ipl-logo

The Great Gatsby Influence On Society

362 Words2 Pages

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby represents the everlasting disconnect that happens with every generation. With every new generation, the one prior seems to lose faith or the ability to sympathize with and understand their younger predecessors. The Great Gatsby is a perfect model of this divide. In the novella, we are introduced to characters who embody the traits imposed onto younger people to the extreme making most characters little more than caricatures. The narrator Nick Caraway, acts as a mouthpiece for Fitzgerald, often making comments about the disparity of the world and the supposed crumbling of society: "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or …show more content…

“We can assert with some confidence that our own period is one of decline; that the standards of culture are lower than they were fifty years ago; and that the evidences of this decline are visible in every department of human activity.” (T.S Elliot 91) a quote from 1948 further illustrating the older generation’s fear and anxiety about the evolving moral values and superficiality seen in younger adults. The Great Gatsby conveys an anti-pleasure message; Fitzgerald himself fell into his category of the artificial lives he bashed in his book, “he and Zelda liked to spend lots of it fast, usually for impermanent things: not for real estate, fine motorcars, or furniture, but for traveling expenses, the rent of furnished houses, the wages of nurses and servants; for parties, party dresses, and feather fans of five colors. Zelda was as proudly careless about money as an eighteenth-century nobleman’s heir.” (Cowley). Furthermore, the Great Gatsby stands as a representation of human nature and reflects many of the criticisms humans have with each passing generation, including those we have

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

5 Paragraph Essay On The Great Gatsby

364 Words | 2 Pages

The Great Gatsby Paragraph Essay F. Scott Fitzgerald presents many themes in his novel, The Great Gatsby. Gatsby’s fame has become of his elaborate parties he throws every weekend at his mansion. Hundreds of people show up from middle class to high class. One theme express how the party is like, they’re people moving very fast with excitement in their souls going wild. Another theme goes to that celebrities even Gilda Gray a very famous dancer attends the party.

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

Theme Of Jealousy In The Great Gatsby

924 Words | 4 Pages

In a book about a tragic love story, one would not expect to find a deeper meaning behind the dangers of jealousy or peril of lust. However, in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there is a deeper meaning beyond jealousy and love. In The Great Gatsby, the author uses an empathetic storyline as a symbol to unwittingly give a complex depiction of the nuisance that people create that not only destroy our world but our society and gives warning to what will occur if we continue the path of destruction. With this intention, the brilliant opinionated writer, expressed his opinion through symbols such as the characters he uses, the setting the story takes place in, and the objects he uses in the book.

Read More

Nick Carraway's Deception In The Great Gatsby

1201 Words | 5 Pages

Recounting heartbreak, betrayal, and deception, F. Scott Fitzgerald paints a bleak picture in the 1920’s novel The Great Gatsby. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, witnesses the many lies others weave in order to achieve their dreams. However, the greatest deception he encounters is the one he lives. Not having a true dream, Nick instead finds purpose by living vicariously through others, and he loses that purpose when they are erased from his life.

Read More

Father And Thomas Analysis

735 Words | 3 Pages

The house is filled with Father and Thomas 's yells. Why can 't my family understand that my brother, Thomas, is a Whig? He only has different stand points on this new act England has passed, The Stamp Act. Ever since March 22, 1765 when the Stamp Act was passed (history.com) that 's all that is talked about in the colonies anymore. I wish I could tell them that I am a Whig too, but Mother and Father would hate me forever.

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

Stereotypes In The Great Gatsby

1244 Words | 5 Pages

The Great Gatsby is hailed as a great piece of 1920 's fiction due to its detailing of a new, fast paced America, and the way that America affected the population. These affects manifested as traits in people, and further developed into stereotypes. In the post World War 1 America this novel is set in, industry and technology were becoming readily available to the public, cementing these stereotypes into our population as we quickly moved along at a new pace. In The Great Gatsby, these people, actions, and relationships, are represented by the four main characters: Nick, Daisy, Tom, and Jay. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses these characters to symbolize the stereotypical people of a modern America.

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

Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And Ernest Hemingway

889 Words | 4 Pages

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway are among the most prominent exponents of literature of the twentieth century. Forming part of the Lost Generation, these authors not only develop similar themes throughout their works, but heavily influenced each other. The Great Gatsby being Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, serves as a prime illustration of the staples of contemporary literature. In the novel The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald, the author depicts himself through a character, Nick Carraway, conforming to other self depiction common in the Lost Generation, such as Hemingway in the Nick Adams stories. Nick Carraway and Nick Adams represent Fitzgerald and Hemingway, both serving as apertures into Fitzgerald’s and Hemingway’s view of the world.

Read More

Literary Techniques In The Great Gatsby

867 Words | 4 Pages

Gatsby’s father, Mr Gatz helps the reader to see the contrast between the social climbing, immoral people that this story revolves around and the average people living their normal lives. Mr Gatz’ “pride in his son” (p. 183), and overall love for Gatsby, redeems the text from being a total immoral story. Both members of the Gatz’ family, bring this hope and love to the text which redeems the world. The world of The Great Gatsby is not a spiritual and moral wasteland. F. Scott Fitzgerald has use characterisation to display the extreme moral indecency of the 1920’s New Yorker lifestyle.

Read More

What Is The Purpose Of The Federal Emergency Relief Administration During The 1920's

888 Words | 4 Pages

Following the devastating economic disaster in 1920, 15 million people had not only lost their jobs, but a majority of their savings as well. Many of their homes were dependent on the money used for relief from the government. A number of business and banks were shutting down, the production and sales of services and goods were drastically reduced. All the while, very little aid had reached state level. By May 22, 1933, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was set up.

Read More

Dishonesty In The Great Gatsby Analysis

925 Words | 4 Pages

The theme of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is that the upper class tend to participate in actions that are commonly seen as dishonest, unfaithful, or sketchy. Characters like Nick, Gatsby, Tom and George have twisted views on their own reality due to unfaithfulness and dishonesty. Nick was constantly lied to in the story, for example, Gatsby lied to him about where he got his money. Lies, similar to the one above, gave Nick some twisted views on the reality of his friendship. Gatsby had a twisted view on love due to Daisy marrying Tom right after he left for the war, rather than waiting for him.

Read More

The Importance Of Morality In The Great Gatsby

1193 Words | 5 Pages

From a young age, we have been taught what behavior is acceptable and deemed good, and what is immoral or bad. In the novel, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many of the characters require questioning regarding if they should be classified as truly moral people who exhibit goodness or correctness in their lifestyles. In their society, the goals shared by all are becoming rich and fitting in, and often in order to meet them, actions are taken which harm others but benefit themselves. The author conveys that morality has little value to the characters in Gatsby because they take any means necessary in order to achieve their dreams and fail to think about the consequences of their impulsive actions.

Read More

More about The Great Gatsby Influence On Society

Related Topics

Open Document