Gatsby's world is corrupt but ultimately glamorous. How do you respond to this statement?
“Gatsby’s world is corrupt but ultimately glamorous.” How do you respond to this view of the novel? (21 marks) Fitzgerald reveals the life of Gatsby through the retrospective narrator Nick Carraway. Through this, it is clear from the opening chapter that Gatsby’s life is glamorous ‘there was something gorgeous about him.’ Through the description of Gatsby’s house it is evidently home to affluence and subsequently glamour. It is described to have a ‘marble swimming pool’ and ‘forty acres of lawn’ which evokes imagery of glamour and ostentatious displays of wealth. Furthermore, in chapter 3 Fitzgerald accentuates this glamorous image of Gatsby’s life through the lavish party complete with ‘salads of harlequin designs’ and ‘in the main hall a bar’ ‘stocked with gins and liquors.’ These descriptions of Gatsby’s life and himself permeate the entire novel, therefore it cannot be denied that Gatsby’s life is glamorous. However, Fitzgerald also describes the people who appear at his parties who ‘conducted themselves according to the rules of behaviour associated with an amusement park.’ Through this symbolism Fitzgerald demonstrates how Gatsby has a grave desire to be accepted into the hedonistic society of the Roaring Twenties. The people he throws parties for and who he associates with are irresponsible, vacuous and rude, therefore
Examine the characterisation of Jay Gatsby as an admirable yet flawed character.
Choose a novel in which a central character is flawed but remains an admirable figure. Show how the writer makes you aware of these aspects of personality and discuss how this feature of characterisation enhances your appreciation of the text as a whole. In your answer you must refer closely to the text and to at least two of: theme, structure, setting, symbolism, or any other appropriate feature. Jay Gatsby, the eponymous hero of The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald is a flawed but admirable character. Fitzgerald’s use of narrative technique, structure, symbolism and characterisation effectively convey Gatsby’s admirable qualities of loyalty, hope and determination whilst also making us aware of his tragic flaw which leads to his demise. Gatsby’s main flaw is his inability to see reality which results in the failure of his dream. Throughout the novel, Gatsby’s character embodies the ideals of the American Dream and the destruction of his dream symbolises the corruption of the American Dream. The narrative technique created by Fitzgerald makes us aware of Gatsby’s admirable qualities and subsequently his flaw. He employs the use of a first person narrator called Nick Carraway. It is through Nick’s observations and consciousness that we interpret the character of Gatsby. Nick introduces Gatsby as “exempt from my reaction – Gatsby, who represented
The Great Gatsby: Different Kinds of Love
Great Gatsby: Different kinds of love Fitzgerald explores different kinds of love. There is a love for social fame, materialistic love, a love of wealth, success, life and finally a love for one another whether it be through friendship or otherwise. It begins with a love of belonging. Fitzgerald begins with Nick Carraway cynically reflecting on human nature, how we are indeed an animalistic society beneath our veneer of dignity. His first sense of belonging seemed to open up a love in his heart, perhaps this love was shared by his fellow Americans, there seemed to be hints that even the wealthy needed reassurance they belonged. The American dream is about establishing a sense of history and a sense of belonging. “....some man, more recently arrived than I, stopped me on the road...I was a guide...an original settler.” Nick as despising of the superficial society as he may be, was just another man wandering the land of opportunity looking to belong. This leads to a love of attention displayed by Fitzgerald. Even Nick is subject to the craving of attention. A lust for stardom is portrayed by many characters in the novel. This becomes most obvious at Gatsby’s party when several individuals are described almost as circus acts as they perform to a self-praising crowd “A pair of stage twins....did a baby act in costume”. It appears the substance of their act is
The Great Gatsby - What aspects of the scene, setting, plot, characterisation, dialogue and language/imagery show the dire situation of the poorer people (George and Myrtle) and the arrogance and lack of morality of the rich ( Tom Buchanan)?
