The Great Gatsby Research Paper

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s newest novel The GreatGatsby has received excellent reviews from critics within the few years it has been available, with some even calling it “a work of art”. The novel makes connections between societies current comprehension of the American dream, which is is that if one works hard enough they can succeed in their life despite their background or social standing, and the idea that the dream is now horribly futile.

Fitzgerald, who is one of the most celebrated novelists of our time, explores in complexity the hopelessness of the much desired American Dream. In a time of post war celebrations fueled by the illegal consumption of alcohol, nearly everyone has an obsession with money. It is clear that Fitzgerald’s own

Whilst the novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby, it is noticeably evident that there are many similarities between Fitzgerald himself and his central character. Much like his character Gatsby, Fitzgerald was born into a low-income family and had to improve his miserable financial situation in order to be able to marry his love Zelda Sayre, the well-known American socialite. Both had a strong hunger for success and equally devoted a large amount of time towards trying to attain their true loves, Zelda and Daisy. Growing up, Fitzgerald was a poor boy among the elite, causing him to always feel like an outsider. Much like Fitzgerald, Gatsby wants desperately to belong in the world of the ‘old money’ sorts, however he is always viewed as an outsider with Tom Buchanan even describing him as “Mr. Nobody from Nowhere” (Ch.7, Pg. 229) Fitzgerald undeniably based the characters in his novel off himself and the people in his life. Fitzgerald makes strong use of his character Gatsby to substantiate his argument that the American Dream is

Fitzgerald has used the character of Gatsby to represent the death of the American Dream. In his pursuit of Daisy, Gatsby neglects to form real relationships with those around him. This is obvious after his death when, despite having such a vast list of contacts, only a handful of people attend his desolate funeral. He was so foolishly engrossed in his pursuit of Daisy and the American Dream that, along with being single-minded, he often turns a blind eye to reality, again showing just how foolish one becomes when they get caught up in the dream. Fitzgerald’s articulates his attitudes about the dream when, for instance, everyone around Gatsby knows that Daisy will never leave Tom for him, however he is so caught up in his own pursuit that when reality is not in alignment with his internal dream, he rejects it. His flaws in the novel are what hinders Gatsby from realizing the dream of which he strives for is far beyond his reach. This idea that she is well out of reach is reflected in the novel through Fitzgerald’s use of the the green light at the end of Daisy’s