Premium Essay

Insanity In The Great Gatsby

Submitted By
Words 1087
Pages 5
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald transports one into the wealth and excitement of the 1920’s, yet reveals the dark pieces of humanity as well. In efforts to comprehend the shallow, reckless characters of this story, three traits appear to be the bases of their flawed morals: prejudice, resentment, and - what proves to often be most genuine and deadly - apathy. The type of people in this period that Fitzgerald tries to personify attain a mindset that lives on its own small, personal island. Meaning, there is only enough room for themselves. Likewise, this mindset is evident in many Americans during the time of change in the 20’s, as the voiceless people called for attention.
The Roaring 20’s marked a time of economic prosperity, that …show more content…
During the Great Migration, the tyrannical Jim Crow laws drove “around 1.5 million African Americans” out of the South, and economic opportunity attracted them to urban areas of the North (Williams Great Migration). There, these Americans created a new culture that was not shunned as it was in the South but celebrated. The Harlem Renaissance threatened many racists’ mental “islands” in the roaring twenties, as writers like Langston Hughes and composers like Duke Ellington helped to turn the United States’s culture into one that is not strictly …show more content…
Making up 13.12% of the US population and 36% of New York City’s, immigrants play an important role in the stability of the 1920’s yet are resented as intruders or unequals by nativist Americans (United States Bureau). Throughout the novel, Nick refers to his maid as simply “my Finn” representing the lack of personal dignity lower class immigrants, including Finnish people, received (Fitzgerald 83). This minor character is displayed with little dignity, as Nick retrieves her “among soggy whitewashed alleys” when he wants her assistance (Fitzgerald 84). This is a prime example of how the class differences of the period did not have to be formed by prejudice to be immoral. The simple lack of human respect and concern is enough to create

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying

...Yellow Wallpaper” and Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter to Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, examples of this lack of labeling are prevalent. The narrator is on a summer vacation with her husband, who hopes takes her away to the “colonial mansion” to clear her “nervous depression” (Gilman 327). By the end of their stay, she has totally lost her ability to think rationally, thinking all the while that there was a woman trapped behind the yellow wallpaper of her bedroom, “all the time trying to climb through” (Gilman 336) its intricate pattern. Although it is somethat rational to believe someone may be stuck behind the wall, it is insane to think that a person is actually trapped within the paper itself. She manages to keep her ludicrous belief confined to herself and her diary, “determined that nobody shall [release the woman] but [herself]!”(Gilman 336). She clearly exemplifies the characteristics of a mentally unstable person, but the fact that she contains her preposterous beliefs does not allow her to draw criticism from members of society. Therefore, she is not labeled as insane because she does not pose a truly legitimate threat to anyone, although one may argue that she does threaten the stability of her marriage. While her husband may see her faults, she still fails to pose a threat to the general society, not deeming her worthy of the insanity label. Similarly, Chillingworth demonstrates characteristics of insanity, but, just like the narrator, does not pose a threat to the...

Words: 2040 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Dreams

...famous movie star or athlete. Sometimes what we long for will come true and everything will be as we imagined; sometimes we are given what we want, but when we get it, it does not seem to be enough; other times our dreams will not come true at all. Given the uncertainty of the outcome of our dreams, the thought that “attaining them can only lead to happiness” is a path to destruction. In The Great Gatsby, the mysterious character of Gatsby has become so consumed in pursuing his dream, that he has convinced himself the only way he could ever be happy is to have that dream. This is very sad and immature to me. Gatsby had a wonderful life: a dad that loved him, many people bowing at his feet to be his friend, a huge house, and great amounts of money. Many people would die to have the life of Gatsby, but getting hung up on his dream made him unable to appreciate or really experience all the pleasures he did have in life. Gatsby’s dream was for the love he once lost. Daisy was the one thing that Gatsby thought could make him happy; how could he know this was true? Since Daisy and Gatsby last dated, they had both changed and the world around them had changed as well....

Words: 910 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Research Paper

...societal rules apply to him. His conversation with Harding showed that McMurphy wasn’t going to allow Ratched to affect him the way she has the other patients. The way he constantly breaks Nurse Ratched’s glass window is a clear example of this defiance. McMurphy as an antihero felt the need to act in this way not only for himself, but to break down the control held over the heads of the other men. Kesey manipulates the audience to feel hatred for Ratched, and so although the recurring desire to damage government property isn’t exactly a characteristic we’d relate to a typical “good guy”, the audience approves of the destruction. This action however, contributes to the idea that Nurse Ratched is still in control while goading him towards insanity. The moment McMurphy stepped in the ward it was clear through his hobby of gambling that his character believes he is never wrong. This explains why he competes with Ratched until his death as his stubbornness gets the better of...

