Great Gatsby and Socio-Economical World of America Essay

The keen Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is not just a novel rather it is the representation of an era. The story is virtually the moral decay that arouses in the Ameri set up party in 1920s. It also indicates the picture of the American dream protrudeting corrupted by lust, greed and forsake pursuit of sport. In early(a) words it was the collision of subcultures. The wealthy and elite family found pleasure by throwing decadent parties and playing wild jazz music. On the other hand, the member of middle class was seduced by the dabbler lifestyle of the rich.Jay Gatsby was somewhat a mysterious whizz as masses k in the raw real little ab go forth his personal life. We finally begin that Gatsby was knotty in criminal activities to win his love Daisys attention. On the surface, The Great Gatsby is a story of unrequited love. The novel is based on the themes of love, revenge, lust for money and the suicide. But a careful analysis of the novel reveals that its major theme enc ompasses a lots larger, less romantic scope.Through this novel, Fitzgerald has attempt to portray a real picture of American order of 1920s. The story is set in the populatehood of Long Island, New York. In this novel, we also find a reflection of disintegration of American dream which was somewhat moral values and pursuit of success. The idea of American dream emerged in the Colonial period and it was based on the perception that success can be achieved by any individual, no matter what social position he possesses. What matters is his personal skills, hard resolve and efforts.A prototypical 1920s man has been described by the author Roland Marchand in his book in the following words Not only did he flourish in the fast-paced, modern urban surroundings of skyscrapers, taxicabs, and pleasure- natterking crowds, provided he proclaimed himself an expert on the latest crazes in fashion, contemporary lingo, and popular pastimes. We find that Marchands definition is quite similar to the characters of Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald has presented the era of 1920s as the one in which social and moral values were weak and a moral decay ensued in American inn.It was, in fact, an era which was marked by reckless pursuit of pleasure, amoral quest for money and certain lewd desires. The protagonist of this novel, Jay Gatsby is a wealthy, mysterious man residing in a Gothic mansion in westernmost Egg. He is ardent of throwing lavish parties every Saturday night. The sole purpose behind these ostentatious parties was the gaudy appearance of wealth. Most of the populate who joined those parties, even didnt know anything about Gatsby.They just wanted to be the part of such lavish parties so they could enjoy expensive wines and loud jazz music on with delicious foods. It is important to mention present that the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, which banned the sale of alcohol, created a booming underworld designed to satisfy the huge demand for bootleg liquor among rich and lamentable a comparable. In that period, people started to exploit fortunes through and through the illegal business of liquor. Such a business make people rich overnight and sour them into millionaires.Besides, the World War I ended in 1918, and the new(a) Americans, who had fought in the war, became highly disillusioned as the butcheries and the brutalities which they had witnessed in the war made their ideas about Victorian righteousness quite vague and blurred. Another aspect of that incident era was the sudden rise of stock market place that resulted in the increase in national wealth and indeed the phenomenon of materialism emerged. People started spending their newfound money in getting luxuries of life and they felt satiated by the gaudy display of their wealth.The fibber of the novel, dent Carraway is a schoolgirlish man who has studied in Yale and then moves to New York. He fashions the neighbor of Jay Gatsby, who is fam ous for his opulent parties and extends in a sniffy Gothic mansion as described by Nick, It was the factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than fifty acres of lawn and garden. (pg 4) Gradually they became friends and later on, Nick finds out that Gatsby has gathered his wealth through criminal activities.Gatsby tries to become the part of formal aristocracy by attaining material wealth including a grand mansion, several servants and many automobiles. But he still wants the reassurance that whether all his efforts of money making have the sought afterwards impression or not. As on one occasion, he says to Nick, My house looks well, doesnt it? He demanded. canvass how the whole front of it catches the light. (pg68). As Scott Donaldson mentions in his article, The culture of consumption on exhibit in The Great Gatsby was made possible by the growth of a leis ure time class in early-twentieth-century America.As the ovel demonstrates, this victimization subverted the foundations of the Protestant ethic, replacing the values of hard work and thrifty abstinence with a show of lavishness and idleness. It center that the phenomenon of becoming rich overnight and acquiring sudden wealth made the Americans idle and thus the once appreciated values of hard work and self reliance were replaced by the newly emerged trends of leisure and the pursuit of pleasure. This is why, untold emphasis has been laid on the corruption of American dream as it was about hard work and personal efforts but it vanished gradually with the newly found wealth.Jay Gatsby madly loves a delightful damsel, Daisy Buchanan who is an East Egger. She is Nicks cousin likewise. Here, it is important to keep in mind that the West Egg, where Gatsby and Nick live is a home to newly rich people. On the other hand, East