...The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Throughout the book Jay Gatsby continuously makes sacrifices in order to attempt to attain what he values most, the false image of Daisy that he has conjured in his imagination. The sacrifices he makes to have her is when he abandons others for her, changes his entire life to provide the money to fit her wants, and eventually these sacrifices lead to his ultimate demise which is his biggest sacrifice. One of the biggest sacrifices that Gatsby has made for Daisy is getting rid of his staff. His reasons for firing everyone was that “Gatsby wanted somebody that wouldn’t gossip” because, “Daisy comes over quite often in the afternoons” (Fitzgerald, 114). Gatsby is willing to make tremendous sacrifices for Daisy, but it also is a display of his respect for Daisy. Gatsby was willing to get rid of people that had worked for him for a long time so that they wouldn’t gossip about her coming over in respect to her marriage with Tom. Daisy comes from old money and Gatsby changes his entire life to be able to fit her social class. He goes to great lengths to be able to do this, even as far as getting involved in bootlegging. By doing this, it illustrates that Gatsby has an unhealthy obsession for Daisy and is...
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...Love binds people, and demands attention to only itself. True love is what Mr. Jay Gatsby is enticed by, and this driving force, is his one and only Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby persistently tries to win over Daisy’s love, despite the cards that fate has dealt for him. Jay Gatsby has a dream of being with Daisy, and shows the audience his true love for her, demonstrated by his actions of love, his persistence, and the great sacrifices he makes for her.! ! For Jay Gatsby to fulfill his dreams of being with such a woman like Daisy Buchanan, he begins to demonstrate his actions of love towards her. Gatsby has wanted to see Daisy again since the first time he met her, so the tea at Nick’s house was his first chance at the perfect moment to show his true feelings for her. He goes through great lengths to redecorate Nick’s house to impress Daisy, and going out of his way to make sure things go as planned. The reader is aware that these somewhat “unnecessary” actions from Gatsby portray the way he chooses to show his affection. As Gatsby sees Daisy, he recalls that it will be “five years next November” (Fitzgerald, 88) since they last met. It is evident that has has been counting the days that have gone by without Daisy, clearly a reaction from a man yearning for Daisy’s love in return. Gatsby’s greatest action of love is one that has been in progress for many years — his brilliant parties. Nick knows that “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would just be across the bay” (Fitzgerald, 79) and...
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...and can make them want to sacrifice their life for another. Have you ever loved someone, and thought of making sacrifices for them? In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how an old love became a tragedy, and had the character put himself on blame for his own death. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby puts himself on blame for his own death, by following his “love” and sacrificing himself in danger by following his dream “Daisy”. Fitzgerald uses a character Daisy as something that is really close to Gatsby , which ends up bad for him at the end of the novel. Society today...
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...Title The characters in the Great Gatsby are blind from the realities of the world by their wealth and this causes them to act in such a careless manner. Carelessness would best be described in novel The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. Main characters such as Jay Gatz, Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, Nick Carraway and Myrtle Wilson all represent a key role of carelessness in The Great Gatsby. Soon this will lead to adultery, lies, betrayal and death. First, the theme carelessness applies to Tom Buchanan unfaithful marriage with Daisy Buchanan. Tom is introduced as a yale football star and a filthy rich ,“old money”. Tom and Daisy are not your typically star cross lovers.Mainly because he is thoughtless and insensitive. Tom has affairs...
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...the rich and ugly collide together, making The Great Gatsby a novel with a twisted and complicated plot. The main character Nick Carraway, is from the west and moves to the overpopulated city of New York. He settles in the “West Egg” of Long Island and meets his mysterious neighbor who goes by the name of Jay Gatsby. Nick visits his cousin Daisy, who lives in the “East Egg” and soon becomes somewhat engaged within the fast, upbeat, party life. (Fitzgerald) Although he is not fully involved, he disentangles himself from the whole scene near the ending due to his observant behavior and disgusted attitude towards the whole outlook. However, his attraction towards Gatsby is a main focus. Readers are captivated by Gatsby’s admirable perseverance and determination in working towards achieving his goal of winning Daisy’s heart and beyond that, the American dream, yet his greatness predicts his downfall. Gatsby’s desire of becoming wealthy and dedication to this goal reflects how admirable he is because created himself out of nothing; he “sprang from his Platonic conception of himself; he was a son of God-.” (Fitzgerald, 104) He “reinvented” himself, using his imagination and being “faithful to the end” until he was the prosperous man he wanted to become. But this accomplished goal of becoming wealthy was only a small step towards his bigger goal; being with Daisy. Money was only a factor that connected Gatsby to Daisy; if Gatsby was wealthy then surely Daisy would be with him...
