HOW DOES FITZGERALD TELL THE STORY IN CHAPTER 1 OF THE GREAT GATSBY?

"HOW DOES FITZGERALD TELL THE STORY IN CHAPTER 1 OF 'THE GREAT GATSBY'?" The opening chapter of any novel is fundamental in setting the tone for that which follows it: Fitzgerald therefore ensures that the first chapter of the 'The Great Gatsby' firmly imprints certain key themes into the mind of the reader, using a variety of devices to do so. The very first thing that Fitzgerald makes clear to the reader is the perspective from which the novel will be presented. From the first sentence, it is plain that there is a first person narrator, meaning that the narration will opinionated and cannot be taken as fact. The narrator is a man called Nick Carraway, and the first thing the reader learns about him is something which his father told him when he was younger, which he has been "turning over in (his) mind ever since" (i.e. something essential to our understanding of his views and actions: a core part of his psyche). This turns out be his father telling him that "all the people in the world haven't had the advantages that (he has) had". As a consequence of this advice, Nick tells is, he has always been "inclined to reserve all judgements", showing the reader that he will not tend to present his views on a person before he has had a chance to learn more about them. This appears to make him an ideal narrator for a story, because all of his views will be given after

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'The American Dream not only fails to fulfil its promise but also contributes to the decay of social values' (Tyson 1999). How far does The Great Gatsby demonstrate this view of the American Dream?

'The American Dream not only fails to fulfil its promise but also contributes to the decay of social values' (Tyson 1999). How far does The Great Gatsby demonstrate this view of the American Dream? The American Dream is often portrayed in literature as the pursuit of ultimate happiness with regard to life and employment. The stereotypical protagonist of an early-twentieth century American novel is self-reliant and a hard worker, seeking to make a successful living through motivation and perseverance. Jay Gatsby himself has pursued this dream and is a success story in terms of wealth, though the novel may be viewed as an exploration of the corrupted ideal that the American Dream became in the 1920's when people with newly acquired wealth sought to flaunt what they owned. It is largely the owned wealth in the novel that is presented as an ideal; social values and morality are shown as corrupt and indeed unimportant alongside material prosperity. Nick narrates in Chapter One, "I decided to go east and learn the bond business," and presents a stark contrast between his small new house and those on either side that 'rented for twelve or fifteen thousand a season'. This affirms the importance of wealth from Nick's perception and equally from that of the other inhabitants of West Egg. They are the newly rich, who have worked hard and earned their money in a relatively short period

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The role of minor characters in the novel, The Great Gatsby

A work of literature would not be complete without the pair; major characters and minor characters. While major characters lead the story, minor characters supports it and also add to the key elements of the story. This is particularly evident in the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald. This novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, and throughout the novel, he is introduced to many other minor characters namely Myrtle, Jordan Baker, and George Wilson. The author has strategically placed these minor characters as instruments in the plot to add variety to the story, support the development of the main character, and also to accentuate the overall theme of the novel -. In The Great Gatsby, minor characters are essential to the progression of the plot because it is through minor characters where foils to the main characters are aroused. This can be seen through Myrtle's character and George Wilson's awareness of her relationship with another man. After the incident of Myrtle's death, George believed that her lover was also her murderer. "It was the man in that car. She ran out to speak to him and he wouldn't stop." This misconception of his was a significant piece of the novel's plot as it led to the murder of the protagonist in the novel, Jay Gatsby. In other words, George Wilson was the one responsible for Gatsby's death and this is shown in the quote; "It was after we

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How do Scott Fitzgerald and Hunter S thompson portray the villain in 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'The Great Gatsby'