Egg represents the formal aristocracy. Gatsby wanted to win Daisys love also because she belonged to the established aristocracy and having her at his side would make him acceptable to that particular part of society. As Ray E. Canterbery states in his article, Jay Gatsby wants to live with Daisy Buchanan because she is a member of the established American aristocracy of wealth.Gatsby lacks the maturity to realize that Daisy cannot be obtained by money alone and in a vulgar display of conspicuous consumption, he flaunts his nouveau wealth. While reading the novel, one clearly finds out that the particular era mentioned in the book was marked by boundless greed, self satisfaction, infidelity and selfishness. Daisys husband, tom turkey Buchanan has an affair with a woman named myrtle, whose husband is very poor and owns a worn out garage. tomcat claims that he is in love with Myrtle but it was in fact, anything but love.On one occasion, we see that he treats his mistress very inhumanely as is mentioned in the novel Some time toward midni ght tom turkey Buchanan and Mrs. Wilson stood face to face discussing, in impassioned voices, whether Mrs. Wilson had any right to mention Daisys name. Daisy Daisy Daisy shouted Mrs. Wilson. Ill say it whenever I want to Daisy Daisy Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan skint her snuggle with his open hand. (pg27) As it is mentioned earlier that East and West Egg were different from each other in terms of their habitants, their ways of living.Their architecture and their tastes were also quite different from each other as the East Eggers were more refined and cultured whereas West Egg was the home of somewhat pretentious, gaudy people. Gatsby, himself was fond of throwing lavish parties as described in the book On weekends his (Gatsbys) Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between order in the morning and long past midnight. Every Friday crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruitier in New York every Monday these alike(p) oranges and le mons left his keisterdoor in a pyramid of pulp less halves.On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors-doeuvre, spiced bake hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold. (pg29) In order to become acceptable for the East Eggers or the established ones, Gatsby wears flamboyant dresses and has a collection of several big, huge cars. On one occasion, Tom makes fun of Gatsbys car by crabing it a Circus chute-the-chute. But one thing was common among both (West and East Eggers) of them. They were lustful and pretentious. Jay Gatsby was, however, different in a sense that he truly loved Daisy.He waited for her five long years and didnt swallow her for even a single moment. He bought a mansion in West Egg so that Daisy could know about him as his opulent parties bore quite fame. When he met Daisy, he became very apt and contended but he also wanted her to leave Tom Buchanan for good. He waited whole night outdoors Daisys w indow, just to make sure that Tom wouldnt hurt her. He loved her so deeply and profoundly that when Daisy mis make fullnly murdered Myrtle by crushing her under the car, Gatsby was ready to take this as his own mistake.As we see that when Nick inquires Gatsby about this incident he said, Well, I tried to swing the wheel He broke off, and suddenly I (Nick) guessed the truth. Was Daisy driving? Yes, He said after a moment, but of course Ill say I was. (pg110) On the other hand, we find that Daisy, notwithstanding Gatsbys love and care, is still confused and double minded. She doesnt want to leave Tom Buchanan, nor could she live without her new found -once - muzzy -love. She, before her husband, admits that she doesnt love him but after sometime, changes her mind.Oh, you want too much she cried to Gatsby. I love you now isnt that enough? I cant help whats past. She began to sob helplessly. I did love him once but I loved you too. (pg101) On the same occasion, she said, exhibit alone I cant say that I never loved Tom, she admitted in a pitiful voice. It wouldnt be true. (pg102) Thus it is clear that Daisy is absolutely indecisive as she couldnt purpose that whom she wants to live with. Besides, she cared very little about Gatsbys feeling and didnt give him the love he deserved.Daisys selfishness is also shown on another occasion when on Gatsbys arrival, she treats her own daughter Pammy in such a manner that clearly lacks the love and warmth of a bewilder. As mentioned in the novel, The child, resign by the fellate, rushed across the room and rooted shyly into her mothers dress. This shows that the little female child was reluctant to go to her mother as she was not aware of a mothers affection. Gatsby had never really known of the existence of Daisys child, as Daisy was probably afraid to tell him about her. by and by he kept looking at the child in surprise.Daisy uses the child as a show item I got dressed before luncheon said the child, turning eagerly towards Daisy. Thats because your mother wanted to show you off replies Daisy. When the child speaks to Daisy, Daisy never answers or replies to her. She always changes the subject as if she doesnt even notice the childs presence. For example, when the girl comments Jordans dress, Daisy ignores her and asks her what she thinks about her friends Aunt Jordans got on a white dress too, said the child.How do you like mothers friends? Daisy turned her around so that she faced Gatsby. Do you think they are pretty? After this brief introduction, Daisy asks the nurse to take the child back. (pg89). This very careless nature of hers became the cause of her lovers pitiful death. twain Tom and Daisy were selfish, mean and careless as both of them became the cause of their lovers closing curtains. As mentioned in the novel, They were careless people Tom and