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Idealism In The Great Gatsby

506 Words3 Pages
Gatsby defies the standard of economic expectation, as everyone in Long Island assumes wealth to be inferred and status to be inherited. However, through hard work and dedication, Gatsby strives for success, creating a completely new persona for himself throughout his life. Starting off as a poor farm boy, Gatsby ran away, and associates himself with Dan Cody. From Cody, Gatsby learns how to talk, how to act, and the general mannerisms which define classy people. Driven by his love for Daisy, and his desire to prove himself as someone worthy of her love, Gatsby stretches the truth, making up entire lies about himself and his past to cover up his humble beginnings. Gatsby’s persistence in ignoring his past demonstrates the value which the society
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This quote is important because it shows the gatsby’s characteristics and personality well. It highlights the duality of him, and on the other hand, it shows the reputation due

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The character of Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby wasn’t about to obtain his “American Dream” which was Daisy Buchanan the golden girl because he was initially a part of the lower class. However, Daisy was a part if East Egg. She has always been rich, because of that she cannot be with Gatsby. Since Gatsby was initially a part of the low class he had to work hard to get money/wealth so that he could get Daisy’s attention and to be with her. Gatsby believed that he could have Daisy if he had a lot of money and had a big house, etc.

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Gatsby has spent his whole life trying to prove to Daisy and everyone around him that he is worthy of her. The only way to be on the same social level as her is to turn himself into new money. Since this is not possible, he has to try to convince to others that he truly is old money. To do this, he becomes rich, and lies about his past, but the only way for him to complete this idea is if he is with Daisy. She is the final piece in his American dream.

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Gatsby’s desire to relive the past has caused him to obsess over the idea of being with Daisy and he now will sacrifice anything to be with her. Gatsby also comes from a poor background where he had to work to attain his status and influence. He lives in West Egg which is full of people with “new money” and is chasing the American Dream. He embodies the idea that hard work and dedication can wealth and success. On the other hand, Tom only wants to appear to have high social status because he believes it gives him more respect in society.

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When the gaze of society becomes so focused on appearances, dishonesty may just be the price of fitting in. The story of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is set against the glittering and wasteful extravagance of 1920s New York, and is told through the eyes of the main character, Nick Carraway. Having recently moved in, Nick becomes involved with his lavishly wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who happens to be deeply in love with Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan. As the story progresses, a conflict escalates between Gatsby and Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, as Gatsby attempts to win Daisy’s affection with the subtle help of Nick and one of Daisy’s friends. Ultimately, in a tragic climax, Gatsby’s dream of being with Daisy is shattered, and he fails to achieve what he had worked so hard for.

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According to Dictionary.com, a tragic hero is defined as “a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat.” In The Great Gatsby, by Scott F. Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby would be a great example of a tragic hero. Even though Gatsby may not be portrayed as an ordinary man, in reality he is just as normal as any other man wanting to change the past. In The Great Gatsby, page 110, the Great Gatsby says, “can’t repeat the past?

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Imagine living in a world in which the idea of wealth influenced the power that those were granted, leaving the rest of society to rot in a lower ranking. The American Dream fulfills this idea as it is the main drive of every citizen who thrives for this opportunity, the source of wealth and power if successful. The material world, in the document The Great Gatsby, is used to this higher class treatment view based on the extravagant houses of individuals and the demand at the time which is also expressed in the document(s) “Civilization going to pieces: Tom Buchanan”, “Ethics in Gatsby: An Examination of American Values”, and “Delusions of American Idealism” written by authors Richard Lehan, Tony McAdams, and Joyce A. Rowe. In the documents,

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The reason for Gatsby's desire for money becomes apparent, as his life experiences are revealed. The reader is increasingly drawn into Gatsby’s life as the reader reflects on and relates to his passions. The reader wonders how much of Gatsby is genuine and if his persona is entirely fabricated, because the author has Cody meet Gatsby when he discards his old name and identity, leading the reader to feel that Gatsby’s identity is an invention to escape his past. Fitzgerald uses minor characters such as Catherine and Lucille to allow the reader to form a deeper understanding of Gatsby’s identity without being influenced by the perceptions of those caught up in the glamorous rumours. The unveiling of Gatsby’s life and character reveals a person who is extremely ambitious, and who will do anything to achieve his desires.