The Great Gatsby – Chapter 2 What aspects of the scene, setting, plot, characterisation, dialogue and language/imagery show the dire situation of the poorer people in the novel (George and Myrtle) and, by contrast, the arrogance and lack of morality of the rich ( Tom Buchanan)? From the opening of chapter two, the scene is set in the Valley of Ashes. It’s slum-like properties are in stark contrast to the two affluent areas of West Egg and New York that surround. Here, the land and everything on it is covered in the ashes deposited there by the industry of the cities; it is a ‘fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills’. Fitzgerald represents poverty as lying beneath wealth and providing the rich with a dumping ground, a piece of between their worlds that has collapsed into decadence. The fact that this ‘desolate area of land’ lies so closely to the other wealthy cities suggests that the author is using it to symbolise the moral decay hidden by the beautiful facades of the Eggs; that beneath the ornamentation of West Egg and the etiquette of East Egg lies the same ugliness as in the Valley. This area could also symbolise the plight of the poor, like George Wilson who live among the dirty ashes and so lose their vitality and spirit as a result. As each character is introduced, the differences between them become evident through their
Analysis of The Great Gatsby By F Scott Fitzgerald and The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseni
English Summer Task Shaylee Jones “The Great Gatsby” By F Scott Fitzgerald . I find it interesting how F Scott Fitzgerald opens the ‘The great Gatsby’ by introducing the reader to the narrator. But it isn’t a normal introduction such as we don’t find out who this person is; instead Fitzgerald indulges into the narrators past. We find out advice that his father used to give him; ‘whenever you feel like criticizing anyone just remember that all the people in the world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’. This gives the impression that the narrator is tolerant and has strong morals and family values. As a result of this people tell him their life stories later on in the book. 2. The ending of the novel is particularly interesting as message of the novel is summed up in the last couple of lines. Nick the narrator closes the novel with characteristic prose. Nick sees the ‘green light’ as the ‘unattainable dream’ he thinks that as Gatsby’s dream of the future was rooted in the past, it would never be achieved due to that. The word ‘orgastic’ has been used by nick which is an unusual word therefore it makes the future seem unfamiliar and exciting. Nick also knows that the green light will never be reached for that reason his message never reaches a conclusion due to the long dashes and ellipses showing interruptions. Gatsby tries to
How effective is the ending to "The Great Gatsby"?
How effective is this ending (pg148-9) to the novel? By Abdulla Al-Muhannadi 11BF The conclusion of Nick's account of his experiences ends in chapter 9. The final section, on pages 148-9 is a very effective and evocative ending to the novel. It is rich with metaphorical representations which Fitzgerald deliberately implements in order to create emotion and an intricately intimate aura in order for the reader (back in the time of publication) to identify and understand the 'big picture' behind the plot. The green light that has been mentioned further emphasises Gatsby's greatest attribute – his ability to dream and hope. It symbolises his obsessive limerence with his beloved Daisy, but Nick points out that Gatsby 'did not know that it was already behind him...', in that his visions and aspirations (as well as the symbolism of the green light), go far beyond only Daisy. This possibly indicates the fact that Gatsby hasn't realised the extent of his progression to be as close to Daisy as possible (until she takes a tour of his house), which is referred to by Nick (“He had come a long way to this blue lawn...”). Nick relates the green light, with all its connotations, to the first Dutch sailors who visited America for the first time. He pictured the 'fresh, green breast of the New World' (and how it must have looked like to the Dutch sailors who stumbled upon it, without
How is the story told in chapter 2 of the Great Gatsby?
