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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

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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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Examples Of Diction In The Great Gatsby

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, he captures the alluring niche of the American Dream. Fitzgerald delves into the Roaring Twenties, exploring the era’s instability and immersion in greed and pleasure. In his novel, he reflects personal events and experiences being lower class along with his desire to attain wealth for the means of happiness. Presented through his cast of characters and the realities they face, Fitzgerald criticizes the American Dream. Pairing symbolism and diction, he demonstrates the tragic tales following the glamorized American Dream as a result of the extent individuals resort to in order to achieve this ideal.

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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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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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Examples Of Corruption Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

793 Words | 4 Pages

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby,” many of the characters is a prime example of someone who is blinded by the American Dream. Countless of them who view luxurious possessions as an indication of success. Fitzgerald demonstrates the corruption of the American Dream through the characters of “The Great Gatsby” Who

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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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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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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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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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1439 Words | 6 Pages

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1140 Words | 5 Pages

The American dream stands as a symbol for hope, prosperity, and happiness. But F. Scott Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby, examines the American dream from a different perspective, one that sheds light on those who contort these principles to their own selfish fantasies. Fitzgerald renders Jay Gatsby as a man who takes the Dream too far, and becomes unable to distinguish his false life of riches from reality. This 'unique ' American novel describes how humanity 's insatiable desires for wealth and power subvert the idyllic principles of the American vision. Jay Gatsby is the personification of limitless wealth and prestige, a shining beacon for the aspiring rich.

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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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