ipl-logo

Religion In The Great Gatsby

680 Words3 Pages

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is written as a mockery of American ideals, and emphasizes materialism, sexual immorality, and selfishness. Though it appears at first glance to be a love story about Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby is actually a satirical take on American culture, especially in the 1920s. In the 1920s, known as the “Roaring Twenties”, America’s economy was booming, jazz was immensely popular, and alcohol had been banned. Organized crime ran rampant, and Americans seemed to lose their moral values.
This culture is chiefly manifested through the character Daisy Buchanan, whose simple personality and voice “full of money” are a representation of the jazz age as a whole. The first description of her voice, …show more content…

In The Great Gatsby, a billboard of Doctor T. J. Eckleberg’s eyes serves as a representation of religion in American culture. After the killing of his wife, George Wilson equates the billboard of Doctor T. J. Eckleberg’s eyes to the all-seeing eyes of God, saying “God sees everything” while staring at the billboard. The placement of the billboard in the Valley of Ashes, a place full of waste and refuse, shows that Americans, especially in this time period, have discarded religion for the pursuit of material and physical satisfaction. Also in this scene, Michaelis asks George Wilson if he has a church he goes to, and says that George “ought to have a church … for times like this.” This futher represents the immorality of the 1920s, as people in America see church as a commodity to be used for formal occasions, rather than a place of worship and spiritual …show more content…

Throughout The Great Gatsby, readers are exposed to a plethora of selfish activity, from Tom’s affair with Myrtle to the party guests at Gatsby’s parties. Gatsby seeks out Daisy, but ignores the fact that she has a daughter and husband, only concerned with his own happiness. Selfishness is also demonstrated through Jordan Baker, who cheated in a golf tournament and is, according to Nick, “incurably dishonest.” Jordan Baker is careless, only worrying about herself, as shown in the scene where she is driving with

Show More
Related

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

Rhetorical Analysis The Great Gatsby

516 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author uses many differnt retorical devices to add a personal flare to his work. He uses diction, symbolism, and irony to adress many different themes. These themes include Materialism, The American Dream, and includes a sharp and biting ridicule on American society in the 1920’s. The main point of Fitzgerald, arguement is one where he sharply criticizes the Society of the time.

Read More

Examples Of Deception In The Great Gatsby

826 Words | 4 Pages

The Great Gatsby is an American novel written by Scott Fitzgerald. On the surface, the book revolves around the concept of romance, the love between two individuals. However, the novel incorporates less of a romantic scope and rather focuses on the theme of the American Dream in the 1920s. Fitzgerald depicts the 1920’s as an era of decline in moral values. The strong desire for luxurious pleasure and money ultimately corrupts the American dream which was originally about individualism.

Read More

Importance Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

870 Words | 4 Pages

Even though “The Great Gatsby” was written nearly a century ago, many of the themes it has can still be seen in today’s society. During the time the book was written, the economy was in a condition of prosperity because the war ended which lead to technological advances and large profits for businesses. As a result, the dynamics of society changed also. The main focus of the media were on people with fame and wealth. This shows the interests and values of what most people had in the U.S. back then.

Read More

Religious Symbols In The Great Gatsby

918 Words | 4 Pages

Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism through colours and religious motifs brings out a critique of the pursuit of the American dream, in how such a pursuit of material wealth is ultimately worthless. Through the use of religious and color motifs, Fitzgerald Parallels can be drawn between Gatsby’s final journey to the swimming pool and Christ’s path to crucifixion. “Gatsby shouldered the mattress and started for the pool. Once he stopped and shifted it a little, and the chauffeur asked him if he needed help, but he shook his head and in a moment disappeared among the yellowing trees” (Chapter 8, Page 128)

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of The Great Gatsby

864 Words | 4 Pages

Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and means to convince one of the persuader’s credibility. Fitzgerald sets the stage with “the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg above the grey land.” The eyes from the billboard looking over the valley of ashes, the area between New York and West Egg, allude to those of God. All of the lies, dishonesty, and thievery that happened along the way to achieve the status that Gatsby and the Buchanan’s have, are all seen by God. The hard-working, loyal car repair man George Wilson “look[s] at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg [in] the dissolving night” knowing that “God sees everything.”

