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Literary elements of the great gatsby
Literary elements of the great gatsby
The great gatsby literary analysis
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There were the same people, or at least the same sort of people, the same profusion of champagne, the same multi-colored, many keyed commotion, but I felt an unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness that hadn't been there before.” Nick classified all the rich people who went to Gatsby's party as the 'same sort' since they are copying from each other's image. They do not have their own identity and is only known as the 'group' of rich people, who do nothing, but entertain themselves with illegal drinking and partying. The unpleasant feeling that Nick has is the rich people's thought and belief of the materialism corruption of the society.
Breaking Social Boundaries The era of the 1920s was a pinnacle time in American History and the literature that was produced from this era showcases the social change happening. This was the time of social upheaval where the people were challenging social boundaries. The values that had been sought after in the period before this were becoming less and else prevalent in the new society. There are many viewpoints of this time period so the literature of this time was very diverse and many works showed the changing cultures.
Social Breakdown In The Great Gatsby What are social breakdowns? A Social Breakdown is being unlike yourself when dealing with a social situation, relationships or yourself. A big part of social breakdowns are relationships. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald gives many examples when it comes to social breakdown.
Throughout the novels Night by Elie Wiesel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee and Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, there are clear themes of rebellion, revolution or both. A rebellion is defined as an effort by many people to change the government or leader of a country by use of protest or violence. It may also be defined as open opposition towards a person or group in authority or the refusal to obey rules or accept the normal standards of behavior. A revolution is defined as a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system. It may also be defined as a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure; it is usually sudden and accompanied by violence.
During the 1920s, America seemed to be a land of glamor and luxury. Underneath the beauty, however, was a vast underworld of crime: bootleggers and gangs ran rampant, controlling even members of the government. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, he tells a tale of that decade, which appears glamorous but is filled with corruption. The novel makes a naturalism argument about the impossibility of changing social class, revealing that only a facade of mobility can be achieved through debaucherous actions.
The American Dream is the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success, prosperity, and social mobility through hard work, determination, and initiative. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby attempts to achieve social mobility but ultimately fails due to the constructs of old vs new money. An argument is shown that the American Dream is just that, a dream, and that happiness cannot be achieved through wealth. In the novel, the super poor are stuck in their social class, unable to move because they live in the valley of ashes, which represents poverty and the corruption and social decay that came with the lavish and careless lifestyles of the rich.
Following the Progressive Era, an era in which the awareness of the working class man was raised, many liberals watched what the political gains they achieved in American society be dismantled during the Roaring Twenties. The 1920’s saw a profound conservative shift following The Great War; “Regardless of one’s social position, the decade was a time of immense social change. Following the horrors of the war, the old traditions and societal rules and regulations seemed no longer applicable” (Palladino, 2010, p. 31). Fitzgerald uses Tom Buchanan's character to exemplify this problematic shift to individualism. His desire to be with the married Myrtle Wilson, which would eventually result in her death as well as Mr. George Wilson’s freedom, is seen as a selfish act.
The Great Gatsby GEOGRAPHY Throughout the novel, places and settings symbolize the various aspects of the 1920s American society that Fitzgerald depicts. East Egg represents the old aristocracy, West Egg the newly rich, the valley of ashes the moral and social decay of America, and New York City the dissolute, amoral quest for money and pleasure. Additionally, the East is connected to the moral decay and social cynicism of New York, while the West is connected to more traditional social values and ideals. Themes: The American Dream "Whereas the American Dream was once equated with certain principles of freedom, it is now equated with things.
“Social oppression is a concept that describes a relationship of dominance and subordination between categories of people in which one benefits from the systematic abuse, exploitation, and injustice directed toward the other.” This quote, stated by Ashley Crossman on Thoughtco, perfectly describes what oppression is especially from a feminist point of view. As Britannica stated, Feminism is “the belief in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes.” In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are many relationships. However, none of them are based on love and in most of the relationship, the women are also being oppressed.
they have different interests they won't get along. The rich class isolates itself from the poor because they think they are better and the poor isolates themselves from the rich because they think they aren't good enough to talk to the rich people when in reality we are all people. We all have the right to talk to whoever we want and to care about others and to not be selfish. We can choose not to be isolate ourselves or let ourselves be isolated by others. Isolation can cause problems like depression, anxiety, and low self esteem and that is why it's such a serious issue because it can hurt people or make people hurt themselves.
Loneliness Many Americans today claim that if one works hard, then they will not find true love,; Marche states that, “The price of self determination and self reliance has often been loneliness”. Loneliness is one of the main themes in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gatsby, the main character, searches for true love his entire lifetime. He throws many extravagant parties in his house to feel less lonely and does everything he can to try and rekindle his past relationship with Daisy. Gatsby exemplifies that loneliness is at the core of being American because, he, a man living the American dream, wants contentment in his life, something that he never obtains.
Identity in Society Optimised by Money F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, is still so relevant in today’s society, especially when addressing the norms of social stereotypes and for once, Zinia Prasad agrees. Humankind lives on judgement, gossip and stereotypes. Without these three factors humans would just be aimless animals.
In the 1920’s, social classes were divided with a large gap. The poor wanted nothing to do with the rich, and the rich wanted even less to do with the poor. In the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he uses the class structure in the 1920’s to redefine poverty. While the rich people in the novel are material rich, they are still “poor” socially and psychologically. Poverty is shown in a differently in this book than other books being written in this time era, and in doing this, it shows the rich what they are, and how they treat others from a different perspective.
False Illusions "For many the American Dream has become a nightmare. " These words of Bernie Sanders are accurate to an extent. The American Dream is the idea that anyone, with enough resolve and determination, can climb the economic ladder, regardless of where they start in life. It is called the American Dream because the United States is depicted as the greatest nation in the world, that offers the most opportunity and freedom to achieve upward mobility in society. However, many people attach themselves too much to the hope of achieving this dream that they fail to realize the inequalities that take place in front of their own faces, which are the factors that are hampering them from this illusion.
1. Society and Class The Great Gatsby is offering a peek into American social life in the roaring 20s. The 1920s is a time of economic growth since the World War One had just ended. Fitzgerald presents a picture of America he observes around him.
