...F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, demonstrates that Jay Gatsby lives a life of the American Dream gone wrong by lowering his morals with the corrupt nature of greed, Jay only focuses on the past to move forward in his own grand dream for himself, and how Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism during the Roaring Twenties exemplifies theme areas in the novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, the cars represent a form of status. Nick takes taxis while Gatsby drives his custom made, cream-yellow car. According to Dan Seiters, “It is a rich cream color, a combination of the white of the dream and the yellow of money, of reality in a narrow sense,” (1). After Daisy kills Myrtle a bystander talks about the car and says, “It was a yellow car....
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...Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald Sean P. Conway Teacher Period 27 April 2013 Class System in the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald Topic: F. Scott Fitzgerald Purpose: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s stories show the demise of the “American Dream” by Demonstrating that the American class system determines your manner, Lifestyle and character 1. Introduction: Fitzgerald believed the American dream was false and distorted. 2. Stories showed the decadence of the Jazz Age but with a jaded view 3. 1920s a. About the time period b. “The Jazz Age” c. Wealth d. Social values e. Fashion 4. Works by Fitzgerald a. This Side of Paradise b. The Great Gatsby c. The love of the last tycoon 5. Symbolism a. Great Gatsby i. Green light ii. Valley of ashes (poor’s lack of values, unfaithful’s lack of morals) iii. Beat up car b. This Side of Paradise i. Speed and cars ii. Alcohol as means to forget c. The Love of the Last Tycoon i. Car ii. Sheep /people iii. Light/darkness as reality/fantasy 6. Theme a. American dream b. Class system c. Relationships 7. Conclusion The death of the “American Dream” was a notable part of the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald. His use of symbolism and extensive writings on the large gap between the social classes demonstrated why he felt this way. According to his...
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...In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, there is an obvious hiatus between the different social classes. Jay Gatsby is a wealthy man who resides in West Egg. Before Gatsby moved to West Egg, he had a relationship with Daisy Buchanan, who is Nick Carraway’s cousin. Gatsby went away from Daisy so he could fight in the war. While Gatsby was away, Daisy married Tom Buchanan and eventually moved to East Egg, where all the old money is. Gatsby moves to West Egg, where all the new money resides, so he could get back with Daisy. Between West and East Egg is an area called the valley of ashes, which all the working class and poor people live. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism and characterization to create the theme of the disconnect between the social classes. Fitzgerald uses symbolism for the valley of ashes to display the disconnect between the social classes. The valley of ashes is a poor area which connects West Egg to East Egg. It is full of “men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald 23). The valley of ashes symbolizes the poor people who live in the dirty...
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...Clever and captivating, F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ is perhaps the most critically analysed American piece of the past century. Arguably this is because Fitzgerald uses many diverse literary devices to fascinate the reader. Gatsby and Daisy embody the theme of complicated relationships, which Fitzgerald uses to make the reader question the legitimacy of Daisy’s feelings and Gatsby’s persistence in chasing his dream. Fitzgerald involves symbolism in many ways including a green light at the end of Daisy’s dock to symbolise Gatsby’s dream and comment on the greed of the people of the roaring twenties. The American Dream is a theme through which Fitzgerald is able to comment on the moral decay of the Roaring Twenties society. Fitzgerald uses the theme of complicated relationships between characters as a symbol of misjudgement, this is especially evident for Gatsby and his relationship with Daisy. When Gatsby and Daisy began their love, Daisy was a symbol of wealth and the upper class of American society. Circumstantially it was the case that for Gatsby to fulfil his dream he would have to work to once again be worthy of Daisy’s love. It is hard not to question whether during their time apart Gatsby had glorified Daisy and it is uncertain as to whether she was worth it. Gatsby strongly desired the past to be repeated. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow...
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...importance of the relationships in their life. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby this idea is explored in the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy in which Gatsby uses his wealth in attempts to gain back to her love. Through symbolism, irony and imagery it becomes evident in Fitzgerald's writing that wealth and material objects cannot replace relationships or personal happiness. Through the usage of symbolism it is obvious Gatsby’s wealth is a proponent in the failure of his and Daisy’s relationship. Gatsby obtained his money and all of his extravagances in hopes of earning back the love he and Daisy once shared. However in one moment it is obvious that it is not possible, “He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them...While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher…, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily” (92). The shirts are representative of Gatsby's riches, which is he throwing in Daisy’s face in hopes of impressing her. Meanwhile, Daisy is realizing the life she left...