Words: 906 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Apperciating Language and Literature

...
 Barriers
 create
 obstacles,
 whether
 emotional
 or
 physical,
 that
 make
 achieving
a
dream
difficult
or
even
appear
to
be
impossible.
In
American
literature
 dreams
seem
to
be
unattainable
because
of
barriers.
 
 In
all
the
years
of
literature,
dreams,
goals,
and
aspirations
come
in
contact
 Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:35 PM Comment: Broad
Topic
 Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:35 PM Comment: Narrow
Topic
 Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:36 PM Comment: Thesis
Statement
 Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:36 PM Comment: Clincher
Sentence
 with
a
conflict.
In
F.
Scott
Fitzgerald’s
The
Great
Gatsby,
Jay
Gatsby
has
a
dream
to
be
 with
Daisy
Buchanan.
Gatsby
has
a
passion
for
his
dream
so
fierce
that
he
pursues
 Daisy
 no
 matter
 what
 the
 barrier.
 “No
 amount
 of
 fire
 or
 freshness
 can
 challenge
 what
a
man
will
store
up
in
his
.
.
.
heart”
(Fitzgerald
101).
One
barrier
that
Gatsby
 encounters
is
he
has
not
money.
Daisy
is
a
girl
of
wealth
and
vanity.
In
order
to
catch
 the
attention...

Words: 2718 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Great Gatsby

...Hamlet: William Shakespeare biography: * William Shakespeare is the grand literary figure of the Western world. During England's Elizabethan period he wrote dozens of plays which continue to dominate World Theater 400 years later. Shakespeare handled high drama, romance and slapstick comedy with equal ease, and so famous are his words that his quotes, from "To be or not to be" to "Parting is such sweet sorrow," take up more than 70 pages in recent editions of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. His works rival the King James Bible (also produced in the 1600s) as a source of oft-quoted English phrases. Shakespeare is known as "the Bard of Avon," in a nod to his birthplace, and many of his plays were originally performed in the famous Globe Theater in London. Among his best-known plays are Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and MacBeth. He is also known for his poetry, especially his sonnets. (Who2biographies) * William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582. Their daughter Susannah was born in 1583, and the twins Judith and Hamnet were born in 1585. Hamnet died in 1596... William Shakespeare's precise birthdate is not known; he was baptized on 26 April 1564, and over time 23 April has become the accepted date of birth, in part because he also died on 23 April in 1616.( Who2biographies) * Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories, and these are regarded as some of the best work ever produced in these...

Words: 2212 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Isabel Allende's Two Words Analysis

...Initial ideas for my creative story idea came from my creative writing piece came from Two Words by Isabel Allende. In her story, two words play such a significant role in the story and has power on the characters. I incorporated the power and significance of the eyes, just like she had down with her words. The significance of the eyes, just like the words drives the character to find more of what they mean and drive them to insanity. Eyes, in Janet’s perspective is the key of connecting the past to the present. She gets drawn into it and it changes her just like words spoken to the colonel had changed his life through the powerful significance of the words. The central motif that I had chosen to be explored in my piece was the eyes of Eckleburg. In the Great Gatsby, Eckleburg’s medical practice is gone but his presence through his eyes still remain. I have interpreted Eckleburg as a memory of the past and a reminder. Elliot’s eyes reminds Janet throughout the story of the memory of her past and Elliot. This is explored where Janet sees the eyes which leads her into one of her flashbacks. At first, my central motif, eyes were originally seen to be sinister and I would have...

Words: 761 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cult Of Domesticity In The Great Gatsby

...In the past, women have been subject to the “cult of domesticity.” This ideal lasted for centuries and ensnared women within a value system created by society that defined what a woman’s role should be. The cult presented women with four cardinal virtues: piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness. In the ages when these ideals were held at a high standard, works of literature written during this time reflected the societal standard. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, various essays, and our culture also depict the cult of domesticity that still exists regardless of the success of the feminist movements throughout history and in present day; meanwhile, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is a great example of women who lived within the “cult...

Words: 1529 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Cyrus the Great

...critical theory today critical theory today A Us e r - F r i e n d l y G u i d e S E C O N D E D I T I O N L O I S T Y S O N New York London Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2006 by Lois Tyson Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number‑10: 0‑415‑97410‑0 (Softcover) 0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑415‑97410‑3 (Softcover) 978‑0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Tyson, Lois, 1950‑ Critical theory today : a user‑friendly guide / Lois Tyson.‑‑ 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‑415‑97409‑7 (hb) ‑‑ ISBN 0‑415‑97410‑0 (pb) 1. Criticism...

