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The Juxtaposition In The Great Gatsby

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Success in the 1920s was determined in terms of wealth and material possessions and Americans began to lose the values of traditional society. When people are obsessed with their wealth, sometimes their morals aren’t as important to them. This is illustrated by Gatsby’s involvement in illegal business, Tom’s affair with Myrtle, and Daisy’s reunion with Gatsby. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg represent the eyes of God watching over the decaying morals of American society.
In Chapter Four, Gatsby invites Nick to lunch at a Forty-second Street cellar in New York City. In order to travel from Long Island to the city, they must drive through the Valley of Ashes, and therefore under the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. …show more content…
It becomes clear that Gatsby is engaging in some sort of illegal activity on the side and their encounter with Wolfsheim is both awkward and unusual. Nick describes part of the conversation, “His nostrils turned to me in an interested way. ‘I understand you’re looking for a business negotiation.’ The juxtaposition of these two remarks was startling. Gatsby answered for me. ‘Oh no,’ he exclaimed. ‘this isn’t the man!’” (Fitzgerald 75) However, the reader doesn’t find out until later in the novel how Gatsby truly made his fortune. This is a popular topic of discussion at his weekly parties- some of his guests believe he killed a man or that he was a German spy during World War II. Once a poor soldier from North Dakota, Gatsby had always longed for a glamorous life in the East and he stopped at nothing to ensure that he would never have to worry about his finances

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