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During our lives, we can lose who we are as a person. Loss of Idealism is influencing hopes of making a dream come true, but it can backfire and make them lose what they really wanted to come true. The eye-gazing film “The Great Gatsby” directed by Baz Luhrmann, commonly explores how the loss of a character's idealism can have a significant impact on lives in the film. In our world and in my own life, I can say too that the loss of idealism resonates to me the most as I have experienced loss of idealism and in the world, this theme has impacted people’s lives. In “The Great Gatsby”, the character Jay Gastby demonstrates how his pursuit of the dream of being with his only true love Daisy, ultimately destroys his idealism.

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Emerson describes “The great man” as one who has the ability to remain independent and alone, while also appearing as a part of society. Emerson is suggesting that man has the ability to maintain their self-image as a non-conformist and simultaneously play an integral role in society. In Emerson’s ideal, it is believed that to become “The great man” one must find the balance between contributing to society and remaining in “the independence of solitude.” Within The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby embodies Emerson’s ideal perfectly. He throws elegant and lavish parties for practically anyone who wishes to attend, which demonstrates his perceived involvement in society, however, at these parties he keeps to himself and separates himself from the surrounding

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Gatsby’s undying efforts to gain Daisy’s attention by throwing grand parties, advertising his wealth, and paying her visits never go unnoticed. The true characteristics of each class are displayed throughout the way they each respond to certain situations and the choices they choose to make. The characters lie, cheat, break laws, and murder. The Great Gatsby ends in a tragedy which F. Scott Fitzgerald foresees society is ultimately leading towards. The great Gatsby explores themes of social classes and the corruption of the American dream through the failure of poetic justice.

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Affluent Dan Cody would serve as a true inspiration for Gatsby, because he was born into a family of poor and unsuccessful farmers. Following the eventual passing of Cody, any money left for Gatsby was taken by Cody’s mistress; leaving Gatsby with a plan for financial triumph, however he would have to start from scratch. While attending a school, “he [would stay] there two weeks, dismayed at its ferocious difference to the drums of his destiny, to destiny itself, and despising the janitor's work which he has to pay his way through.” (Fitzgerald 99). Life was not in Gatsby’s favor, but once he met his love, golden girl Daisy, now there was motivation to keep on striving.

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Imagine living in a perfect world. Nothing in this world can go wrong, nothing can do you harm, and nothing is out of reach. This is the world of an idealist- a person who forms or pursues ideals unrealistically. Although this philosophy would hold its believer in a constant daze of false happiness, when reality hits, it could be devastating. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, main character Jay Gatsby is blinded by the fantasy of transforming himself into a famous figure of wealth and social status and, as a result, winning over his love, Daisy.

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Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald is the author of the twentieth century American classic, The Great Gatsby. It is a story of the American dream, settled down in the 1920’s, with issues of the time period being, prohibition, women, class structure, crime, and many more, The Great Gatsby has a taste of each. Fitzgerald incorporated subjects of his time and his very own experiences into the story to portray an era of social and moral values. The 1920’s were a time of breaking morals Class structure and wealth were among the highest pleasures achievable. The 20’s were an era of Jazz; with extravagant music playing throughout all hours of the night.

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During the Baroque period artists strived to propel themselves away from the idealism of the Renaissance and instead pursued the path of naturalism. This era of art was filled with dynamic images and the artists at this time were desperately attempting to capture a single moment of time in their artwork. One such artist was Diego Velazquez, who longed to utilize his artistic abilities in order to advance his position in society. He believed that their was no nobler profession than that of an artist, and so he sought to prove his value through his creative talent. He succeeded in his quest because his paintings garnered him critical acclaim and earned him the praise of the monarchs of his time.

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