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...October 10th, 2012 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Reading Response The novel The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald is a book that deals with the American Dream: an ideal presented in American literature where the dreamer rises to wealth, very present in the twenties. In this bestseller, Gatsby – the protagonist – embodies the evolution of one to greatness. Beginning his life as a simple, poor farmer’s boy. James Gatz, upon meeting the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan who is wealthy, decides to rise to success and fortune – and carries the name of Jay Gatsby, who “sprang from his Platonic conception of himself”(95). Through this process really achieves the American dream. In addition, Gatsby becomes great to the narrator and his close friend, Nick Carraway – however, the novel ends as a tragedy, and by having the great Gatsby shot dead. Through the use of the symbol of Daisy Buchanan as well as the significance of the title, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the idea of the American Dream and that it rarely equaled to absolute happiness. Daisy Buchanan symbolizes the failed attempt at finding ultimate happiness through money: ”For Daisy was young and her artificial world was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery and orchestras which set the rhythm of the year, summing up the sadness and suggestiveness of life in new tunes” (143). Daisy is the cousin of Nick Carraway, but most importantly Gatsby’s love. Daisy and Gatsby had been romantically involved...
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... 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...
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...happiness. But F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, examines the American dream from a different perspective, one that sheds light on those who contort these principles to their own selfish fantasies. Fitzgerald renders Jay Gatsby as a man who takes the Dream too far, and becomes unable to distinguish his false life of riches from reality. This 'unique' American novel describes how humanity's insatiable desires for wealth and power subvert the idyllic principles of the American vision. Jay Gatsby is the personification of limitless wealth and prestige, a shining beacon for the aspiring rich. Nick Carraway declares that there is "something glorious" about Gatsby, and that he is filled with "some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life"(8). It appears to mere mortals who are not blessed with riches, that Gatsby fulfills the American dream of achieving fame and fortune. But instead of being content with his greenbacks, Gatsby believes that he can replicate the "Platonic conception of himself" (89) and become the flawless god of wealth that he depicts. The American dream has many interpretations, but Gatsby latches onto the concept of wealth alone, failing to see that he can improve his character through hard work and toil as well. One understanding of the American dream, bettering oneself to achieve a higher social status, sadly spurs people like Gatsby to achieve social superiority through money, but never finding true happiness. Gatsby believes in this "unreality of reality"...
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...The Great Gatsby, written in 1925, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, took place during the roaring twenties in Long Island, New York. The most important thing about this book was the time in which it occurred. It was an era of prohibition, bootlegging, and gangsters. Morals were out the window during that time; anything goes. The main character, Jay Gatsby, spent his entire time doing anything and everything he could to obtain all the riches any man would want, despite the costs. In order to complete the project I had to read the book and become familiar with the main character and story line. I had to figure out the time and place tied in the events of the story. Sometimes that meant going back and re-reading the same thing over again a couple times. I had to find the definitions of prohibition, bootlegging, and gangsters and describe the impact those things had on Gatsby and the 20s era. I enjoyed the research part of the project. I like looking things up on the internet and then putting everything together. The difficult part was finding the time to do the project because I do not have Wi-Fi at home, so I had to use outside resources and my cell phone, and listen to my mom complain about using up our data plan. The Great Gatsby taught me that a man should not be willing to sacrifice his morals or his soul for the finer things in life. People should not live beyond their means or participate in criminal activities so they can look big or feel important. ...
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...vacuum cleaners, and radio. These inventions were the “must have” items that everyone was now required to own. But this idea of needing more and not worrying about the consequences, led to the Great Depression, one of the hardest economic times in American history. This idea of mass consumerism and materialism is also apparent in The Great Gatsby. Gatsby’s character was largely influenced by his wealth and his need for more. Illustrated by Gatsby’s need for Daisy Buchanan that resulted in his decline and ultimately his death....
