F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is highly relevant in the modern world, despite being written during the Jazz Age. This American classic tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire, who yearns to rekindle his love with Daisy, a wealthy married woman. Fitzgerald uses symbolism and intricate storytelling to teach readers not to value material wealth, while also criticizing America’s glutinous and greedy way of life. For example, Gatsby pushes himself to become a self-made millionaire for the sole purpose of winning Daisy back, but at the end of the book readers learn his pursuit was all in vain. Despite his affluence, their love is not rekindled; Daisy stays with Tom, who has a more secured social status. This demonstrates …show more content…
Through The Great Gatsby, readers are able to understand the influence of and lust for living the “American Dream”. The superficial lifestyle during this era is reflected in Fitzgerald’s immersive writing style; for example, Nick describes Gatsby’s lavish parties as filled with “swirls and eddies of people I didn’t know,” and, “buffet tables garnished with glistening hors d'oeuvres, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold (Fitzgerald 40, 42).” These descriptions tie into the The novel also gives insight into cultural issues as racism plays a part in this novel, reminding readers of the struggles that Black Americans face in the early 1900s and the increasingly popular belief in eugenics. Tom Buchcanan’s firm belief in eugenics is shown when he tells Nick, “it’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things (Fitzgerald 13).” His way of thinking is highly popular throughout the time period and is an example of the unfair social dynamics of the 1920s. The Great Gatsby provides a deeper understanding into the way of life during the Jazz