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...Color Symbolism Rough Draft Throughout life a person experiences and sees many different colors. All colors send a hidden message to a person. The message can be based on that person’s emotion or what they just simply think the color’s message is. “Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions”, this was said by Pablo Picasso. What he means by this is that colors can and will have a very big effect on your emotions and actions. Looking at certain colors can change your whole mood very quickly whether it’s great or awful. Some dark colors could cause you to be sad, angry, or gloomy. But when a person looks at bright, beautiful colors it can make them very happy, friendly and social. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby,...
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...In the controversial book “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald one can see that the idea of the American dream is expressed through the simplicity of color. Many have argued that The Great Gatsby is a book of sexual immorality and critically acclaimed thoughts as well as a magnificent book that secretly has deeper meaning than the simply words it offers in its sentences. Such a person is Daniel J. Schneider who is an advocate of the glory behind the cover, he wrote “Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby” where he puts forward his own point of view on the meaning of the use of Fitzgerald’s color symbolism in each sentence were he expressed an elusive idea hard for the common reader to find. In this mysterious book the color blue is very much present, from describing attire to showing the mode of the characters, blue goes beyond this and elusively states that it is the dream...
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...Miles 1/5/17 English 11 Gatsby Essay Throughout The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates symbolism through color to paint pictures within the novel. In the backdrop of the roaring 20’s, a time of care-free extravagance and a new age of culture, lives one Jay Gatsby, “The Great Gatsby.” In reality, Gatsby is a poor man living a life of fantasy and corruption all for a “golden girl,” although no matter how rich he is, he is never able reach his dream, and dies tragically at the end of the summer. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses gold and silver to portray wealth as it corresponds with this obsession for prosperity and the pursuit of the American Dream, as well as his preoccupation with Daisy as a symbol of affluence and beauty....
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...break his or her lifespan into the past, present, and future. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, explores the burdens and manipulations of these time segments. Through the utilization of symbolism, characterization, and figurative language, Fitzgerald cultivates the theme that life is a limbo bounded between one’s imminent past and the forever fantasy for an idealistic future. Fitzgerald demonstrates the characters longing to renovate or withdrawal from their vanished yet haunting past, through the use of symbolism. For instance, Gatsby's clumsiness during the reunion with his lost love, Daisy, demonstrates his desire yet, failure to impede time. Fitzgerald writes, "Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of [Gatsby's] head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers, and set it back in place"(86). The clock symbolizes Gatsby's eagerness to regain the past, as he is living in the present. Gatsby is devoted to rekindle the fictitious charisma he left on Daisy, but also desires to camouflage his truthful destitution. Through his vigorous attempt to restore time, Gatsby breaks the clock and demonstrates not only the intractable, but also the inevitable characteristics of the past. Fitzgerald further demonstrates how the characters in the narrative evade the immoralities of their past, but fail to grasp that their action can't be concealed, through the symbolism of The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. Fitzgerald places this decrepit...
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...Gold In most cases nowadays, the color of gold or yellow is highly regarded as a “wealthy” or “proper” color. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, the author uses symbolism to show how gold is symbolic of richness and wealth, and in turn, corruption and death, with clothing/setting choice, Myrtle’s house, and Mr. Gatsby’s car. According to John Green, when Gatsby talks about his first meeting with Daisy, it is apparent that Gatsby is more in love with her mansion than Daisy herself. Green also points out the not-so-obvious fact that when Daisy and Gatsby finally meet again, everything is yellow. Gatsby’s suit, Daisy’s buttons, Gatsby’s Windows, and even the flowers outside Gatsby’s mansion. In this situation, the color gold is shown with a positive connotation. Gatsby is happy to have Daisy again, and he finally has plenty of money. However, there are negative connotations involved with this color as well. At the beginning of the novel, the readers are quickly informed that Tom Buchannon is having an affair. And who would want to cheat on Daisy, the “Golden Girl?” (Fitzgerald 120). Later on in the novel we meet Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress. This woman is an obvious sign of corruption. We learn that she and Tom have an apartment together in New York, and that they have been seeing each other for a long time. Fitzgerald reveals a simple and easy-to-miss fact, that the Wilson home was a “small block of yellow brick” (Fitzgerald 28). This associates the color with...