How Do Scott Fitzgerald and Hunter S. Thompson portray the villain in 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'the Great Gatsby'? In The Great Gatsby and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Scott Fitzgerald and Hunter S. Thompson use a villain as contrast to represent the ugly side of 'the American Dream'. The two novels are set in different time periods and so the severity of each character's actions and the effect they have differ in relation to the environment they are in. However in both there is a consistent theme of greed and self indulgence which is portrayed as a predominant common trait in the villains. The comparison between these two characters arises in the extent to which they exploit wealth and their surroundings to distort the freedom aspired to in the American Dream. In The Great Gatsby it can be considered that the villain is Tom Buchanan. He is the embodiment of greed, selfishness and self indulgence and represented as expressing traits characteristic of what would be considered a villain during the time Gatsby was written. To a modern day reader Tom can be regarded as racist when he makes comments such as "there are great things happening in Germany at the moment". This adds to his villainous portrayal. Similarly to Dr Gonzo, Tom is in a powerful position amongst his fellow characters and abuses this status to manipulate his peers as a way of getting what he

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Myrtle's Tragic Achievement - The Great Gatsby.

Hallie Anoff October 10, 2002 Period 7-Beyer MYRTLE'S TRAGIC ACHIEVEMENT In the book The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald describes a world based around wealth and class in the roaring 20's. Voluptuous Myrtle Wilson is desperate to improve her life. She shares a loveless marriage with George Wilson, who owns a run-down garage in the valley of ashes. She begins to have an affair with Tom Buchanan in hopes of happiness. Tom, who is married to Daisy Buchanan, is a Yale graduate who comes from an immensely wealthy midwestern family. Myrtle's relationship with Tom keeps her in high-spirits because she is now linked with the "upper-class", however she has become phony and is treated poorly by Tom. This all will lead to her "tragic" achievement. The affair between Tom and Myrtle has spoiled her. On a visit to New York City, Myrtle "let four taxicabs drive away before she selected a new one, lavender-colored with grey upholstery" (Fitzgerald 31). During the taxi ride, she spotted a man selling a dozen puppies in a basket hanging from his neck. She demanded that Tom purchase her one. He bought her an Airedale for the outrageous amount of ten dollars. Tom also bought Myrtle her own apartment in the city. Myrtle is used to living with George who is a lethargic and impoverished man. It is very exciting for Myrtle to be overwhelmed with riches. The affair between

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Discuss the presentation of Gatsby's character through Carraway's narrative perspective

Discuss the presentation of Gatsby's character through Carraway's Narrative Perspective In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald tells the story through the narrative perspective of Nick Carraway, a character within the novel who has a somewhat peripheral role in the story. The effect of this is that the reader learns about Gatsby's character through the eyes of Carraway, thereby revealing information about Gatsby gradually; the effect of this is to keep the reader interested in finding out more about Gatsby; were the reader to find out his past at the beginning of the novel, part of the character's appeal would be ruined: his mystery. The mystery surrounding Gatsby is something that Carraway's Narrative perspective plays the key role in creating; that Carraway and the surrounding characters don't know much about his past, other than rumours and fragments of information to begin with is mirrored in what Fitzgerald reveals to the audience, creating an empathy with Carraway. This empathy with Carraway means that Carraway's opinions are likely to be shared by readers on some level, as Fitzgerald gradually reveals information. That Gatsby's past is shady presents him as a secretive character, and stimulates contemplation regarding how Gatsby acquired his wealth; as Carraway speculates within the novel, 'Young men didn't... drift casually out of nowhere and buy a place in Long

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To what extent and in what ways is Fitzgerald purely critical of Gatsby's dreams?

To what extent and in what ways is Fitzgerald purely critical of Gatsby's dreams? One of the main themes of 'The Great Gatsby' is that of dreams, none of which is more noticeable than Gatsby's own dream of five years in his pursuit of Daisy. What is less obvious is how Fitzgerald wants us to react to these dreams, and whether he is being purely critical of them or whether he in fact does also reveal some good in them. In this essay I aim to show that although in a lot of ways Fitzgerald is critical of Gatsby's dreams, for example by ensuring that Daisy can never live up to the vision of herself which Gatsby has created, he is not entirely disapproving and in several cases even goes as far as to suggest that dreaming is what makes us human. One way in which we may be unsure about Fitzgerald's presentation of Gatsby's dreams is whether they are meant to appear romantic or slightly pathetic. At face value it can seem to be extremely romantic that Gatsby has waited these five years and remained so loyal to Daisy, and I think that it this way Fitzgerald wants us to be on Gatsby's side. Gatsby himself is portrayed as being a very romantic character and this can be seen in his speech when he talks about the past, for example telling Nick that "His heart beat faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable

