The Great Gatsby Research Paper

The Great Gatsby, one of the most iconic novels in American literature, has captivated readers for decades with its exploration of the American dream and the society of the 1920s. This classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald is not only a timeless piece of literature, but also a reflection of the modernist, realist, and transcendentalist movements of its time. By examining The Great Gatsby in the context of these literary movements, readers can gain a deeper understanding of the novel's themes, characters, connection towards the American dream and reflect on the pursuit of the American dream in the 1920s.

Modernism was used in examples to look at how perspective affects reality, and a rejection of the idea that there is one definitive truth.

In the novel, it was shown to show the reality of how people acted in the 1920s for different situations. For instance, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald 179). This was the ultimate judgment from Nick, the quote captures the advantages the upper class has because of their money. Tom and Daisy’s actions left three people dead, yet they received no punishment. They left them to pick up the pieces after placing all of their responsibility on the lower class. The socioeconomic class subject is a major one in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald demonstrated to the reader the importance of socioeconomic status in life by using it as a topic. Fitzgerald claimed that a person's personality is defined by their social class. You cannot pretend to belong to a social class that you were born into. People’s heritage will always be evident. Fitzgerald wanted the reader to understand the importance of accepting one's social standing and not taking it for granted. People need to understand being satisfied and not being too greedy. It also shows how the people reacted to situations based on their social class. It was also shown on page 178, “ I told him the truth. he was crazy enough to kill me if I hadn't told him who owned the car.” Tom justifies sending Wilson to Gatsby's house because he believes that Gatsby is to blame for Myrtle's death. It reveals the reality of people when they are too afraid to admit something and blame it on others, like Daisy never told him the truth of who was driving that night. Fitzgerald also showed many demonstrations of people trying hard to reach their goals, whether it's failure or success. For example, on page 23