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...F. Scott Fitzgerald is in many ways one of the most notable writers of the twentieth century. His prodigious literary voice and style provides remarkable insight into the lifestyles of the rich and famous, as well as himself. Exploring themes such as disillusionment, coming of age, and the corruption of the American Dream, Fitzgerald based most of his subject matter on his own despicable, tragic life experiences. Although he was thought to be the trumpeter of the Jazz Age, he never directly identified himself with it and was adverse to many of its manifestations. The life of F. Scott Fitzgerald was deeply divided, in that his early successes in the 1910’s and 1920’s contrast noticeably with the years full of personal happenings and self doubt. It was divided, among all, between the pursuit of the artistic ideal and the continual lure of easy success. He became a victim of the myth of success and money instead of the perpetrator. Nevertheless, Fitzgerald’s incredible prose style and beautiful talent shined through his tragic, disillusioned life and he was able to successful create a beautiful world for his readers to escape to. In the early 1920’s, Fitzgerald was accepted as a symbol of youthful sophistication. He became intensely aware of the strangeness and mystery behind the rich at a young age, and tried so hard to echo their actions through sheen curiosity and characterization. It was then that he established a rich and enduring symbolic value throughout his...
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...Symbolism of Houses and Cars in The Great Gatsby Francis Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is full of symbolism, which is portrayed by the houses and cars in an array of ways. One of the more important qualities of symbolism within The Great Gatsby is the way in which it is so completely incorporated into the plot and structure. Symbols, such as Gatsby's house and car, symbolize material wealth. Gatsby's house "[is] a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy" which contains "a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy" is a symbol of Gatsby's large illegal income (Fitzgerald 9). Gatsby's large income isn't enough to keep him happy. He needs "The house he feels he needs in order to win happiness" and it is also the perfect symbol of carelessness with money which is a major part of his personality (Bewley 24). Gatsby's house like his car symbolizes his vulgar and excessive trait of getting attention. Gatz's house is a mixture of different styles and periods which symbolizes an owner who does not know their true identity. The Buchanan's house is symbolic of their ideals. East Egg is home to the more prominent established wealth families. Tom's and Daisy's home is on the East Egg. Their house, a "red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay" with its "wine-colored rug[s]" is just as impressive as Gatsby's house but much more low-key (Fitzgerald 11) (13). East egg and Tom's home represents the established wealth and...
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...The Great Gatsby is Not The novel has no plot to mention. ... The book is highly sensational, loud, blatant, ugly, pointless. There seems to be no reason for its existence Harvey Eagleton (Dallas Morning News, May 10, 1925). F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is an absurd story, whether considered as romance, melodrama, or plain record of New York high life. The occasional insights into character stand out as very green oases on an arid desert of waste paper. Throughout the first half of the book the author shadows his leading character in mystery, but when in the latter part he unfolds his life story it is difficult to find the brains, the cleverness, and the glamour that one might expect of a main character. The Great Gatsby is a parody of itself. While Fitzgerald tries hard not to make Gatsby and especially Daisy laughable personalities, this is where he ultimately fails. There's not enough ironic distance to his characters. As Gatsby, at least in the eyes of many critics, should represent the idea of the American Dream, the presentation of his character puts the whole concept in question again, without being intended as criticism. This is mainly the fault of another weak character in the novel, Nick Carraway. At first, the only function of Nick in the novel seems to be to act as a reporter, telling us the truth by telling us his shrewd, objective perceptions. Then, as the novel progresses, it turns out that the opposite is the case, and...
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...The Great Gatsby Critical Lens L.M. Montgomery once said, “We pay a price for all we get or receive in this world." In other words, there are consequences that we receive for all we receive in this society. This quote is true because for, example, something such as winning the lottery is something we get but, we pay a price for this with people feeling entitled to a piece of the winnings, as well as false sense of friendship never knowing if there using you for the materialist purpose. This quote is especially true and best formatted for The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The use of literary elements such as setting and symbolism further illustrate the validity of the quote. The author shows this with the use of setting. Fitzgerald’s description of setting incorporates and reflects the crime and corruption of the time, the loose morality of the roaring twenties, and the ever growing social divisions between the haves and the have-nots. This is an illustration of setting because it shows the divide between four major settings in the novel East Egg, West Egg, the Valley of Ashes, and New York City. (Including, fully developing the characters Fitzgerald spent many a pages concerned with detail). These descriptions developed the mood and pace, the tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses of the characters are directly linked to their location. The author shows this when he says the main characters is represented in this city as described in this quote. “The City seen from the...
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...big meaning and the letter “Y” is one of them in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald didn't show us what he was doing with the letter “Y”, but he sure did hint it. I believe the letter “Y” is an underlying theme in The Great Gatsby. In order to break down how he uses it, we first need to describe the construction of the letter “Y”. It begins at its base like a stem that begins to grow, then the stem breaks off into two distinct directions and goes farther and farther apart, to its end, like a line segment in Geometry. However, in The Great Gatsby, it represents life experiences. Significantly, it is not likely coincidental that Fitzgerald chose names with the letter ”Y” for characters who experienced one...
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