Words: 221284 - Pages: 886

Free Essay

English Literature

...“Pilgrim’s Progress”. The peculiarities of the English literature of the 17th century are determined by the events of the Engl. Bourgeois Revolution, which took place in 1640-60. King Charles I was beheaded in 1649& General Oliver Cromwell became the leader of the new government. In 1660, shortly after Cro-ll’s death, the dynasty of the Stuarts was restored. The establishment of new social&eco-ic relations, the change from feudal to bourgeois ownership, escalating class-struggle, liberation movement and contradictions of the bourgeois society found their reflection in lit-re. The main representatives of this period is: John Milton: was born in London&educated at Christ’s College. He lived a pure life believing that he had a great purpose to complete. At college he was known as the The Lady of Christ’s. he Got master’s degree at Cambridge. It’s convenient to consider his works in 3 divisions. At first he wrote his short poems at Horton. (The Passion, Song on May Morning, L’Allegro). Then he wrote mainly prose. His 3 greatest poems belong to his last group. At the age of 23 he had still done little in life&he admits this in one of his sonnets. (On his 23d B-day) In his another sonnet he wrote on his own blindness. (On his Blindness) Milton wrote diff. kinds of works. His prose works were mainly concerned with church, affairs, divorce & freedom. The English civil war between Charles I & Parliament followed by the 2nd civil war, 1641-1651. During these years...

Words: 10397 - Pages: 42

Premium Essay

Cherished and Cursed: Toward a Social History of the Catcher in the Rye

...4141- 4141--- Cherished and Cursed:Towarda Social History of The Catcher in the Rye STEPHEN J. WHITFIELD THE plot is brief:in 1949 or perhaps 1950, over the course of three days during the Christmas season, a sixteen-yearold takes a picaresque journey to his New YorkCity home from the third private school to expel him. The narratorrecounts his experiences and opinions from a sanitarium in California. A heavy smoker, Holden Caulfield claims to be already six feet, two inches tall and to have wisps of grey hair; and he wonders what happens to the ducks when the ponds freeze in winter. The novel was published on 16 July 1951, sold for $3.00, and was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection. Within two weeks, it had been reprinted five times, the next month three more times-though by the third edition the jacket photographof the author had quietly disappeared. His book stayed on the bestseller list for thirty weeks, though never above fourth place.' Costing 75?, the Bantam paperback edition appeared in 1964. By 1981, when the same edition went for $2.50, sales still held steady, between twenty and thirty thousand copies per month, about a quarter of a million copies annually. In paperback the novel sold over three million copies between 1953 and 1964, climbed even higher by the 1980s, and continues to attract about as many buyers as it did in 1951. The durabilityof The author appreciates the invitationof Professors Marc Lee Raphaeland Robert A. Gross to present an early version...

Words: 12326 - Pages: 50

Free Essay

Sssdsss

...Readings for American History Since 1877 Historiography in America...................................................................................................................................................... 2 How to teach history (and how not to) ................................................................................................................................ 6 How Ignorant Are Americans? ........................................................................................................................................... 9 The West ............................................................................................................................................................................... 11 The Education of Native Americans ................................................................................................................................. 11 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee .................................................................................................................................... 15 Prostitution in the West: .................................................................................................................................................... 17 The Gilded Age ..................................................................................................................................................................... 21 The Duties of American Citizenship ...........................

Words: 77768 - Pages: 312

Premium Essay

A Book of Practice in Stylistics

...Кухаренко В. А. Практикум з стилістики англійської мови: Підручник. — Вінниця: Нова книга, 2000. — 160 с. Кухаренко Валерия Андреевна, д.ф.н., проф., кафедра лексикологии и стилистики английского языка факультетеа РГФ ОНУ им. И. И. Мечникова CONTENTS FOREWORD...............................................................................…………………………………………... 2 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.....................................................………………………………………….. 3 CHAPTER I. PHONO-GRAPHICAL LEVEL. MORPHOLOGICAL LEVEL…............................... 13 Sound Instrumenting. Graphon. Graphical Means…………………………………………………………...6 Morphemic Repetition. Extension of Morphemic Valency………………………………………………….11 CHAPTER II. LEXICAL LEVEL..............................................……………………………………….…14 Word and its Semantic Structure…………………………………………………………………………….14 Connotational Meanings of a Word………………………………………………………………………….14 The Role of the Context in the Actualization of Meaning…………………………………………………….14 Stylistic Differentiation of the Vocabulary…………………………………………………………………..16 Literary Stratum of Words. Colloquial Words…..…………………………………………………………..16 Lexical Stylistic Devices…………………………………………………………………………………….23 Metaphor. Metonymy. Synecdoche. Play on Words. Irony. Epithet…………………………………………23 Hyperbole. Understatement. Oxymoron. ……………………………………………………………………23 CHAPTER III. SYNTACTICAL LEVEL..................................…………………………………………38 Main Characteristics...