How is the story told in chapter 2 of the Great Gatsby? The Story is told very similarly to chapter one, it all revolves around some party that Nick gets dragged along too. The chapter begins with a description of the desolate plains of the “valley of ashes”, with the eyes of TJ Ekleburg, looking over the valley. This is more of the slum between West Egg and New York. Tom takes Nick to Tom’s mistress’s house, in New York for a party. Nick always finds himself being dragged in to situations that he doesn’t always want to be in. Tom controls him almost. In this chapter we are introduced to Myrtle (Tom’s mistress), George Wilson (Myrtles husband), Tom seems to have the control over these two characters because they are of lower social class compared to him. Tom seems to have a very violent personality as we begin to see more of his character come though as the story is unveiled. The party seems to be a very awkward occasion that Nick finds himself being included in again. This is the most likely reason why he got drunk for the second time in his life, so this was obviously seen to him as being a very significant time to be drunk, suggesting that it was very confusing and uncomfortable. Him being drunk implies that he wanted to forget the whole thing. The ostentatious behaviour and conversation of the others at the party repulse Nick, and he tries to leave. At the
F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes symbolism, dark diction, and repetition, in The Great Gatsby, to elucidate the social decay between the wealthy and poor
Martin Melissa Martin Ms. Migliaro AP Literature and Composition 2 October 2012 The American Dream is Crumbling F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes symbolism, dark diction, and repetition, in The Great Gatsby, to elucidate the social decay between the wealthy and poor to demonstrate that the American dream is crumbling. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald gives the valley of ashes a significant meaning; it represents the social deterioration among classes. The American dream is “crumbling” before America’s eyes through the symbolism of the valley of ashes to emphasize how the poor are the victims of the rich’s greed and corruption (27). In addition, the valley of ashes is used to portray that the poor citizens’ final destination in life is between the West Egg and New York because they do not belong with the rich, “where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys” (27). Fitzgerald compares a house, which is something an American dreams about owning, to ashes in order to symbolize that there is a social decay in society. The idea of comparing lifeless ashes to owning a house portrays that the American dream is dying because people in the valley of ashes are not experiencing a prosperous and adventurous life, like the rich. Fitzgerald illustrates that the wealthy want to be segregated from the poor by making the valley of ashes a “desolate area of
How does Fitzgerald tell the story of the Great Gatsby in chapter 6?
Aaron Pickard How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter 6? Chapter six leads from chapter five in which Gatsby's dream of being reunited with Daisy has been realised. The previous chapter was the pinnacle of Gatsby's dream and from that point the dream unravels. This chapter is significant as it highlights the fallacy of Gatsby's dream. It also gives the reader an insight into Gatsby's past so we can understand when he began to create his dream which is important for the reader to know as from this they can comprehend the gravity of the illusion in which Gatsby is trapped in no matter what is put in front of him. This chapter also allows Gatsby himself to experience the monstrosity he has created through Daisy's eyes at, what we later discover will be, his last party which is important as it then allows events to unfold from the point of Gatsby's realisation further developing the plot. At the start of the chapter the reader is given an insight into Gatsby's past through the use of retrospective narrative. It begins with a reminder that Gatsby is notorious as the first paragraphs lead to the revelation that he changed his name. This demonstrates his lack of confidence in his identity which creates an unsettling feeling as he denies his roots. This already imposes instability in his life. Through the use of contrast we see what Gatsby comes from and what he is aiming for
How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter 2 of 'The Great Gatsby'?
How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter 2 of 'The Great Gatsby'? Fitzgerald overwhelmingly tells the story of the 'The Great Gatsby' in chapter 2 through the use of a first person narrator, Nick Carraway. Nick is the archetypal Conradian peripheral narrator, who actually refers to himself as “..within and without”. Nicks narrative throughout the book is a retrospective one, were he knows the true tragic nature of the ending. Nick Carraway is looking back at the events two years after they had happened, allowing Fitzgerald to use a more wise, ironically detached narrator to help build the story. Fitzgerald uses two Nicks to tell the story; one minor character who is drawn in to Gatsby's world, and the older, wiser and sadder narrator who can look back on the events and scrutinises his younger self. Although this narrator cannot be identified with Fitzgerald, he is one whose views we are invited to trust because he is “..inclined to reserve all judgements”. Fitzgerald uses Nick Carraway as a “guide and pathfinder”, who can self consciously help us discover the real Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses Nick to describe the Valley of Ashes at the opening of chapter two to introduce the audience to the bleak and miserable 'area of land' where Myrtle and Wilson live. This is used as a symbol of the moral vacuity and the spiritual barrenness of the 'lost generation'. Nick
