters, and most notably that of his own life. However, this essay argues that Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy is more of an act of obsession than a love. His relentless and ambitious personality blurs the thin lines between love and obsession, specifically in his plan to take back the woman that he once loved. In his quest for Daisy, Gatsby goes to extreme lengths just to gain her attention, the most obvious examples being the parties he throws at his mansion that sits right

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The Great Gatsby Chapter 1 Analysis

1801 Words | 8 Pages

The Great Gatsby is not a tale about perfect love; it is a harrowing tragedy about how love corrupts individuals within the fantasy of an American Dream left unfulfilled. Set amidst the vibrant stages of the Jazz Age, the curtains of the 1920s reveal the flamboyant lifestyle and ambitious mindset of people wishing to climb the social ladder. While many guests flock to Gatsby’s parties to revel in his name and reputation, Nick, the narrator, is invited but feels out of place amid the crowd of jubilant guests. It is from these ‘new money’ parties that Gatsby showcases his wealth and fame and reconnects with his love, Daisy. Through symbols such as Doctor T. J. Eckleberg’s eyes, the broader themes of time, class, and the futility of the American

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Examples Of Corruption In The Great Gatsby

1261 Words | 6 Pages

The Great Gatsby presents its characters as having living the American Dream. However, it is only a belief; the behaviors they have and decisions they take only leave them with a false perception of life and lifestyle. The Great Gatsby relates to the corruption of the American Dream for those materialistic people who were after money. Fitzgerald reveals the idea of corruption in the American Dream through conditions such as wealth and materialism, power and social status, and relationships involving family and affairs. He uses examples of this corruption to show the reader that people are willing to lie, betray others, and commit crime to be able to live a ‘better and fuller’ life.

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The Great Gatsby Research Paper

604 Words | 3 Pages

By Gatsby living his “American Dream,” his corruption started to show. His wealth was all the solution to his problems and his love for Daisy. The actions of Gatsby demonstrated the true or dark side of wealth: that money can taint his merits and relationships. “I thought of the night when I first came to his ancestral home, three months before. The lawn and drive had been crowded with the faces of those who guessed at his corruption—and he had stood on those steps, concealing his incorruptible dream, as he waved them good-bye.

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Corruption In The Great Gatsby

487 Words | 2 Pages

The Great Gatsby portrays the rapid decay of the American Dream where “the pursuit of a...higher quality of life [is defined] through hard work, determination, and devotion” (Benjamin Franklin). The gap between the rich and the poor, can be seen when comparing West Egg and the Valley of the Ashes or Gatsby and the Wilsons. The 1920's were a time of moral corruption and by extension, caused the deterioration of the American Dream. The society of the roaring twenties judged a person’s success by their material possessions, wealth and social status. By placing materialist values on the character's lives, the book positions the audience to interpret money as the cause of the American Dream’s corruption.

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The Great Gatsby Obsessive Analysis

1004 Words | 5 Pages

‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald presents Gatsby as a charming, well-mannered and mysterious. The narrator reveals his most unrealistic of his dreams, to recapture the past by luring Daisy. Some of Gatsby’s traits do not depict him as “admirable” and “pure” but instead as ‘obsessive’ and ‘dangerous’. In order to acknowledge Gatsby’s ‘obsessive’ and ‘dangerous’ side. It is important to understand how Gatsby’s dreams interact with reality and variety of symbolism used in the text.

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What Is The Pursuit Of Wealth In The Great Gatsby

1439 Words | 6 Pages

When we use wealth as our vehicle to self fulfillment, it easily distracts us from our original goal. In our efforts, it is easy to lose sight of our aims and compromise our principles to attain the wealth we desire. It is evident that even amidst his riches, Gatsby is unfulfilled. The wealth he hoped to use to strengthen his claim to honour has undermined his chances of being worthy of it. Instead of giving, wealth has stripped him of his morality and trapped him in a lifestyle that demands he only be pulled further into immorality.

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Similarities Between The American Dream And The Great Gatsby

401 Words | 2 Pages

The Great Gatsby says so much about “The American Dream”. What do you and I think The Great Gatsby is when combined along with an American Dream? “The American Dream” is a idea of plan for every U.S. citizen to have an equal chance of opportunities to achieve their success from all the hard work they produced. The Great Gatsby and “The American Dream” can say so much about the times, dreams, wealth, love, marriage, and all.

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The Negative Side Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

772 Words | 4 Pages

Just as the American Dream- the pursuit of happiness- has degenerated into a quest for more wealth, Gatsby’s powerful dream of happiness with Daisy has become the motivation for lavish excess and criminal activities. He used his dream to escape from his past, but then was stuck on hold for when he lost Daisy the only part of the dream he really cared for. Gatsby made a dream just for Daisy so she could be apart of his, but saw the meaningless of it when she didn’t choose him in the end. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther….

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