The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby portrays 1920's life. The novel's author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, describes the lives of the upper-class segment of society, a group of which Fitzgerald possesses first-hand knowledge. Although they lead glamorous and seemingly carefree lifestyles, the characters in the novel possess many glaring moral deficiencies and personal insecurities. They endlessly seek personal advancement and overall happiness by any means necessary, yet in the end, they fall short of true happiness. Throughout the novel, moral decadence, frequent exploitation, and the unobtainable American Dream represent significant themes in understanding various interpretations of The Great Gatsby's storyline. Throughout the novel, moral decadence is displayed by many members of the wealthy, ruthless upper-class society. For example, blatant adultery takes place throughout the novel. Tom Buchannan and Myrtle Wilson, both of whom have marriages with other people, arrange a meeting together in New York (Fitzgerald 30-31). Both Tom and Myrtle treat their spouses as their inferiors, and neither really respects his or her marriage at all. According to Kate Maurer, Tom openly participates in the affair with Myrtle.
As a sign of further decadence, rampant dishonesty is effortlessly shown by Myrtle, Jordan, and Tom. Dishonesty and selfishness frequently go hand-in-hand, since people most commonly lie to advance or protect themselves. Along with this, she boldly flaunts her wealth and material items solely to earn approval and admiration from her guests. In another example of exploitation, ruthless ambition and love of wealth cause Myrtle to associate with Tom Buchannan. According to Nicholas Tredell, Gatsby believes the American Dream is realized by obtaining wealth and the perfect (111-112). While Nick lives in a run-down cottage, they seem to live a far superior life in the lap of luxury. Nicholas Tredell describes how historically, man instinctively dedicates himself to conquering the next frontier, rather than accepting his position in a single place (110). In the novel, immense wealth provides many of the characters with material items. In the quest for money or power, people frequently attempt to manipulate others to reach their own goals. And one fine morning-" (Fitzgerald 189). However, the relentless ambition that helped to acquire the wealth often causes a person to become blind to the figurative wealth that meaningful relationships can provide. Tom clearly does not respect or acknowledge his marriage to Daisy. Tom becomes so self-centered and dishonest that he effortlessly compromises the life of another to protect his own. Gatsby's willingness to go after another man's wife shows a disregard for the marriage on his part. For instance, manipulative partygoers use Gatsby for his cars and alcohol.
Common topics in this essay:
American Dream,
Wilson Gatsby,
Scott Fitzgerald,
Tom Buchannan,
Gatsby Gatsby's,
Nick Carraway,
Tom Myrtle,
Apparently Gatsby,
Georgian Colonial,
Nicholas Tredell,
american dream,
unobtainable american dream,
unobtainable american,
moral decadence,
tom buy,
throughout novel,
frequent exploitation,
material items,
true happiness,
tom buchannan,
one's own,
american dream represent,
frequent exploitation unobtainable,
decadence frequent exploitation,
moral decadence frequent,
|
Acceptance Essays