Daisy. They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast disregard or whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the repair they had made. (pg139).Interestingly, automobiles also have a significant part in the demise of many of the characters. The 1920s American culture was the one in which the phenomena of automobiles emerged. With the arrival of sudden wealth, people started to buy cars as they also became one of the status symbols. An American President said in 1925, We will root out poverty and identify two cars in every garage. Jay Gatsby also had five cars, one of which hits Myrtle and results in her unfortunate death. Myrtles death then leads to the death of poor Gatsby and her own husband, George.It is what OMeara calls as a death car. She writes, The automobile is a symbol that Fitzgerald uses to accomplish several different ends. After the death of Gatsby, Nick Carraway goes to Meyer Wolfsheim, the infamous gambler and swindler and tries to find out the actual origin of Gatsbys wealth. He asks him, Did you start him in b usiness? Wolfsheim replies Start him I made him, and continues I raised him up out of nothing, right out of the gutter. I saw right away he was a fine appearing gentlemanly young man and when he told me he was at Oggsford, I knew I could use him good.We were so thick like that in everything, he held up two bulbous fingers always together. (pg132) This conversation reveals that Gatsby was once a poor, unprivileged familiar spirit and despite all his attempts, he couldnt fit in with the old, established aristocracy. After the sad demise of Jay Gatsby, Nick tried to inform Gatsbys friends about his death but it was ironic that no close friend or relative came to attend the funeral. The man, who was always surrounded by different people and whose parties people desperately wanted to attend, was now all alone.Since he was of no use now, everybody left him and never looked back at the time they had spent with that poor, unlucky chap. At the same occasion, Nick Carraway received a call from one of Gatsbys friends. It was Mr. Klipspringer. When he told Nick, about himself, Nick felt a bit satisfied and legal opinion that at least there is someone who cares about Gatsby. The funerals tomorrow, I (Nick) said. Three oclock, here at the house. I wish youd tell anybody whod be interested. Oh, I will, he broke out hastily.Of course Im not likely to see anybody, but if I do. His tone made me suspicious. Of course youll be there yourself. Well, Ill certainly try. What I called up about was a pair of shoes I left there. I wonder if itd be too much trouble to have the butler send them on. You see, they are tennis shoes, and Im bearing of helpless without them. My address is care of B. F. I didnt hear rest of the name, because I hung up the receiver. (pg130, 131) This reveals that how selfish and mean those people were. They used to gather around Gatsby like the moths around a candle, but when that candle stopped spreading its light, all of them turned away.At funeral pro cession, Nick Carraway tries to remember the deceased person man and thought about his life for a while. This scene is very skillfully portrayed by Fitzgerald in the following words I tried to think about Gatsby then for a moment, but he was already too far away, and I could only remember, without resentment, that Daisy hadnt sent a content or a flower. Dimly I heard someone murmur, Blessed are the dead that the rainfall falls on, and then the owl eyed man said Amen to that, in a brave voice. We straggled bulge out quickly through the rain to the cars.Owl eyes spoke to me by the gate. I couldnt get to the house, he remarked. Neither could anybody else. Go on He started. Why, my God They used to go there by the hundreds. He took off the glasses and wiped them again, outside and in. The poor son- of -a -bitch, he said. (pg135) The story of The Great Gatsby spirals into tragedy as the book progresses with a succession of events love, revenge, murder and then suicide. There is a mo ral judgment involved in the process of reading such a story.Besides, Fitzgeralds work can be compared to that of the British author Thomas Hardy as he too dared to examine themes that Victorian society fleecy under the carpet namely sexual desire and obsession. Eventually, the materialism, empty pursuit of pleasure, big cars and grand mansions on with the Prohibition movement resulted in the emergence of class struggle among the rich and poor. Both of them started finding means of making money and didnt pay attention towards the fact that whether those means are justified or not. A new perception emerged, according to which money brings happiness.But this didnt happen in the reference of Gatsby. All of his money, earned through illegal means was fruitless as it couldnt bring Daisy close-set(prenominal) to him. We see that The Great Gatsby is the story of shattered dreams i. e. both American and Gatsbys dream. In Fitzgeralds point of view, the American dream was about individual ism, discovery and the pursuit of happiness. Whereas, Gatsbys dream was to get his long lost love back but unfortunately, both the dreams got shattered in the end. We can say that this novel is an write up of possibilities that can be generated through wealth and the irresponsibility that can ultimately ruin them.The story gives us a strong lesson that accumulation of wealth doesnt always mean the attainment of real happiness. specie and riches are necessary to live a good life, but they, of course, dont contract joy and success in life. The picture of American society drawn in The Great Gatsby can be compared to the present day American society. We can see that todays American society face the similar issues and suffers from the similar ailments e. g. materialism, desire of money and the hollow pursuit of pleasure.