Words: 56594 - Pages: 227

Premium Essay

Kuharenko

...Кухаренко В.А. Практикум з стилістики англійської мови: Підручник. – Вінниця. «Нова книга», 2000 - 160 с. CONTENTS FOREWORD...............................................................................…………………………………………... 2 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.....................................................………………………………………….. 3 CHAPTER I. PHONO-GRAPHICAL LEVEL. MORPHOLOGICAL LEVEL…............................... 13 Sound Instrumenting. Craphon. Graphical Means…………………………………………………………...6 Morphemic Repetition. Extension of Morphemic Valency………………………………………………….11 CHAPTER II. LEXICAL LEVEL..............................................……………………………………….…14 Word and its Semantic Structure…………………………………………………………………………….14 Connotational Meanings of a Word………………………………………………………………………….14 The Role of the Context in the Actualization of Meaning…………………………………………………….14 Stylistic Differentiation of the Vocabulary…………………………………………………………………..16 Literary Stratum of Words. Colloquial Words…..…………………………………………………………..16 Lexical Stylistic Devices…………………………………………………………………………………….23 Metaphor. Metonymy. Synecdoche. Play on Words. Irony. Epithet…………………………………………23 Hyperbole. Understatement. Oxymoron. ……………………………………………………………………23 CHAPTER III. SYNTACTICAL LEVEL..................................…………………………………………38 Main Characteristics of the Sentence. Syntactical SDs. Sentence Length…………………………………..38 One-Word Sentences. Sentence Structure. Punctuation. Arrangement...

Words: 57354 - Pages: 230

Premium Essay

Barron 3500

...6 Build Your Vocabulary ■ ■ ■ ■ The SAT High-Frequency Word List The SAT Hot Prospects Word List The 3,500 Basic Word List Basic Word Parts be facing on the test. First, look over the words on our SAT High-Frequency Word List, which you’ll find on the following pages. Each of these words has appeared (as answer choices or as question words) from eight to forty times on SATs published in the past two decades. Next, look over the words on our Hot Prospects List, which appears immediately after the High-Frequency List. Though these words don’t appear as often as the high-frequency words do, when they do appear, the odds are that they’re key words in questions. As such, they deserve your special attention. Now you’re ready to master the words on the High-Frequency and Hot Prospects Word Lists. First, check off those words you think you know. Then, look up all the words and their definitions in our 3,500 Basic Word List. Pay particular attention to the words you thought you knew. See whether any of them are defined in an unexpected way. If they are, make a special note of them. As you know from the preceding chapters, SAT often stumps students with questions based on unfamiliar meanings of familiar-looking words. Use the flash cards in the back of this book and create others for the words you want to master. Work up memory tricks to help yourself remember them. Try using them on your parents and friends. Not only will going over these high-frequency words reassure you that you...

Words: 92038 - Pages: 369

Premium Essay

The Fault in Our Stars

...ALSO BY JOHN GREEN Looking for Alaska An Abundance of Katherines Paper Towns Will Grayson, Will Grayson W ITH DAVID LEVITHAN DUTTON BOOKS | An imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. DUTTON BOOKS A MEMBER O F PENGUIN GRO UP (USA ) INC . Published by the Penguin Group | Penguin Group (USA ) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A . | Penguin Group (C anada), 90 Eglinton A v enue East, Suite 700, Toronto, O ntario M4P 2Y3, C anada (a div ision of Pearson Penguin C anada Inc.) | Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC 2R 0RL, England | Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a div ision of Penguin Books Ltd) | Penguin Group (A ustralia), 250 C amberw ell Road, C amberw ell, V ictoria 3124, A ustralia (a div ision of Pearson A ustralia Group Pty Ltd) | Penguin Books India Pv t Ltd, 11 C ommunity C entre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi - 110 017, India | Penguin Group (NZ), 67 A pollo Driv e, Rosedale, A uckland 0632, New Zealand (a div ision of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) | Penguin Books (South A frica) (Pty ) Ltd, 24 Sturdee A v enue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South A frica | Penguin Books Ltd, Registered O ffices: 80 Strand, London WC 2R 0RL, England This book is a w ork of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously , and any resemblance to actual persons, liv ing or dead, business establishments, ev ents, or locales is entirely coincidental. C opy right ©...

Words: 67221 - Pages: 269