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Examples Of Outsiders In The Great Gatsby

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Outsiders are used in novels to demonstrate a different perspective of a character where it is how other characters in the novel are perceived and not how the characters see themselves. It can also be used as a satirical tool to demonstrate the flaws within society. It can also be argued that society is to blame for the marginalisation of its people. Some of the characters in the Great Gatsby and the Reluctant Fundamentalist are portrayed as outsiders. It is evident in the way characters treat each other. A notable example of this in the Great Gatsby is when Tom Buchanan calls Gatsby ‘Mr Nobody from Nowhere’, Tom is not only insulting Gatsby. It is also a reminder to Gatsby will never be able to fit in with the society that Tom belongs to …show more content…

Jim, the executive vice president of Underwood Samson, often points out to that Changez’ feelings of being an outsider comes from ‘feeling out of place’. Changez’s state of mind of feeling out of place is reiterated in his epiphany that he has become a ‘modern-day janissary’ used to strengthen America meanwhile never truly being accepted within the American society as seen in the xenophobic episodes in the novel. It can also be argued that society is not the only reason that Changez feels like an outsider, it may be a result of the ‘unhealable rift…between the self and its true home’ as pointed out by Edward …show more content…

This enhances the reading of Gatsby as an outsider because Gatsby possesses many characteristics that set him apart from other characters such as his remarkable faith in himself and his ability to hope and dream. Possessing such qualities isolates him from the others characters. Alternatively, the fragmentation of the narrative could be representative of the marginalisation of the characters as a result of the society they were living in such as Myrtle Wilson, who is an outsider who wants to be a part of the old wealth. Ultimately, characters such as Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson who try to shift society’s hierarchy of old wealth, new wealth and no money lose their

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Outsiders are a common sources of topic throughout literature and are defined as people who differ from what society deems as normal or having normal qualities. Throughout the semester, we have read several works that use outsiders to help convey a certain theme or message and there was one particular work that stood out from the rest. While reading “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie, the use of outsiders was incredibly effective due to Sherman using his own experiences of being an outsider throughout his life. This essay is the perfect example of the use of outsiders because of Alexie discussing how his parents raised him, his childhood experiences in school, and his adulthood ambitions. First of all, Alexie

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Midterm Essay According to protagonist Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, “outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions.” In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carraway demonstrates a character who conforms outwardly while questioning inwardly. The tension created by Carraway’s outward conformity and inward questioning supports the idea “corruption comes when wealth is valued over relationships” is revealed.

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Jay Gatsby and Mrs. Wilson are examples of two types of people who have great, unfulfilled aspirations. Gatsby, a man of large fortune and desire, dreams that through his parties and extravagance he will win back the love of Daisy Buchanan. While this goal is ultimately achieved, Gatsby’s need for a complete resolution of Daisy’s love brings him to his death. Through the hands of Mrs. Wilson’s husband, Gatsby is shot and killed. All of Gatsby’s dreams and hopes collapse because of the actions of Mr. Wilson.

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Insecure people can make themselves happy by making others unhappy. Their insecurity serves as a defense mechanism that protects their ego and by bringing others down, they can achieve psychological relief and it raises their self-esteem. In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald implies that insecurity can lead to people controlling and manipulating others to feel better about themselves, through Tom Buchanan’s treatment and manipulation of Daisy and Myrtle both physically and emotionally, and Tom’s way of degrading George Wilson and Gatsby based on their intelligence and wealth status. Tom’s insecurity is most apparent with his relationship with Daisy because Tom allows himself to do anything he wants, but if Daisy does the same thing he gets upset and undermines her intelligence because she is a woman.

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His characters portray the different personalities and positions that occurred at the time. The many relationships that existed at the beginning of the storyline became more and more unlikely to last, as the plot was started to unravel. The divide among people with new money and people with old money was demonstrated throughout the book, however the little emphasis that was placed on the more practical matters in the book made “The Great Gatsby” seem more like a fantasy. The relationships that appeared between Tom, Gatsby, Myrtle, Mr.Wilson and Daisy appeared to become more established as situations began to spin out of control. Although Mr.Wilson was cheating on Daisy with Myrtle, he became as angry as an ocean on a long stormy night when the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy was brought to his attention.

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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.