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...The Great Gatsby was written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although it was his most well known work, The Great Gatsby was only a dip into his collective works where he developed a whimsical way of completing his writing that is seen heavily in The Great Gatsby. It tells the love story between young, married, rich socialite, Daisy Buchanan, and the mysteriously rich and extravagant Jay Gatsby. Their love story is not a very cliche or common one, therefore, some may say that Gatsby didn't actually love Daisy, but was more obsessed with her, or only in love with the idea of her. Although Daisy’s and Gatsby’s love my be slightly unorthodox, it is, in the end, still love. Proof that Gatsby’s love for Daisy isn't genuine, if interpreted just so, does exist. The fact that Gatsby is kinda of obsessed with becoming the most perfect version of...
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...The American dream drives the average citizen to believe that through the simplicity of hard work and initiative one is able to prosper in any way they deem fit. As shown in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby tenaciously desires to attain the love of the wealthy Daisy Buchanan, whom he has had an affair with in the past. However, thanks to the materialistic lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties, class distinctions at the time have solidified a growing gap between the middle class and the upper elites. Failing to win Daisy's love in the end, Gatsby's American dream is abruptly curtailed with his untimely death. Due to this, Nick Carraway, the narrator, realizes that characters such as Gatsby and Myrtle, who constantly push towards their personal visions of the American dream, suffer fatal...
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...The Great Gatsby essay Mrs. Loughran The Green Light Nick Carraway is a man around 30 years old living in West Egg, an island separated from New York City by a small bay, in 1922 in The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald. Nick was born in the Mid-West and has since gone to Yale; he moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to learn and eventually practice the bond business. While living in West Egg, Nick observes that he has a mysterious neighbor who owns a very large mansion: The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard – it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden (11). Massive parties are thrown in this mansion almost every weekend, and all types of people show up. Nick eventually learns that the man living in this mansion is named Gatsby, and they become friends over the course of the summer. There are many rumors about him but nobody actually knows where he comes from or how he becomes so wealthy. As Nick becomes better friends with Gatsby, he learns that Gatsby is deeply in love with Nick’s cousin, Daisy. This love, however, has taken over Gatsby’s life ever since he meets Daisy before he leaves to fight in the Great War. After he comes back from the war, he finds that Daisy has moved on with her life, and is now married to Tom Buchannan and is living in New York. Gatsby moves...
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...Everyone in life can be considered a romantic in their lives. We also try to see the good in people. In the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Gatsby dies not because he was immoral but because he was a romantic and idealist and unable to see reality through his love for Daisy. Gatsby wouldn't let anything bad be said about Daisy. Gatsby shows his long and desire at the expense of others and himself. Gatsby was blinded by his love for Daisy and wished to keep her safe at all costs. Gatsby would do things for only one reason, his love for Daisy. When it came to Daisy he had no mind telling him what was a good idea or not. Gatsby was in love with Daisy and no matter what happened he would always try and save her. Or he would try and fix things....
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...Gatsby: The Deadly Deceiver What makes someone truly happy in life? Is it money? Power? Love? The reasons for happiness vary from person to person. But how much happiness does someone need? Are people ever truly satisfied, or does the constant "selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food", otherwise known as greed drive people(Oxford 1)? Why are some wealthy people unhappy, when they have so much? In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Gatsby's deceptive personality, bamboozling Nick, and fabricating the truth, to explain how greed leads to a deterioration of life. Gatsby's shady history was deceiving, and effectively portrays how greed can ruin a life. The many rumors circulating about Gatsby such as "he was a German spy during the war" illustrate that no one really knew who Gatsby was(Fitzgerald 48). Through his deceptive ways he never rebuffed nor verified the claims, which led to more curiosity. Gatsby did this so that his name would radiate through town and Daisy would hear his name. Gatsby used this deception to fuel his greed for Daisy. His reputation suffered, but he was willing to sacrifice his own reputation just to impress Daisy, no matter the cost. This deception represents greed of the 1920's. Gatsby is a figure of greed, because even when he had all the wealth in the world, he was never truly satisfied. Fitzgerald wanted people to realize that greed is rampant in society, and he wanted people to be happy with what...
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