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The Great Gatsby Essay

In: English and Literature

Submitted By shadow197
Words 2280
Pages 10
Tyler Landry
Mrs. Potter
American Studies, English
July 22, 2015
The Great Gatsby Essay Just after the World War 1, in the US there had been huge changes that involved all aspects of American life, including a tendency towards materialism, changes in clothing, women getting the right to vote gangster life emerging, parties and dances, and most importantly the American Dream. Fitzgerald’s novel define that American dream changed by time; the first time for European living in America was American dream, and originally any discovery which gave them happiness was American dream, but in the ear of 20s mean for American dream has become perverted into desire for wealth by whatever means; thinking that money will bring happiness. The Great Gatsby, was published in this era; therefore; it gives us a vivid portrayal of that time by demonstrating symbols and character behavior the impossibility of American dream. The characters that Fitzgerald describes in his novel all tie in with many aspect of the 1920s lifestyle. The Jazz Age was a tendency toward materialism, and characters are described in the way that shows materialistic tendency. Callahan says “Critics from several different generations have noted how Fitzgerald used his conflicts to explore the origins and fate of the American dream and the related idea of the nation.” (Callahan). Fitzgerald describes Gatsby, the main character in the novel, as a dream achiever, who is looking for wealth and property even he compare Daisy as an object of wealth. He had dreamed since childhood to become rich and change his contemporary life during his childhood, thus he left his family and start looking for businesses. Gatsby ambition and enthusiasm for the wealth and property even led him to change his name from James Gatz to Gatsby to find a new identity for him. To reach his dreams and goals he start doing

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