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Breaking Social Boundaries The era of the 1920s was a pinnacle time in American History and the literature that was produced from this era showcases the social change happening. This was the time of social upheaval where the people were challenging social boundaries. The values that had been sought after in the period before this were becoming less and else prevalent in the new society. There are many viewpoints of this time period so the literature of this time was very diverse and many works showed the changing cultures.

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As said by other critics, “Jay Gatsby's determination to establish a new identity for himself sets him apart from the other characters in the text” (Verderame). Gatsby grew up as a poor farmer boy. Born into poverty from the beginning, Gatsby cared little for his family and was determined to leave them behind for a new life. This tragic past encourages Gatsby to entirely start a new life by changing his identity and personality before the reader is even introduced to the character. “So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end” (98).Critics say, “In doing so, Gatsby has proven to himself that he can successfully change the story of his past” (Scisco).

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Gatsby Analytical Essay Author F. Scott Fitzgerald has deftly woven dozens of themes and motifs throughout his relatively short novel The Great Gatsby. One theme that resonates in particular is that of isolation. This theme pervades the entire book, and without it, nothing in Gatsby’s world would be the same. Every character must realize that he or she isn’t capable of truly connecting with any other character in the book, or else the carelessness and selfishness that leads to so many of the book’s vital events would not exist. Fitzgerald develops the feeling of isolation and aloneness by his use of the motif of careless self-absorption, a behavior we see many characters exhibiting.

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Within The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald presented Myrtle as a character who was unaffected by true love and craved extreme wealth. Many people like Myrtle in the 1920s felt having lots of money meant being able to live a luxurious and happy lifestyle. They refused to accept the idea of a simplistic lifestyle and always anticipated more. Fitzgerald’s writing revealed more than Myrtle constantly insulting her husband’s situation. He exposed the corruption of the “new” American Dream and the relationships it destroyed as a

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In “The Great Gatsby” Fitzgerald presents editorial on an assortment of topics, — equity, control, insatiability, treachery, the American dream. Of the considerable number of subjects, maybe none is more all around created than that of social stratification. The Great Gatsby is viewed as a splendid bit of social discourse, offering a clear look into American life in the 1920s. Fitzgerald deliberately sets up his novel into particular gatherings in any case, at last, each gathering has its own issues to battle with, leaving an effective indication of what a problematic place the world truly is. By making unmistakable social classes — old cash, new cash, and no cash — Fitzgerald sends solid messages about the elitism running all through each stratum of society.

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1323 Words | 6 Pages

The Great Gatsby Essay F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a novel chronicling the tales of Jay Gatsby, a mysteriously wealthy gentleman, and his romantic endeavor to win over Daisy, the girl of his dreams. Much of the plot involves cars, whether it is the long discussions taking place in them, their use in traveling around Long Island Sound, or even their role in the climax of the story. Fitzgerald uses automobiles in The Great Gatsby as a metaphor for the illusion of mobility provided by these machines, harking back to the idea that Gatsby is desperately trying to climb the social ladder with his newfound wealth. This belief that the items one owns can elevate a person to a higher social standing is also used to appeal to the average

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In The Great Gatsby, social status is a significant element in the book as it separates the haves from the have nots. However more importantly, social status portrays the personalities of people belonging to different classes. In the end, you are stuck in the class you are born into, and attempting to change classes only leads to tragedy and heartbreak.     In The Great Gatsby, there are three main social classes portrayed. These are old money, new money, and no money.

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The setting in The Great Gatsby is used mainly to paint a picture of the class differences in the roaring twenties. The people from all the social classes suddenly became aware of the class differences. It was evident that the social classes were clearly divided by location, amount of material possessions and the way one person acts. Throughout the story multiple examples of social classes were being inserted in The Great Gatsby, and how each social class was not found of the other. The American Dream is not all what is made up to be throughout this novel compared to portraying the different views of the objection of American Dream from then compared to now.

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Tom is talking about meeting up secretly with Myrtle and this shows that Tom feels superior to Wilson and degrades him because of his economic status. Gatsby on the other hand is an important character that shows the American Dream can only be reached by cheating, which supports their is economic and political inequalities. For example, Gatsby was a really poor child of some unsuccessful parents. He left them to pursue a better life, he was an ambitious man. Throughout most of the book people are curious about where Gatsby got his money.

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