Great Gatsby and Socio-Economical World of America Essay

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is not just a overbold rather it is the repre displaceation of an era. The storey is astir(predicate) the moral decay that arouses in the Ameri great deal society in 1920s. It to a fault lay downs the image of the Ameri empennage dream getting corrupted by lust, greed and empty hunt of pleasure. In different words it was the hit of subcultures. The wealthinessy and elite class found pleasure by throwing indulgent expoundies and playing wild spiel music. On the other hand, the member of set class was seduced by the dabbler lifestyle of the overflowing.Jay Gatsby was almostwhat a deep whizz as battalion k raw(a) truly little ab unwrap his face-to-face life. We finally find that Gatsby was involved in sorry activities to win his heart felt Daisys attention. On the surface, The Great Gatsby is a composition of unrequited cheat. The unfermented is based on the themes of love, r take downge, desire for specie and the suicide . But a attentive analysis of the impudent reveals that its major theme encompasses a much larger, less(prenominal) romantic scope.Through this novel, Fitzgerald has tried to portray a real prove of American society of 1920s. The story is set in the neighborhood of considerable Island, New York. In this novel, we also find a reflection of decline of American dream which was ab egress moral values and involvement of success. The desire 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 complaisant position he possesses. What matters is his personal skills, hard pull in and efforts.A prototypical 1920s man has been set forth by the root Roland Marchand in his book in the following words Not besides did he flourish in the fast-paced, modern urban milieu of skyscrapers, taxicabs, and pleasure- peckking crowds, plainly he proclaimed himself an expert on the latest crazes in fashio n, present-day(a) 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 society.It was, in fact, an era which was marked by reckless pursuit of pleasure, amoral quest for notes and certain lustful desires. The protagonist of this novel, Jay Gatsby is a wealthy, shady man residing in a black letter mansion in westside orb. He is fond of throwing lavish parties every Saturday night. The sole purpose freighter these ostentatious parties was the gaudy display of wealth. Most of the people who joined those parties, so far didnt know anything about Gatsby.They just deprivationed to be the part of such lavish parties so they could enjoy expensive wines and loud jazz music along with delicious foods. It is important to mention here that the loss of the Eighteenth Ame ndment in 1919, which banned the sale of alcohol, created a booming the pits designed to satisfy the huge demand for bootleg liquor among rich and misfortunate alike. In that period, people started to make fortunes through the punishable assembly line of liquor. Such a championship do people rich nightlong and turned them into millionaires.Besides, the World War I ended in 1918, and the junior Americans, who had fought in the war, became highly disillusioned as the exactlycheries and the brutalities which they had witnessed in the war made their ideas about Victorian morality quite vague and blurred. Another feel of that particular era was the abrupt rise of stock market that resulted in the increase in national wealth and thus the phenomenon of materialism emerged. tribe started spending their newlyfound money in getting luxuries of life and they felt satiated by the gaudy display of their wealth.The narrator of the novel, Nick Carraway is a young man who has studied in Yale and accordingly moves to New York. He becomes the neighbor of Jay Gatsby, who is famous for his idealistic parties and lives in a rare 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 stain 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 meeted his wealth through criminal activities.Gatsby tries to become the part of naturalized nobility by attaining material wealth including a grand mansion, several servants and numerous automobiles. But he unchanging wants the reassurance that whether all his efforts of money making have the desired impression or not. As on one occasion, he understands to Nick, My house looks well, doesnt it? He demanded. See how the substantial front of it catches the light. (pg68). As Scott Donaldson mentions in his artic le, The culture of exercise on exhibit in The Great Gatsby was made possible by the growth of a leisure class in early-twentieth-century America.As the ovel demonstrates, this reading subverted the foundations of the Protestant ethic, replacing the values of hard lend and thrifty continence with a show of luxury and idleness. It means that the phenomenon of becoming rich overnight and acquiring sudden wealth made the Americans idle and thus the at a time 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, much emphasis has been laid on the corruption of American dream as it was about hard work and personal efforts barely it vanished gradually with the newly found wealth.Jay Gatsby madly loves a pretty damsel, Daisy Buchanan who is an eastern Egger. She is Nicks cousin too. Here, it is important to substantiate in mind that the West Egg, where Gatsby and Nick live is a stem to newly rich people. On the other hand, due east Egg represents the established aristocracy. Gatsby wanted to win Daisys love also be pee-pee 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 only and in a vulgar display of conspicuous consumption, he flaunts his nouveau wealth. age 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, tomcat Buchanan has an affair with a woman named Myrtle, whose husband is very poor and owns a worn out garage. tom turkey claims that he is in love with Myrtle notwithstanding it was in fact, anything but love. On one occasion, we moot that he treats his mistress very inhumanely as is mentioned in the novel Some time toward midnight 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 nose with his open hand. (pg27) As it is mentioned earlier that East and West Egg were different from each other in foothold 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 baseball club in the morning and long past m idnight. Every Friday crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruitier in New York every Monday these equivalent oranges and lemons remaining his fannydoor in a profit of pulp less halves.On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors-doeuvre, spiced baked hams move 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 gaudy dresses and has a collection of several big, huge cars. On one occasion, Tom makes fun of Gatsbys car by calling it a funfair Wagon. 