Setting and symbol greatly impact the audience’s response to a particular text. The Great Gatsby was written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald during a period of hedonism and disillusionment—or otherwise known as the Roaring 20s. The novel follows the narration of Nick Carraway as he explores the world of upper-class Americans—mostly, a mysterious billionaire named Jay Gatsby. In the 1920’s, the “tempo of the city had changed” all across North America; the people were getting rich, the dresses were getting short and the morals were getting loose. The 20s also showed the birth of the American Dream, a deeply rooted idea amongst the American’s that means that despite where you were born or where you come from you have equal opportunities to achieve
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Gatsby’s mansion is next door to Nick’s humble little cottage and is owned by the peculiar, but rich, Mr. Jay Gatsby. First described in chapter 1 as “factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy” the audience immediately sees that the mansion isn’t an original, but rather a copy of a grand hotel. The Hôtel de Ville, a real landmark, is often referred to as a “meeting place”, showing that Gatsby’s mansion wasn’t a home but rather a place where people met but did not live. The mansion is again mentioned and Nick says that “[M]en and women came and went like months[-]”. Both these quotes lead to the fact that the mansion was grand but lonely, an empty copycat. This symbolises the time period, the 1920s. The 1920s was all about seeking wealth and going after human wants, so much that it forgot all about human needs. For example, a home. It wasn’t until later that it was understood that consuming everything didn’t allow a healthy functioning society. Humans couldn’t live that luxurious lifestyle without losing a part of themselves they needed. Which is represented through Gatsby also dying in his grand “colossal affair”, symbolising that the nature of humans in this era would only lead to inevitable death. In addition, the audience can see how the 20s wasn’t really grand, but a time of decay for the American people and their society. Setting and symbolism of Gatsby’s mansion in the novel The Great Gatsby show the audience the grandeur and desolation of the Roaring
Gatsby’s mansion is next door to Nick’s humble little cottage and is owned by the peculiar, but rich, Mr. Jay Gatsby. First described in chapter 1 as “factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy” the audience immediately sees that the mansion isn’t an original, but rather a copy of a grand hotel. The Hôtel de Ville, a real landmark, is often referred to as a “meeting place”, showing that Gatsby’s mansion wasn’t a home but rather a place where people met but did not live. The mansion is again mentioned and Nick says that “[M]en and women came and went like months[-]”. Both these quotes lead to the fact that the mansion was grand but lonely, an empty copycat. This symbolises the time period, the 1920s. The 1920s was all about seeking wealth and going after human wants, so much that it forgot all about human needs. For example, a home. It wasn’t until later that it was understood that consuming everything didn’t allow a healthy functioning society. Humans couldn’t live that luxurious lifestyle without losing a part of themselves they needed. Which is represented through Gatsby also dying in his grand “colossal affair”, symbolising that the nature of humans in this era would only lead to inevitable death. In addition, the audience can see how the 20s wasn’t really grand, but a time of decay for the American people and their society. Setting and symbolism of Gatsby’s mansion in the novel The Great Gatsby show the audience the grandeur and desolation of the Roaring