ipl-logo

Is The Great Gatsby Relevant Today Essay

666 Words3 Pages

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic representation of the decadent excesses and moral decay of the 1920s. Although the period has long passed, Fitzgerald's critiques of the wealthy class still holds today. His judgments on the affluent elite's careless and corrupt behavior are valid in today's society, as shown by examples such as the actions of a teen in The Onion's "Wealthy Teen Nearly Experiences Consequence" and the recent scandal involving the Murdaugh family in the New York Times "A Family Tied to South Carolina's Lowcountry Is Torn Apart by Violence." This essay will show how Fitzgerald's criticism of the affluent is still relevant today by analyzing these instances and comparing them to the people and situations in The Great Gatsby. …show more content…

The satirical piece highlights the lack of accountability that many young people from affluent families often face, as they are shielded from the consequences of their actions by their wealth and social status. This scenario is reminiscent of Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, who similarly engages in reckless and abusive behavior without facing any real consequences due to his wealth and social status. Despite his affair with Myrtle Wilson, his involvement in the hit-and-run accident, and his physical abuse towards his wife Daisy, Tom is never held accountable for his actions. Instead, he is able to continue living his life of excess and luxury, protected by his wealth and social standing. Through this example, Fitzgerald's critique of the wealthy as corrupt and careless is shown to be still valid today, as the behavior and attitudes of the affluent elite continue to be shielded and reinforced by their wealth and

Show More
Related

Rhetorical Precis: The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

391 Words | 2 Pages

Fitzgerald, an American author, in chapter two of his novel “The Great Gatsby” (published in 1925), claims that the rich Americans has the power to do whatever they wish. Fitzgerald made Tom Buchanan an unstoppable bully in this chapter; Tom uses his social status and physical strength to boss those around him, he taunts Wilson while having an affair with Wilson’s wife, he breaks Myrtle’s nose without hesitation, and most importantly, no one tries or dare to stop him. Fitzgerald's purpose is to raise awareness of the wealthy's power in order to prevent them from dominating the lower classes.. He builds an intimate relationship with his audience of readers who are interested in his

Read More

Myrtle's Use Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

966 Words | 4 Pages

The Moral Decay of the Materialistic Although F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby debuted in 1925– before the Great Depression– it serves as a prophetic exemplification of the the material excess of the 1920s that drowned out signs of the coming Great Depression. The book’s plot follows the bootlegger Jay Gatsby as he pursues his old love Daisy Buchanan through flaunting his new extravagant lifestyle, mainly by throwing ostentatious parties. Yet, in the end, Daisy chooses her unfaithful husband Tom over Gatsby. Through Fitzgerald’s use of wealthy, materialistic characters, he comments on the effect of the material excess of the roaring twenties: moral corruption.

Read More

Examples Of Skewed In The Great Gatsby

670 Words | 3 Pages

In the early stages of the 20th Century, much of the United States began to see the country’s culture and history start to take form and adapt to the rest of the world. A large part of this transformation rooted from themes of dishonesty, immorality, and infidelity that came from the upper class. Known for hosting lavish parties, illegal activity and frequent affairs, many began to see how skewed this morality had come to be. While this had become the norm of the upper class at the time, it is attributed to having shaped part of the nation’s culture and formed what the time period is known for today. In the book, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates how the morals of the upper class are skewed and the overall effect of this immorality to the country through Tom Buchanan’s hypocrisy and affairs as well as through

Read More

Examples Of Tom In The Great Gatsby

1003 Words | 5 Pages

Wealthy people during the 1920s were very careless and shallow. As the richer, they became the more they fade away from their morals. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, he writes about Gatsby’s destiny and how people during that society “helped” him. The only help that he got was people’s shallowness. Gatsby’s destiny was to have Daisy fall in love with him again by using his wealth.

Read More

Victim Of Jay Gatsby In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great G

1040 Words | 5 Pages

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” Jay Gatsby is often viewed as a tragic figure who falls victim to the circumstances of his time and his own actions. Gatsby's character is a product of the Roaring Twenties, a time of economic prosperity, social change, and excessive indulgence. This essay will delve into the historical context of the 1920s, the key figures in Gatsby's life, and the impact of him being seen as a victim. Additionally, this essay will analyze influential individuals who have contributed to the field of interpreting Gatsby as a victim, considering various perspectives and providing a well-reasoned analysis. Gatsby lived for his dreams.

Read More

Examples Of Moral Decay In The Great Gatsby

959 Words | 4 Pages

To begin, main character Daisy Buchanan may appear as though she is full of purity and innocence, but her careless actions prove the complete opposite. She could have had a great future with the one man who Authors often use moral decay to express that when an individual’s sole focus is how they are perceived in society, they lose all awareness of the distance between right and wrong. This notion is embodied in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, where characters from relatively different social classes all strive to achieve one thing: a wealthy status and to feel accepted. The Great Gatsby took place in the Roaring ‘20s, an era in which old and new wealth alike acted careless due to having so much money. Wealthy people lost sight of morals in their attempts to further enhance wealth and status, and refused to acknowledge the consequences of their actions.