Read More

Scott Fitzgerald's Use Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

576 Words | 3 Pages

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald is very meticulous on how the novel is shown as more satirical rather than romantic. The visionary of the American Dream is the most coveted life during this time period, so Fitzgerald used this lifestyle to mock and expose the vices of others. Fitzgerald uses certain aspects of this lifestyle to show characters satirical impulsiveness or materialism, which ridicules them and the ideals of the 1920s. During the time period in which this novel took place, the American Dream was perhaps the most sought after lifestyle. The American Dream during the roaring twenties is the pursuit of wealth regardless of morals.

Read More

What Is The Meaning Of Life In The Great Gatsby

1134 Words | 5 Pages

After the devastation of World War I, the American people had a revolution in the social standards from traditional views to more modern. The moral compass of people was no longer based on basic religious rules but instead regarded ethics as a relative concept. This venturing out from traditional ways gave the people a door to start the extreme materialism and partying as a way of life. Along with the “roarin” side of the 20s, there also came a group of writers known as the Lost Generation. One of these writers that arose with the Lost Generation was F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Read More

The Sense Of Self In The Great Gatsby

1037 Words | 5 Pages

‘A Sense of Self’ Essay A Sense of Self is a unique quality that differs from one person to another and yet may involve multiple identities. Explore the extent to which the protagonists in the texts you have studied appear to possess one or more identities. Refer closely to the texts in developing your response. This essay will revolve around four main texts, namely ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘New Selected Poems’ and ‘The Lost Continent’ by Scott Fitzgerald, William Shakespeare, Carol Ann Duffy and Bill Bryson respectively. ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a highly symbolic meditation of America in the 1920s.

Read More

Values, Themes And Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

924 Words | 4 Pages

The Great Gatsby GEOGRAPHY Throughout the novel, places and settings symbolize the various aspects of the 1920s American society that Fitzgerald depicts. East Egg represents the old aristocracy, West Egg the newly rich, the valley of ashes the moral and social decay of America, and New York City the dissolute, amoral quest for money and pleasure. Additionally, the East is connected to the moral decay and social cynicism of New York, while the West is connected to more traditional social values and ideals. Themes: The American Dream "Whereas the American Dream was once equated with certain principles of freedom, it is now equated with things.

Read More

Literary Analysis Essay On The Great Gatsby

1208 Words | 5 Pages

The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and narrated by a man named Nick Carraway. This novel was written with the intent of showing the readers how morally corrupt the 1920s were. Throughout the novel, characters abandon their moral values for a materialistic lifestyle. The novel depicts a great picture of the roles men and women played in the 1920s. Even with the changing roles of men and women, they continued to rely heavily on whom they were married to and what social class they belonged to.

Read More

Similarities Between Fitzgerald And Jay Gatsby

853 Words | 4 Pages

Jay Gatsby, the title character of the novel “The Great Gatsby” is a man that can not seem to live without the love of his life. Trying to win Daisy over consumes Gatsby’s life as he tries to become the person he thinks she would approve of. What most readers do not realize is that Jay Gatsby’s character mirrors many personality traits and concerns that the author of novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, had. In fact, Gatsby and Fitzgerald are similar in that they both had a girl they wanted to win over, took a strong stance on alcohol, and ironically both had similar funerals, also, both people also symbolize the American dream.

Read More

The Role Of Greed In The Great Gatsby

780 Words | 4 Pages

Set in the lavish era of the 1920’s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the wealthy, yet sinful life of Jay Gatsby. When describing his character, Fitzgerald touches upon the three deadly sins: greed, envy and gluttony. James Gatz, having grown up in a small town to farmers, wished to make more of himself. Disowning his parents at a young age, he went off in search for money, and a new identity. “And when the TUOLOMEE left for the West Indies and the Barbary Coast Gatsby left too” (Fitzgerald 107).

Read More

Examples Of Duality In The Great Gatsby

884 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

Universal Issues In The Great Gatsby Essay

1102 Words | 5 Pages

Society’s evolution has abolished many social issues, but not all. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, portrays several themes that were applicable to the 1920s, and are still apparent today. Fitzgerald refers to issues from before the publication of the book, as they are universal problems and will relate to generations to come. In conclusion, although published in 1925, The Great Gatsby does make profound comments concerning the basic problems of the 21st

Read More

More about Religion In The Great Gatsby

Related Topics

Open Document