Harley Jean Mr.

Romanowski English Per 3 February 15, 2013 Great Gatsby Essay With the 1920s era as inspiration, F. Scott Fitzgerald creates a main theme throughout The Great Gatsby that deals with the deterioration of the American dream due to the pursuit of material success rather than a simple pursuit of happiness. He points to how the social classes of the 1920s contributed to the misconception as they tried to repress the brutality of the war by looking to find pleasure through disregarding moral values and delving into greed. With the use of geography, weather, and various symbols such as the green light, Valley of Ashes and Doctor T.J Eckleburgs eyes, Fitzgerald enhances his thematic ideas. Fitzgerald uses his character Nick Caraway to provide as an example of the pure pursuit of the American Dream. Nick reflects how his family had been prominent, well-to-do people in this Middle Western city for three generations. The Carraways are something of a clan the actual founder of my line was my grandfathers brother, who came here in fifty-oneand started the wholesale hardware business that my father carries on to-day.(7) Fitzgeralds view of the American dream is the freedom to pursue success and having opportunities laid out for an individual to take advantage of to improve their lives or that of their children such as Nicks grandfathers brother. In contrast we see another character that has the wealth and is a part of the upper class but has not attained the American dream. Through Jay Gatsby Fitzgerald proposes that the American dream is not solely the pursuit of money and social status. As Nick observes Gatsby he notices that He was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of movement that is so peculiarly American

This quality was continually breaking through his punctilious manner in the shape of restlessness. He was never quite still; there was always a tapping foot somewhere or the impatient opening and closing of a hand. (68) Although Gatsby has become successful he seems edging because there is something he has yet to attain, which is the love of Daisy. Fitzgerald reveals that the American Dream could represent different goals. Gatsbys goal or dream was to eventually get married to Daisy and he thought he could realize that dream through money and good social standing, but ultimately in the end he was unable to. Being from different social classes impeded Gatsbys dream in the past but as the novel develops we see that several aspects of society continue to hold Gatsby back from his true dream, his American Dream. Fitzgerald uses the difference in social class between the characters to reveal the sentiments of the 1920s and loss of ideals to absorption of material importance instead. Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby are both wealthy but reached that position in two different manners. Tom Buchanan comes from inherited wealth while Jay Gatsby hasnt always been rich yet has worked to obtained it. Therefor they have different mannerisms in how they behave in society the latter is more relaxed compared to the old aristocracy mannerisms of old money. When Tom confronts Gatsby on the matter of his wife Daisy, the words he chooses lean toward him being more upset that Gatsby isnt from old money rather than the fact that Gatsby is sleeping with his wife. Tom says "I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if thats the idea you can count me out Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next theyll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white.(137) Tom statements represent the disregard for morals but the concern for wealth and materials things which is what Fitzgerald fears many Americans of the 1920s have done.

Myrtle is of the lower class and strives to enter the upper echelon and through her affair with Tom Buchannan she seems to enter that world. But through Nicks observations we see that she has attained a false sense of reality and is truly still in the same low class position. During a party Nick watches as Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders. These people! You have to keep after them all the time. She looked at [Nick] and laughed pointlessly (36). Her pointless laugh represents Myrtles futile attempt to fit in with the upper class by being condescending. In reality she is in the same class and is essentially just mocking herself. Fitzgerald uses Myrtle in the novel as an example of most Americans who are just striving to reach the upper class and mistake it for the American Dream but in reality have not achieved anything in respect to the cherished American ideal. Throughout the novel Fitzgerald also uses geography to further enhance the thematic ideas of the novel. The East Egg is where the old aristocracy or people who inherited fortunes live and on the contrary the West Egg is where those who have recently become wealthy. The valley of ashes in between them is a symbol of moral and social decay in America. It is described as This is a valley of ashes a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight. (26) In the valley of ashes aspirations and dreams are not fruitful as they die in grotesque gardens and a bright future is obscure. The Valley of ashes being in between the two Eggs represents how the divisions in social class serve to destroy the American dream. The weather throughout the novel is also a device used to enhance the theme of the novel. When Gatsby and Daisy reunite it is raining symbolic of the dull and awkward feeling between them. As they reconnect the sun comes out. Tom and Gatsbys confrontation is on the hottest day of the summer which relates to the heatedness of the situation. When Gatsby is found dead

on the first day of autumn, he is left floating in a pool. It is uncustomary to be in a pool during autumn and by then most would drain it. This is reflection of Gatsbys attempt to continue live in the past and live in the nostalgia of his relationship with Daisy, which is his ultimate downfall. The green light is also another important symbol which exemplifies the ideal of the American dream being misconstrued. It occurred to Gatsby, when he cant really see the green light due to mist that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon (98) The light vanishing forever signals the death of Gatsbys dream to marry Daisy and gain her unquestioned love. He is no closer to realizing his dream than a star to the moon, meaning he isnt close at all. What Gatsby may have realized that he thought he could achieve his dream through wealth and status but that he was no closer to it all. The Great Gatsby defines social class distinctions as seeming to dilute the American Dream or work to destroy it like a poison. Social class or particular the upper class has made it difficult for the masses to grasp the true meaning of the American Dream. As in the 1920s the way the wealthy lived seemed to the ideal goal and transformed the direction of the American Dream to just the pursuit of money and status rather than the freedom to do what an individuals pleases. Fitzgerald uses the The Great Gatsby to show his disapproval and essential point to the upper class as the cause of this deterioration of the American Dream. Fitzgerald proposes that although many may forget what it truly is that it will always still exist and live on in a few characters like Nick.