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How Does Fitzgerald Use Irony To Convey The Complexity In The Great Gatsby

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In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses characterization, symbolism, and irony to convey his message of the complexity of the American dream and how it is not always attainable no matter how hard an individual desires or works for it. Though people are brought up to believe that following their dreams and working hard to obtain everything they've ever wanted is the most viable way to go about life, Fitzgerald proves this to be false while demonstrating the harsh obstacles for those who chose the complexity of improving the life they already have. This novel was written in the 1920s, a time for success and prosperity for those who deserved it. Though this was the era of success for America overall, those who were impacted positively were
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Jacob Rhee Mr. Compton English 10 30 January 2017 Symbolism in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald serves many purposes. It entertains the reader, teaches life lessons, and even gives readers an insight as to what life was like in the 1920s. But perhaps the most important and prevalent theme in the book is the downfall of the American Dream. The American Dream is the belief that through hard work, any individual can obtain success in America.

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During the 1900s, many Americans were striving to achieve a successful life regardless of their background, and all they had to do was work hard to be successful. This was known as the American Dream. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, this idea is presented through the characters Myrtle Wilson and Jay Gatsby as they pursue wealth and try to climb the social ladder. But as the story progresses, the ideals of the American Dream are slowly being challenged and exposed as corrupt. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzegerald is a great representation of the mindset that the people had in the time it was written and the places it describes. The mood and tone set for the events that are told are very dreamy and fantasy-like. After all, the book’s main characters are indeed people that followed and ultimately achieved their so-called “American Dream”. The American Dream is a concept that was born with the United States’ independence as a country but defined specifically in the 1920-30s as the idea that any person in America that has their aspirations and goals shall achieve them and become successful, be they from any place or background.

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Nick Carraway has put Gatsby on a pedestal, but the irony is that he said Gatsby turned out all right, which is far from the truth. At the exposition of the book Nick starts by describing Gatsby in a high manner and also idolizing him but that is not the case, because Nick talks about Gatsby too early based on rumours before he sits down to get to know Gatsby and after getting to know we know to see how wrong Nick Caraway is. Fast forward to the end of the book where we see that George Wilson had shot Gatsby, due to George assuming that he had killed Myrtle. This is not quite the case, you see Daisy was the one driving and Gatsby wanted the accident from occurring to turning the wheel prevented the incident but it” everything happened so fast.”

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Economic growth during the time led to great prosperity for some more than others. This issue and how it affects the American dream, the belief that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success through hard work, is critiqued in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald’s depiction of the characters Gatsby and Myrtle, as well as the words of Andrew

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The ever-hopeful end result of pursuing the American dream is the aspiration of achieving a substantial amount of money and successfully building the white picket fence. Many talk about the famous accounts of successful dream chasers, however, hidden under their feet are countless Americans anxiously waiting to climb up the ladder. In contrast, several get caught up on earthly desires believing it will lead them to eternal satisfaction, but often, it decides their own fate. In The Great Gatsby, American author F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the tragedy found within numerous characters. This novel reveals all social classes striving to achieve the American dream, showing how even the most wealthy struggle to live an authentic, happy life.

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Francis Scott Fitzgerald once stated, “The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart and all they can do is stare blankly.” Throughout his famous work, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrayed the American Dream. Contrary to the ideology of the “Roaring Twenties” society, he described the American Dream as a delusion. People of the era focused on materialism in order to boost their wealth and status and forgot the importance of their relationships. Several characters within the novel sought to gain a higher status in society.

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Scott Fitzgerald’s character development in which he uses in his novel The Great Gatsby, he has been able to successfully accomplish the true idea behind the American Dream and its value as seen in the nineteen-twenties. Through the character use of Jay Gatsby, Jordan Baker, and Daisy Buchanan, Fitzgerald has accomplished the statement that there are multiple different types of American Dreams that people have, with the major ones that are presented in the novel being the pursuit of the past, success, and money. However as each different dream is further developed, it is seen that the pursuit for each of these dreams has caused more harm that good. No matter what dream is pursued, whether it’s money, successful talent, or reliving past experiences, they have all caused poor outcomes for those with the dreams and the people around them. It is with the help of authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald that are able to show the true meanings behind the American Dream and the poor things in which its pursuit does to other people.

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel, The Great Gatsby, he provides ample critical commentary on the title of the novel while portraying the true sense of not only the title through irony, but Jay Gatbsy too. In one sense, the title of the novel is ironic; the title character is neither “great” nor named Gatsby. As the party continues, Tom would mention the illicit activities that he was hidden from by Gatsby; once heard by Jay Gatbsy, he would return the comment with a glare as if, “he had ‘killed a man’" (Fitzgerald 134). Now in the face of Tom's righteous condemnation Gatsby's criminal soul briefly shows through his glitzy social veneer.

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In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates how the great “American Dream” has been

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The novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald studies and critiques the vision the vision of the American Dream. The novel demonstrates the corruption of the American Dream. “The Great Gatsby” describes several of its characters such as Jay Gatsby by having the illusion of living the American Dream, opposing to what they believe, their behavior and decision they make only leave them with a false understanding of this lifestyle. “The Great Gatsby” was written in the 1920’s, which was when a new system of ideas and ideals came upon. People such as, Jay Gatsby were becoming rich without any restrictions.

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After the conclusion of World War 1, the realization came that if you worked hard you could attain numerous social and financial opportunities. This viewpoint on life became known as the American dream. For some, however, the realization of this aspect of life corrupted them. Even though the characters in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott. Fitzgerald seem to have the world on a platter, the life that they live acts out the emptiness that ensues when you chase after pleasure and money.

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald exemplifies the truly unattainable nature of the American Dream. The overall concept of the American Dream is demonstrated through the high value the characters place on material and superfluous possessions, wealth, appearance, and reputation, which is reflected through how they choose to represent themselves in society, as well as the choices they make. The American Dream in The Great Gatsby can be compared to how it is portrayed in John Steinbeck’s “Paradox and Dream,” which details the generalities of the dream of the American people, and how success is not equivalent to happiness and satisfaction. Among the ways, F. Scott Fitzgerald emphasizes the inaccessible qualities of the American Dream in the twenties is through the value of materialistic objects, rather than the value of the genuine self.

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Azar Nafisi, an Iranian-American writer, and professor, once said, “The negative side of chasing the American Dream comes when people pursue success at any cost, which in turn destroys the vision and the dream”. This quote, on the surface, appears to suggest that chasing the American Dream is a bad thing. However, upon closer examination, it reveals that sometimes people lose sight of their goals by prioritizing success above all else, causing them to move further away from their initial dreams. This concept is explored in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, set in the roaring 1920s, where the characters' glamorous lives are ultimately shown to be empty and unfulfilling. Through the character of Nick Carraway, the narrator, Fitzgerald delves into the dangers of following the American Dream, illustrating how the desire for wealth and status can lead to emotional isolation and dissatisfaction.

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The 1920’s was a very interesting time in United States history. After all World War I had ended and many Americans did not realize that the Great Depression was in the near future, so the 1920’s fell between these two dramatic events. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby teaches many morals, but none more important than the duality of the 1920’s. Duality is evident in Gatsby's dreams, his death, his lover Daisy, his wealth, and his parties, which all reflect the duality of the 1920’s. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald makes the concept of achieving the American dream seem improbable.

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