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 very loved Daisy.He waited for her five long years and didnt bury 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 ve ry happy and contended but he also wanted her to leave Tom Buchanan for good. He waited whole night outside Daisys window, just to make sure that Tom wouldnt hurt her. He loved her so deeply and profoundly that when Daisy mistakenly massacreed Myrtle by crushing her under the car, Gatsby was erect to take this as his own mistake.As we see that when Nick inquires Gatsby about this incident he utter, Well, I tried to swing the wheel He broke off, and suddenly I (Nick) guessed the truth. Was Daisy driving? Yes, He said after(prenominal) a moment, but of course Ill say I was. (pg110) On the other hand, we find that Daisy, despite Gatsbys love and care, is still multiform and double minded. She doesnt want to leave Tom Buchanan, nor could she live without her new found -once -lost -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 becoming? I cant help whats pas t. She began to sob helplessly. I did love him once but I loved you too. (pg101) On the same occasion, she said, Even 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 go under 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 other occasion when on Gatsbys arrival, she treats her own daughter Pammy in such a manner that clearly lacks the love and warmth of a mother. As mentioned in the novel, The churl, relinquished by the nurse, rushed across the room and root shyly into her mothers dress. This shows that the little girl 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 belike afraid to tell him about her. subsequentlyward he kept looking at the child in surprise.Daisy uses the child as a show item I got dressed before luncheon said the child, move 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 invariably 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 skeleton introduction, Daisy asks the nurse to take the child back. (pg89). This very superficial nature of hers became the cause of her lovers pitiful expiry. Both Tom and Daisy were selfish, mean and careless as both of them became the cause of their lovers terminations. As mentioned in the novel, They were careless people Tom and Dais y. They smashed up things and creatures and then(prenominal) retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them unneurotic and let other people clean up the mess 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 mendicancy and put 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 Wolfsh eim, the infamous gambler and swindler and tries to find out the actual origin of Gatsbys wealth. He asks him, Did you start him in business? 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 fatheaded like that in everything, he held up two bulbous fingers always together. (pg132) This conversation reveals that Gatsby was once a poor, unprivileged fellow 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 date the funeral. The man, who was always surrounded by different people and whose parties people urgently wanted to attend, was now all alone.Since he was of no use now, everybody left him and nev er 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 fulfill and thought that at least there is someone who cares about Gatsby. The funerals tomorrow, I (Nick) said. Three oclock, here at the house. I wishing 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 pass around them on. You see, they are tennis shoes, and Im sort of helpless without them. My make out 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 G atsby like the moths around a candle, but when that candle stop spreading its light, all of them turned away.At funeral procession, 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 message or a flower. Dimly I hear someone murmur, Blessed are the dead that the rain falls on, and then the owl eyed man said Amen to that, in a stout voice. We straggled down quickly through the rain to the cars.Owl eyes rung 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 moral 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 brushed under the cover namely sexual desire and obsession. Eventually, the materialism, empty pursuit of pleasure, big cars and grand mansions along with the Prohibition movement resulted in the emergence of class sputter 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 case of Gatsby. All of his money, earned through illegal means was fruitless as it couldnt bring Daisy closer to him. We see that The Great Gatsby is the story of shattered dreams i. e. both Ameri can and Gatsbys dream. In Fitzgeralds point of view, the American dream was about individualism, 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 account of possibilities that can be generated through wealth and the irresponsibility that can ultimately ruin them.The story gives us a strong lesson that accruement of wealth doesnt always mean the attainment of real happiness. currency and riches are necessary to live a good life, but they, of course, dont guarantee 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.