The Great Gatsby Research Paper

Popular Themes in The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was a novel written in 1925 about the narrator, Nick Carraway, connecting with Jay Gatsby and reuniting him with his long lost lover. Gatsby’s obsession with his past love, Daisy, is shown throughout the novel with many twists and turns. The book captures the essence of the 1920s by the character’s attitude and background. World War I, also known as the Great War, had just ended and the people entered what is known as the Roaring twenties. The economy soared and people flourished in their newfound wealth (Pruitt, 2018). Fitzgerald discusses how people lived in this time period while focusing on carelessness, obsession, and the American Dream.

Carelessness is used for

Early on in the novel, Gatsby expresses his obsession with Daisy when he meets up with her for the first time. In chapter 5, Gatsby performs all sorts of grand gestures in order to show Daisy how much he has thought about her the past 5 years. He prepares his house and Nick Carraway’s by cutting their lawns, sending over flowers, and preparing lemon cakes for her (Fitzgerald 82-85). All of these actions are very grand considering the time period. Gatsby wishes to prove to Daisy that he has always thought of her. Every precaution taken to meet her was planned delicately by him, proving how infatuated Gatsby is with Daisy. Nick Carraway describes Gatsby along with his thoughts about meeting up with Daisy after so long. Carraway states, “He had been full of the idea so long, dreamed of it right through to the end… Now in the reaction, he was running down like an overwound clock,” (Fitzgerald 92). This narration explains how Gatsby is so obsessed with Daisy that he begins to lose his sanity. As the story progresses he only falls more in love with her, but also the idea of her. Gatsby is a hopeful man that has created a version of Daisy in his mind that makes him believe she is just as obsessed with him as well. Before Gatsby was killed, his obsession had grown to a much greater extent than where it has all started. He told Nick, “I want to wait here till Daisy goes to bed. Good night, old sport,” (Fitzgerald 145). This

The Great Gatsby illustrates the dream deep within the story. Grand things or events are described in the story with different colors. These items range from cream colored chiffon, lavender colored interior for cars, and black silk bows (Fitzgerald 30-36). Fancy belongings demonstrate what the American Dream was like during this time period. Since sales for everything was skyrocketing, people wanted to show off their riches with new purchases. Cars are also included in the story to describe this theme. Nick describes Gatsby’s car by saying, “It was a rich cream color, bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hat-boxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes, and terraced with a labyrinth of wind-shields that mirrored a dozen suns,” (Fitzgerald 64). Gatsby’s car resembles the American Dream because cars were a luxury in this time period. Everyone wanted a nice car to drive around the country in. Gatsby also portrays the American Dream by starting out poor and making something of himself. He tells Tom, “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved anyone except me!” (Fitzgerald 130). This shows the determination and dedication Gatsby has to become something worthwhile. His love for Daisy motivates his American Dream. All of these grand gestures and ideas support the idea that the