HOW DOES FITZGERALD TELL THE STORY IN CHAPTER 6 OF THE GREAT GATSBY?
"HOW DOES FITZGERALD TELL THE STORY IN CHAPTER 6 OF 'THE GREAT GATSBY'?" In Chapter 6 of 'The Great Gatsby", Fitzgerald emphasises many themes that have already been revealed or hinted at previously, using a variety of devices to do so. As the narrator for the novel, it is Nick's viewpoint from which Chapter 6 is presented: he moves the story from a point in time which fits chronologically with the story, to recounting Gatsby's past in great detail, finally allowing the reader to see some of Gatsby's motivations. Nick, in his recounting of Gatsby's past, attempts to give his reasoning for Gatsby's transformation from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. Nick reasons that Gatsby had never fully embraced his lower class upbringing: that "his imagination never really accepted them (his mother and father) as his parents at all". Nick describes Gatsby as a "son of God... and he must be about His Father's business, the service of a vast, meretricious beauty": this shows Nick revealing that he believe that Jesus decided to make himself the Son of God and stubbornly sticks to the belief that he was, rejecting the reality that he wasn't (according to Nick). He draws a parallel between Gatsby and Jesus, saying that Gatsby also stubbornly sticks to "his Platonic conception of himself". This passage of narration shows Nick to be unreligious (he believes that Jesus was not the Son of God), which
How is the story told in Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby
How is the Story told in Chapter One? Through chapter one Fitzgerald uses a variation in technique to tell the story, he uses the character of Nick Carraway to begin the narration and through chapter one we are introduced to a handful of other characters including Daisy, Tom, Jordan and Gatsby. The use of narratorial voice is exceptionally important in Great Gatsby as Fitzgerald has created the character of Nick not only to narrate and relay the story but in tern participate and therefore the novel we hear can be argued as a personal and bias account from the character of Nick's perspective. Each character is described through the narrator's voice and therefore the perceptions and thoughts of each character are effected by Nick and his views. This personal narrative is highly important as we are enticed and compelled by Nick's creative style of delivery whilst understanding and experiencing his own character. Fitzgerald has created the character of Nick essentially to tell the story and have the opportunity to add personal judgements. Although the character repeatedly admits he does not make these judgements this is a contradictory statement that throughout the first chapter and novel in whole the narrator continually breaks. The first few pages can be described as a brief summary of Nick Carraway and his life where as a reader we begin to create and establish our
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
Consider the meaning of the American Dream. Comment of Fitzgerald's ironic comment on the American Dream in Tender is the Night
Consider the meaning of the American Dream. Comment of Fitzgerald's ironic comment on the American Dream. "The American Dream" is a phrase signifying the ideal of a nation. It is constructed around notions of hard work, determination, aspiration, equality, independence and freedom. It advocates an ethos whereby any man could make it if they worked hard enough. Fitzgerald, in 'Tender is the Night' explores the degraded aspects of the American dream though characters in the novel. For example the Divers, who seem to be successful in achieving the American dream at such a young age, however the deeper their characters and lives are explored, we see the darker elements concealed beneath the illusion of the American dream. The Divers' give the exterior impression that they have a perfect marriage, however it is evident that their marriage was based on the wrong reasons. Nicole's mental status allowed her to b fully dependent on Dick, not only as a doctor but as a husband as well. She believed he was 'someone she could rely on- indefinitely.' Dick was highly impressed with not only Nicole's beauty, but her high social status too. It could b argued that one of the main reasons that Dick married Nicole was because of her wealth. He ambitious nature saw her wealth as a business opportunity, which relates to the key ideas of achieving the American dream. He needed Nicole's money in
The Great Gatsby is more of a Comic Novel than a Tragic Novel. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on the nature of the Comic Novel and the Tragic Novel, give your response to the above view.
Transfer-Encoding: chunked The Great Gatsby is more of a Comic Novel than a Tragic Novel. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on the nature of the Comic Novel and the Tragic Novel, give your response to the above view. In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald often uses techniques that are found in comedy, which doubtlessly reveals that The Great Gatsby is more of a Comic Novel than a Tragic Novel. A Comic Novel can be broadly defined as, “a work of humorous fiction.” However, the comedic genre is multifaceted and there are several different varieties. In examining this view, a good place to start is how the novel has elements of a romantic comedy. We could interpret the romance between Daisy and Gatsby as the quintessential romantic comedy. This usually involves a girl-meets-boy plot and a love affair involving beautiful, idealised heroine. The course of this affair may not run smooth, but eventually overcomes difficulties to end in happy reunion. There is a sense of relatable humour when Gatsby first meets Daisy after their five-year separation, where the reader cannot help but be amused by Gatsby’s awkward and boyish actions: “Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water.” Scenes such as this fit much better with a Comic Novel
In the character of Gatsby, Fitzgerald glamorises the figure of the gangster in 1920s America. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual material on gangsters in America in the 1920s, give your response to the above view.
