Monday, July 22, 2019
The Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free
The Great Gatsby Essay F. Scott Fitzgerald, in his classic novel The Great Gatsby, illustrates the American class system in three different categories: the ââ¬Å"oldâ⬠rich, the ââ¬Å"newâ⬠rich, and the ââ¬Å"notâ⬠rich. He shows how each class tries to reach the American dream and struggles to remain secure in the life inside America. Fitzgerald depicts the only class that survives is the ââ¬Å"oldâ⬠rich. In the first place, progressing throughout Fitzgeraldââ¬â¢s novel, he derives that Tom Buchanan is inside the class system of ââ¬Å"oldâ⬠rich, because ââ¬Å"His family were enormously wealthy ââ¬â even in college his freedom with money was a matter for reproach ââ¬â but now heââ¬â¢d left Chicago an come east in a fashion that rather took your breath awayâ⬠(Fitzgerald 6). Tom and Daisy both shared the ââ¬Å"oldâ⬠rich lifestyle. Their house together was ââ¬Å"more elaborateâ⬠and described as, ââ¬Å"a cheerful red-and-white Georgian colonial mansion, overlooking the bayâ⬠(6). Tom Buchanan was born into the ââ¬Å"oldâ⬠rich class system. With the privilege of having that lifestyle, he will always have money to spend. He does not have to work for his pay, and will never lose it. Tom has the ability to live securely, and use his heritance to run away or hide from his problems. Fitzgerald uses Tomââ¬â¢s character to express the usefulness of obtaining money from oneââ¬â¢s family wealth. In introducing Tom, Fitzgerald reveals the importance of wealth in the 1920ââ¬â¢s by conveying to his readers that money can buy people out of hard times and can be the solution to variable mishaps. Similarly, Fitzgerald sets forth the image of ââ¬Å"notâ⬠rich by creating George and Myrtle Wilson. George and Myrtle are ââ¬Å"notâ⬠rich because they live in ââ¬Å"the Valley of Ashesâ⬠(23). George Wilson is the owner of a beaten-up car repair shop, and is described as a ââ¬Å"spiritless manâ⬠(25). Tom and Nick journeyed to the shop because Tom wanted to see Myrtle. The garage was sort of ââ¬Ëtrashyââ¬â¢ and described by Tom, a ââ¬Å"terrible placeâ⬠(25). The Wilsons are ââ¬Å"notâ⬠rich because they have no other means of bringing in money except from Georgeââ¬â¢s garage. His shop produces an average amount of income, where back in the 1920ââ¬â¢s was considered ââ¬Å"notâ⬠rich. By the relationships formed throughout the novel, Fitzgerald expresses that being in different classes does not uphold and troublesome relations, and that people can still be together. Fitzgerald shows this when he sets up Tom and Myrtleââ¬â¢s affair. The ââ¬Å"notâ⬠rich, according to Fitzgerald, never survives the American Dream. Finally, Jay Gatsby, originally known as James Gatz, is of the social class ââ¬Å"newâ⬠rich. Jay Gatsby has not always been rich. As a child, he was ââ¬Å"notâ⬠rich and he strived to earn more money as he grew with age. People he associated with, who attend his parties, describe him as a ââ¬Å"bootleggerâ⬠(61). A young lady said ââ¬Å"one time he killed a man who had found out that he was nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devilâ⬠(25). With his money, he threw numerous parties. He had orchestras, caterers, lights, everything extravagant and luxurious. Gatsby becomes very wealthy throughout his life, but it is unknown how. Even though Gatsby held luxurious parties, he was never well liked and never received Daisyââ¬â¢s attention. The wealth in Gatsbyââ¬â¢s life never made him a happier person and never truly satisfied him. Fitzgerald used Gatsby to symbolize the ââ¬Å"newâ⬠rich. The ââ¬Å"newâ⬠rich is hard to survive in due to overwhelming amounts of irregular income wealth. It takes a lot of time and effort to maintain that money because it comes untraditionally; the money is also unsecure and is not backed by any type of insurance. Gatsby did not end up surviving in the ââ¬Å"newâ⬠rich lifestyle. He finally realizes that ââ¬Ëmoney doesnââ¬â¢t buy happinessââ¬â¢. Fitzgerald uses his characters Tom, the Wilsons, and Gatsby in his novel The Great Gatsby to illustrate a detailed image of the American class system. He portrays that the only way to survive the American dream is to have secure wealth backing up oneââ¬â¢s life. Even working for oneââ¬â¢s earnings. And becoming rich does not guarantee survival, let alone the people who donââ¬â¢t become rich at all. Fitzgeraldââ¬â¢s point-of-view concludes that there is on one way to remain in existenceâ⬠¦ to be born rich.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment