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How Does Fitzgerald Present Beauty In The Great Gatsby

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In F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway meets a man named Jay Gatsby, who throws parties in the summer of 1922, in West Egg, New York. They live in a world shaped by social class and status, which is highlighted by East Egg which is home to the ‘old’ money individuals, that has been passed down for generations, and West Egg which is home to the ‘New’ money and self made wealthiness. Fitzgerald uses the character of Jay Gatsby to highlight the American dream, which is that someone could rise from nothing to wealth and achieve all their desires and wishes.In this case, Gatsby’s main goal is to impress his former lover, Daisy, by putting on a facade in an attempt to win her over . However, Fitzgerald uses this definition of the …show more content…

When Nick Carroway attends one of Gatsby’s many extravagant parties, he says, “Dressed up in white flannels I went over to his lawn a little after seven, and wandered around rather ill at ease among swirls and eddies of people I didn’t know”(Fitzgerald 41). With white associated with purity, and flannels representing luxury and status of those in attendance ,the duality of the color white provides very important insight to understanding the masking of the corruption that lies deep within the American dream. By saying “wandered around rather ill at ease” Fitzgerald conveys Nick’s discomfort and unease in Gatsby’s environment. Despite how beautiful the party is, Nick feels disconnected from everyone which highlights how artificial the party actually is. To emphasize the chaotic nature of the party: “swirls and eddies of people” show how people are only caught up in the tornado of pleasure which highlights the absence of authenticity. The lack of genuine connection between the people at the party characterizes Gatsby’s parties. Fitzgerald shows how shallow and empty the lifestyle that is associated with the American dream, and thus portrays how the dream fails to attain true happiness for Gatsby, who is stuck in a world of …show more content…

At the end of the novel, after Nick attends Gatsby’s wedding, he says, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic 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…And one fine morning- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”(Fitzgerald 180). This moment ties back to when Gatsby is first introduced, though the circumstances have changed, the symbolic significance of the green light being Gatsby’s dream of being with Daisy has always been there. Gatsby’s main desire throughout the novel is to impress and win Daisy over, it is the only thing he wants and the whole reason he has accumulated his wealth as a self made man. Thus by using the phrase “year by year recedes before us” Fitzgerald implies that Gatsby’s dream was stagnant the entire novel, and despite his wealth, his American dream ultimately fell short. However, this isn't out of lack of trying, this is Gatsby’s goal in life, he could “stretch out our arms farther” and “run faster” but there will always be a “current” holding him back “ceaselessly into the past”. The view of Gatsby living in the past was always going to be his downfall, as Fitzgerald makes it clear that one

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby deceives everyone around him concerning the legitimacy behind his wealth, claiming that he had become affluent through respectable means. Gatsby’s deception is intended to regain Daisy Buchanan’s love, which he had long-missed ever since before he went to war. However, with this deception, Fitzgerald makes clear the hypocrisy and deceit present in the 1920’s – deceit not only within relationships and interactions but also in the very mantra of the United States, the American dream. Fitzgerald reveals his views with Gatsby’s superfluous luxury, which he prominently displays, whether in the form of lavish parties or a grandiose house. He takes every opportunity to make his wealth known; for example, he often offers a multitude (and often excessive) of favors to Nick, implicitly desperate to make his wealthy reputation spread across the city.

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Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby illustrates the lifeless, bleak, and unequal, tale of the American dream. The American dream is that every citizen in the United States can be equally prosperous by working hard and being innovative. The Great Gatsby follows the story of Nick Carroway, the narrator and a World War 1 veteran, and his exploits across New York in the Summer of 1922. It also follows one of Nick's neighbors named James Gatsby who is known around New York for throwing large eccentric parties and having amassed a large amount of wealth. For much of the story Gatsby has a mythical aura surrounding his name, a likeness as if he is called a murderer and the son of Kaiser Wilhelm Early, among other things.

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The main agenda of these parties is to catch Daisy’s attention either througha word of mouth or hope that she would be attracted by the bright lights across the bay. However, despite the intensity and frequency of these parties, little is known about Gatsby. His guests for example do not understand where he gets his money from and all they do is come up with stories about where he gets his money. Majority of the guests are simply present in these parties to live up the American Dream. Also through these parties, infidelity is exemplified.

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The lavish gatherings that overflow with opulence, represent a larger symbol of emptiness and superficiality that comes with success and wealth. These parties fill Gatsby’s loneliness Gatsby states how he fulfills his emptiness by stating, “I began to like New York, the racy, adventurous feel of it at night, and the satisfaction that the constant flicker of men and women and machines gives to the restless eye” (Fitzgerald, 45). Gatsby describes his liking for New York because it is filled with so many different things that entertain him with all the money and yet boredom he has. His parties along with the connecting idea of him moving to New York tie into the same simple fact that the parties and entertainment are merely a facade to maintain the illusion of prosperity. As his wealth grows, the feeling of emptiness will grow in people, Gatsby is simply a representation of this feeling.

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