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Was Gatsby Great

How Great is Gatsby? The title of the novel, 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is ironic as the heading's character is neither 'great' nor named Gatsby. He is a criminal who has altered his harsh surname of Gatz to the melodic Gatsby and the life he has created for himself is an illusion. The book's name is the first feature that appeals to the reader. Before even opening the book the person expects Gatsby to be great. The caption, 'The Great Gatsby', itself suggests a theatrical billing given to an artist. It could also symbolise the act of Gatsby's life in the novel. Fitzgerald presents Gatsby as living a luxurious life, with plenty of friends, no worries and an honest man. Yet by the end of the novel his whole illusion unravels and the reader discovers that he has many problems, he is dishonest and has no true friends. One of the ways in which Gatsby is 'great' is the fact that he is extremely wealthy and owns many material items such as a yellow station wagon and a "Rolls-Royce". Fitzgerald uses descriptive words such as "hulking patent cabinets', "massed suits" and "shirts pilled up like bricks in stacks a dozen high" to emphasise Gatsby's luxurious lifestyle. Furthermore, to encapsulate his wealth Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby in royal, rich colours like "Indian blue" and "apple green and lavender." Materialism is important to Gatsby as he sees it as the only

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Explore F.Scotts Fitzgeralds presentation of class and wealth in The Great Gatsby and The Diamond as Big as the Ritz.

Explore F.Scotts Fitzgeralds presentation of class and wealth in 'The Great Gatsby' and 'The Diamond as Big as the Ritz'. Wealth and social class permeate much of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' and 'The Diamond as Big as the Ritz'. Set during the roaring twenties when many people had newly accumulated wealth after the war, both texts seek to explore and satirise the complexities of wealth and social class. They particularly focus on how far people may go to fit into a social class or protect their fortune. Despite 'The Diamond as Big as the Ritz' being set within the fantasy genre, elements of Fitzgerald's own life run as undercurrents throughout both texts. Fitzgerald's life features heavily in the texts, be it through the characterisation of Nick and Gatsby or the underlying references to his personal experiences. The experiences of the main protagonists' form parallels with Fitzgerald's interactions with the wealthy, both at Princeton and Great Neck and in his relationship with Zelda. 'The Diamond as Big as the Ritz' satirises the exuberant wealth experienced by Fitzgerald when visiting a Princeton classmate. 'The Great Gatsby' on the other hand, is more reliant on aspects of Fitzgerald's own life which forms the emotional foundation of the novel. Gatsby's relationship with Daisy mirrors Fitzgerald's turbulent relationship with Zelda who much like Daisy, was

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Symbolism in the Great Gatsby

Symbolism in The "Great Gatsby" The critic Harold Bloom once wrote, "Never has symbolism played such a crucial part in the very foundation of a novel as it does in Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby." Essentially the great gatsby appears to be a novel depicting the doomed romance between a man and a woman. However, the main theme of the novel is a completely un-romantic one. Although the novel only takes place over several months, and only in New York, it serves as a microcosm for the 'Jazz Age' of America, and of the famous American Dream. Fitzgerald illustrates this time as being one of moral deprivation ( Tom Buchanan's racism), as well as a decay in social values, as the characters actions are powered by greed, and the empty pursuit of pleasure ( the promiscuity of Tom, Daisy and Myrtle). This sort of behaviour was typical of the 1920's and because of this behaviour ,parties- not dissimiliar to the opulent parties hosted by none other than 'The Great Gatsby'- were in abundance in this time. These parties were a corruption of 'The American Dream' because 'The Dream' was no longer about achieving a better life than your parents, however in the eyes of money americans 'better' translated to 'richer', so the thirst for money depicted in the novel, is symbolic for the attitudes of both men and women in 1920's America. Nick explains in chapter 9, that the

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