How Does Gatsby Represent the American Dream? What Does the Novel Have to Say About the Condition of the American Dream in the 1920's?
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- Date Submitted: 09/23/2013 09:08 AM
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How does Gatsby represent the American dream? What does the novel have to say about the condition of the American dream in the 1920's?
Although the American dream was idolised and desired by many, the destruction it's longing created has ruined lives in many literacy works; The Great Gatsby being no exception to this. Within the great American novel, the rise and fall of Gatsby, the chauvinistic views that woman had of themselves and the drowning the sorrows of World War I in money and parties, highlight the corruption and disappointment of the Jazz Age.
Foremost, I believe that building his wealth and power to be able to take care of Daisy and her lavish lifestyle was not Gatsby's end goal, instead he continued to strive for his own perfection. The novel's debated hero's dream can be summed up by the pathetic fallacy used in chapter five, the chapter in which Daisy and Gatsby are reunited. The weather wanders from the rain that 'was pouring' to the sun appearing creating 'twinkle bells of sunshine' then diverting back to the 'falling' rain. The first report of rain creates a malevolent atmosphere which is symbolic of Gatsby's struggle to escape his family's low economic status. Born into a family of 'unsuccessful farm people', he didn't accept his parents on his search for power, conveying an arrogant and undesirable streak to him contrasting our previously mainly positive view on this main character, successfully highlighting further that he was to sacrifice everything. Because he thought his family and current self unworthy of the world he was 'sprung from his own Platonic conception of himself'. From this point onwards, he begins to build up his life and his dream starts to become a reality as he climbs higher up the status ladder and therefore becomes more eligible to marry Daisy. A lot of this mirrors Fitzgerald's life as he too needed to make more of his writing career and build his wealth and fame in order to court his wife Zelda. This link offers a...
Although the American dream was idolised and desired by many, the destruction it's longing created has ruined lives in many literacy works; The Great Gatsby being no exception to this. Within the great American novel, the rise and fall of Gatsby, the chauvinistic views that woman had of themselves and the drowning the sorrows of World War I in money and parties, highlight the corruption and disappointment of the Jazz Age.
Foremost, I believe that building his wealth and power to be able to take care of Daisy and her lavish lifestyle was not Gatsby's end goal, instead he continued to strive for his own perfection. The novel's debated hero's dream can be summed up by the pathetic fallacy used in chapter five, the chapter in which Daisy and Gatsby are reunited. The weather wanders from the rain that 'was pouring' to the sun appearing creating 'twinkle bells of sunshine' then diverting back to the 'falling' rain. The first report of rain creates a malevolent atmosphere which is symbolic of Gatsby's struggle to escape his family's low economic status. Born into a family of 'unsuccessful farm people', he didn't accept his parents on his search for power, conveying an arrogant and undesirable streak to him contrasting our previously mainly positive view on this main character, successfully highlighting further that he was to sacrifice everything. Because he thought his family and current self unworthy of the world he was 'sprung from his own Platonic conception of himself'. From this point onwards, he begins to build up his life and his dream starts to become a reality as he climbs higher up the status ladder and therefore becomes more eligible to marry Daisy. A lot of this mirrors Fitzgerald's life as he too needed to make more of his writing career and build his wealth and fame in order to court his wife Zelda. This link offers a...