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Research Paper On The Great Gatsby

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In a time of opportunity and despair, the 1920s were filled with lavish lifestyles yet also devastating unfulfilled prosperity. This perception is acknowledged all too well in the unfortunate novel of Jay Gatsby, a millionaire harboring secrets, who is head over heels in rekindling the light he once had 5 years ago with Daisy Buchanan, a married woman from his past. Gatsby is determined to win over Daisy’s love through ostentatious parties and over-the-top gestures, but his approach is ultimately declined. Overall, Gatsby's actions and conflicts during the novel uncover the illusion and reveal the other perspective of the American Dream in the 1920s. In his novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses his characters to critique the American Dream through their moral choices. Specifically, the character Jay …show more content…

These events demonstrate the harsh truth that despite Gatsby's ambition and hard work, he remains once again stuck in the lower ranks of society based on the lack of a luxurious background. To further develop the devastating truth of the American Dream, Fitzgerald illustrates the character Jay Gatsby as a symbol of the corrupting influence of wealth in the 1920’s. Gatsby's extravagant displays of wealth, such as his lavish parties and his luxurious mansion, mask his shady dealings and morally questionable pursuits. The quote, "Taking a white card from his wallet, he waved it before the man's eye." 'Right you are,' agreed the policeman... 'know you next time'" (Fitzgerald 68), demonstrates how Gatsby's wealth affords him a sense of privilege. By flashing a mere card, Gatsby manipulates authority, highlighting how money can buy not only luxury items but also power and influence. This incident underscores the unfairness of society and corrupted ways in a society where wealth reigns supreme, ultimately leading to Gatsby's tragic

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When someone’s spouse is still in love with an old partner, the results of what could happen may vary depending on what the partner does, & who comes back into the spouse's life. This could cause issues for both sides. In the novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the 3 main characters: Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby, are in a love triangle due to an old relationship Daisy and Gatsby once had many years ago. When Gatsby and Daisy reunite, the spark restarts, and Tom realizes that Daisy still loves Gatsby. The main emotions shown are dissatisfaction, and hypocrisy.

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So the tomfoolery and fakeness took a new level, and crime was involved to make Gatsby the richest of all, and soon he was. But the dream would never end, dreams get bigger and Gatsby felt an urge to keep his dream as perfect as it was in his head. With wealth and status comes a theme of corruption and emptiness. With his luscious parties, he often sparks questions about why and who Gatsby is. It appears no one knows him,for he does not even know himself.

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While on the surface, Gatsby does have a ‘rags-to-riches’ story, it is not a virtuous one; he amasses his wealth through illegal channels by working with Meyer Wolfsheim, and never fulfills his dream, Daisy. Also, He changes his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby when he first encounters Dan Cody. Because Gatsby has to take on an entirely different persona to achieve success, disguising his poor upbringing and suggesting that James Gatz could never achieve the American dream. Gatsby first attempts to earn his financial success by performing menial labor for Cody, but when Cody’s ex-wife swindles Gatsby out of his inheritance, he turns to illegal means of getting rich. Not only does Gatsby illegally gain his wealth my selling grain liquor over the counter, but he also does so under the direction of Meyer Wolfsheim, breaking two essential qualities of the self-made man, virtue, and independence.

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