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Gatsby Essay Question
In this early Twentieth century novel, American society is put on display and it is revealed as “careless and confused”. ... Scott Fitzgerald captures the decaying, American society of the 1920’s. We are presented with several themes and motifs arising throughout the novel such as money, alcoholism, gossip and class which all help to support the statement.
It is important first to mention that here is a great absence of spirituality within society as seen throughout the whole novel. ...
When examining the novel chronologically, the first instance of carelessness arises with the rumours and gossip that are main themes in the novel. ... The spreading of rumours is maintained throughout as Fitzgerald places heavy emphasis on society’s carelessness with the truth. ...
The tactless manners owned by society bring to mind other issues such as the affairs between Tom and Myrtle and Daisy and Gatsby. ... In upper class society it was accepted that they would marry to keep the money in the family and so it was hardly surprising that these alternative relationships took place. ...
We are given an insight into the character of Myrtle as she illustrates the first sign of confusion near the beginning of the novel. ... Fitzgerald’s use of verbs stress Myrtle’s ignorance and confusion when putting on this act, signifying the theme of appearance and reality that runs throughout the novel. ...
Another significant aspect is Fitzgerald’s reference to clothing, which acts as a recurring symbol throughout the novel. ... We know that Tom is unsure of what he really wants because by the end of the novel we see ‘an unmistakable air of intimacy’ between Daisy and Tom. ... Drinking prohibited alcohol is one of the main issues in the novel and is used for two reasons: to exhibit the decadent lifestyle of the society and to illustrate alcohol’s negative influence. ... With all these materialistic items, Myrtle epitomises the consumer society depicted in 20th Century American literature such as “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. ... This violent and aggressive behaviour with his mistress is not only hypocritical, (as he’s sleeping with her); it also reaffirms the recklessness of these people in society, who may be partly affected by the alcohol. ... There is also evidence in the rest of the novel to suggest this; he becomes very fond of Jordan Baker who is constantly described as having a rather masculine appearance. Her initial introduction tells us she was ‘a slender, small breasted girl, with an erect carriage’ and much later in the novel, she is a ‘clean, hard, limited person’. ... In context, the author would not have been overt in including homosexuality in the novel due to society’s intolerance.
In this ‘valley of ashes’ that Nick describes, Fitzgerald presents a symbol of the end of society that is decaying and being destroyed as a result of the many senseless deeds of society, where we see money as a significant issue. ... Very early on Nick tells us that he ‘drove over to east egg to see two old friends whom [he] scarcely knew at all’. It is this fakeness in the rich society that Fitzgerald emphasizes in one sentence and as a result, presents the careless customs in their decadent lifestyles.
Fitzgerald gives very brief references to their child, introducing her early on; Daisy tells all that they ‘ought to see the baby’. ... It is Nick who defines the society when overtly voicing his opinions of Tom and Daisy towards the end. ... Further on we see Daisy and Gatsby display this affection directly in front of Tom as they are eating lunch. ... Furthermore, after Gatsby’s death, we are informed that ‘she and Tom had gone away early the next morning’.
Approximate Word count = 3018
Approximate Pages = 12.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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