Read More

Examples Of Corruption In The Great Gatsby

1261 Words | 6 Pages

The Great Gatsby presents its characters as having living the American Dream. However, it is only a belief; the behaviors they have and decisions they take only leave them with a false perception of life and lifestyle. The Great Gatsby relates to the corruption of the American Dream for those materialistic people who were after money. Fitzgerald reveals the idea of corruption in the American Dream through conditions such as wealth and materialism, power and social status, and relationships involving family and affairs. He uses examples of this corruption to show the reader that people are willing to lie, betray others, and commit crime to be able to live a ‘better and fuller’ life.

Read More

Examples Of Hollowness Of The Upper Class In The Great Gatsby

995 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald characterizes the 1920s as an era of decayed social and moral values. One of the major themes explored in this novel is the Hollowness of the Upper Class. The entire book revolves around money including power and little love. Coincidentally the three main characters of the novel belong to the upper class and throughout the novel Fitzgerald shows how this characters have become corrupted and have lost their morality due to excess money and success and this has led them to change their perspective towards other people and they have been portrayed as short-sighted to what is important in life. First of all, we have the main character of this novel, Gatsby who won’t stop at nothing to become rich overnight in illegal dealings with mobsters such as Wolfsheim in order to conquer Daisy’s heart.”

Read More

Importance Of Social Status In Andrew Carnegie's The Gospel Of Wealth

883 Words | 4 Pages

One’s social status in the times of Old New York was made up by the elements of money and a powerful family standing behind their young and flourishing children. Everybody wants to who the person at the top is because they seem that they are living the perfect American Dream; But are they really? In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby the social kingdom is ruled by the so-called ‘A’ Listers with loads of cash along with power. The readers learn to realize that even with the high social status and infinite funds does not bring true happiness.

Read More

Examples Of Elitism In The Great Gatsby

879 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

How Is The Great Gatsby Relevant Today

562 Words | 3 Pages

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s American classic The Great Gatsby continues to stride forth as a social commentary on wealth and success. It continues to stay relevant to today's society and that’s why I love it. The Great Gatsby shows the illusion and distance brought with wealth, It shows that the rich tend to depart from society and regressively include themselves in upper-class circles. Another prominent point throughout The Great Gatsby is the desire to want more, a sense of nothing being at a satisfactory standard but also a feeling of that you deserve more. But personally I believe the most important lesson of Fitzgerald’s classic is that the characters are unlikable, but The Great Gatsby shows that even unlikable character who have differing opinions still have stories worth sharing.

Read More

Theme Of Social Mobility In The Great Gatsby

1349 Words | 6 Pages

During the 1920s, America seemed to be a land of glamor and luxury. Underneath the beauty, however, was a vast underworld of crime: bootleggers and gangs ran rampant, controlling even members of the government. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, he tells a tale of that decade, which appears glamorous but is filled with corruption. The novel makes a naturalism argument about the impossibility of changing social class, revealing that only a facade of mobility can be achieved through debaucherous actions.

Read More

The Great Gatsby Moral Corruption Analysis

1909 Words | 8 Pages

An important theme in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the corruption of morals because of wealth. It doesn’t matter if one comes from old or new money, wealth will corrupt the morality of even the humblest. The first example of wealth corrupting morals is in the indifference to infidelity between the married Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. The next example of wealth corrupting morals is seen in Jordan Baker’s actions to keep her luxurious lifestyle. Third, Jim Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth lead to the corruption of his morals.

Read More

Is The Great Gatsby Still Relevant To Today's American Society

819 Words | 4 Pages

We all like to believe that hard work and persistence pays off. The Great Gatsby is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that includes many themes such as wealth, love, dissatisfaction, and most importantly, the American dream, and how it’s really only a dream. The characters, especially Gatsby, are trying to achieve this dream of a perfect life throughout the entire book. It becomes apparent that instead of reaching the success they desire from the hard work that they put in, they destroy their entire lives and relationships with one another in the process. Unfortunately, this story is not too far off from something that could happen today.

Read More

Symbolism In The Rich Boy

2717 Words | 11 Pages

Fitzgerald brings attention to the extravagant lives of the wealthy, the privilege they claim and the false sense of superiority they project. We are moved to assess the true nature of these characters. We acknowledge the duality of their characters; the part of themselves that are revealed to those around them and their true nature. The attempt

Read More

More about Is The Great Gatsby Relevant Today Essay

Related Topics

Open Document