Transfer-Encoding: chunked In the character of Gatsby, Fitzgerald glamorises the figure of the gangster in 1920s America. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual material on gangsters in America in the 1920s, give your response to the above view. The Great Gatsby is a novel in which Fitzgerald repeatedly and unapologetically glamorises gangsters and their lifestyle, especially with regards to how he portrays their vast wealth. In examining this claim a good place to start would be clarifying what a gangster is: “a member of an organised criminal gang.” This definition fits many characters in the novel, most of all Gatsby, who is the most focussed upon and glamorised of all. To glamorise something is to, “make something seem glamorous or desirable, especially spuriously so.” Surely Gatsby’s lifestyle is the epitome of this. He is the embodiment of success and the American Dream, complete with mansion, wealth and extravagant cars. Nick describes his house as, Fitzgerald makes clear that the source of Gatsby’s affluence is the shady, “business,” he is involved in. In this way Fitzgerald suggests that being involved with gangsters is a legitimate method of accumulating wealth, and therefore glamorises the figure of the gangster in 1920s America. To Fitzgerald’s readers this would have been nothing
Tom Buchannan reflects important attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s, give your response to the above view.
Transfer-Encoding: chunked Tom Buchannan reflects important attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s, give your response to the above view. Tom Buchannan is certainly one of Fitzgerald’s most opinionated and distinct characters, and his social commentary reflects important attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s. These attitudes and values are mostly negative, and Fitzgerald uses Tom as a way to convey everything he dislikes about 1920s society. In examining this view, a good place to start is Tom’s blatant racism. Tom’s views are clearly racist, evidenced by his choice of reading: “Have you read the Rise of the Coloured Empires by Goddard?” This refers to a genuine book that was around at that time, titled The Rising Tide Of Colour by Lothrop Stoddard. Tom feels threatened by the rising power of racial minorities and wishes to preserve the archaic status quo, which is reflective of the attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s. The influx of immigrants from Asia and Africa was seen as a threat to many established Americans, and led to measures such as National Origins Quota Act of 1924 which restricted immigration to
Fitzgeralds portrayal of the female characters in The Great Gatsby reveals an underlying hatred of women. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on Fitzgeralds own attitude to women, give your response to the above view.
Transfer-Encoding: chunked Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the female characters in ‘The Great Gatsby’ reveals an underlying hatred of women. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on Fitzgerald’s own experience of, and attitude to women, give your response to the above view. In The Great Gatsby women are often presented in less than positive terms, which doubtlessly reveals that Fitzgerald had an underlying hatred of women. Even when the book was first published, it was not received well amongst women. In 1925 Fitzgerald wrote to Marya Mannes that, “Women, even intelligent women, haven’t generally cared much for The Great Gatsby. They do not like women to be presented as emotionally passive – as a matter of fact I think most women are.” In examining how Fitzgerald negatively portrays women, a good place to start is how they are reduced to their appearance. Throughout The Great Gatsby men are described based on their wealth or careers, but women are described based primarily on their appearance, such as the sexualised depictions of Myrtle: “She was in the middle thirties, and faintly stout, but she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can. “ Additionally, Daisy wishes that her daughter will grow up to be, “a beautiful little fool.” Both Daisy and Myrtle accept that
The Great Gatsby is more effective as a symbolic novel than as a realist novel. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on symbolic novels and realist novels, give your response to the above view.
Transfer-Encoding: chunked The Great Gatsby is more effective as a symbolic novel than as a realist novel. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on symbolic novels and realist novels, give your response to the above view. In literature a symbolic novel can be defined as a novel with meaning to the writing beyond what is actually being described. The plot and action that take place in a story can be thought of as one level, while the symbolism of certain things in the writing act on another level to enhance the story. On the other hand, a realist novel can be defined as an approach that attempts to describe life without idealisation or romantic subjectivity. It is undeniable the The Great Gatsby contains elements of both, but it is more effective as a symbolic novel than a realist novel due to the amount of symbolism and representation contained in its characters and plot. In examining this view, a good place to start is how Gatsby symbolises the American Dream. Gatsby as a character is highly symbolic and his life epitomises the American Dream, the idea that with a bit of hard work anyone can become affluent and fulfilled. Gatsby’s extravagant lifestyle is used to symbolise the dream, such as the description of his house, “a colossal affair by any standard… spanking new under a thin beard of raw
The Great Gatsby- American Dream
The Great Gatsby How does this novel portray the American Dream? In this novel, Fitzgerald exploits the tensions that occur with the American Dream. The Great Gatsby is a meditation on 1920's America and the disintegration of the American Dream during an era of prosperity and success. Many of the characters within this novel represent the disintegration of the American Dream. Gatsby has used the American Dream to achieve his wealth and prove that he is good enough for Daisy. Also, Tom and Daisy feel that they have achieved the American Dream and they don't have to do anything else to achieve. The people that went to Gatsby's parties showed that they only wanted to achieve pleasure from things that they wanted to do and would bring them prosperity. Gatsby is one of the main characters that displays self-deception in the novel 'The Great Gatsby.' Fitzgerald portrayed to us the 1920's as a period of decayed social and moral values. Gatsby changed himself so that he could achieve his ultimate dream of being with Daisy. Gatsby had a great longing for Daisy and this was shown to us as Gatsby leaned across to a 'green light' on Daisy's dock. Gatsby truly loved Daisy and he tried to do everything in his life that would impress her and he wanted Daisy to be invited to Nick's house so that they can meet once again. He wanted to make it look extravagant but this is all just
