The Role Of Entertainment In The Great Gatsby

Whether we understand it or not, the methods we use to entertain ourselves have a profound effect on how we see the world. Entertainment not only shows societal values, but helps shape them as society embraces what is seen in entertainment as normal and acceptable. Many forms of entertainment can also inspire passionate reactions, changing the disposition of the consumers . In Fences, Death of a Salesman, The Great Gatsby, Invisible Man and A Streetcar Named Desire, sports and entertainment are used to show the lack of opportunity as well as characters’ hopes and fears. In the works, characters’ desperation for social improvement through sports shows the lack of social opportunities given to minorities and those outside the wealthy elite.

Similarly, in The Great Gatsby, Jordan succeeds in advancing into upper class society through sports. Despite her family’s consisting of only “one aunt about a thousand years old,” Jordan is able to become a member of the highest portion society without fulfilling the usual prerequisite of having a well known family because she is “golf champion” causing “everyone [to know] her name” (Fitzgerald 18 and 57). Jordan’s inclusion in high society draws attention to the absence of similar characters. Jordan, as a single, self made woman, remains in society otherwise dominated by men and married women, all of whom come from distinguished families. This trend of athletics as a means of social advancement continues in Death of a Salesman. In the play, Biff has offers for “scholarships to three universities” to play football but fails math leading him to lose his opportunity to attend college (Wilson 31) . According to Willy, Biff’s teacher “ruin[s] his life” because all of Biff’s opportunities for advancement rely on attending college to play sports (93). Biff is unique in these works because, as a middle class white man, he has the advantages required to be a success without sports, but

When Biff loses the opportunity to attend college, Biff becomes merely another uneducated and unskilled worker with little chance for advancement. In each of these works, the fact that advancement through sports is essential to these characters signifies the difficulty of advancement in American society. Characters born rich generally stay rich, while characters who are either poor, especially characters of color, need sports to advance.

Another way that entertainment is used to generate meaning is through the use of music to signify characters’ insanity. In Death of a Salesman, when Willy thinks about Ben he hears “ Ben’s music — first distantly, then closer, closer” (84). Ben embodies all of Willy’s desires because Ben has two of the things Willy most desires, a stable family and immense wealth. When we are first introduced to Ben, Willy asks “Where is Dad?” and Ben responds “I was going to find father in Alaska” and later in the conversation Ben remarks “when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich” (47-48 and 52). In this scene, Arthur Miller deliberately uses the music to