During the height of the Roaring Twenties, Americans were overwhelmed by the rise of a modern consumer culture. The growth in the opportunity to buy cars, hair dryers, and even sliced bread generated much more of an excitement than anything like it had ever before. Along with this new buzz came an even larger change in the distribution of wealth in the United States, and the changing of how people valued themselves. Often during this time people thought that money, fame, or power equaled self worth, with many of the newly wealthy thinking that extravagant spending would help them build their confidence and social standing. Jay Gatsby from “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of these people. Due to his lack of self confidence,
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When Nick agrees to allow Gatsby his reunion with Daisy, Gatsby immediately casts disappointment on Nick’s home, because he does not make the same attempts that Gatsby does to hide his inner flaws. Instead of being grateful towards Nick for arranging tea, he looks and says to Nick with reluctance, “‘ I want to get the grass cut’ he said. We both looked down at the grass - there was a sharp line where my ragged lawn ended and the darker, well kept expense of his began. I suspected that he meant my grass” (Fitzgerald 52- 53). Gatsby does not think that Nick’s home is fit for meeting Daisy, and along with sending a gardener to cut Nick’s grass, he also has a greenhouse sent over with “ innumerable receptacles to contain it” (Fitzgerald 54). Gatsby’s blatant disbelief in the value of humanity is on display throughout the arrangement of his meeting, showing how he belittles not only himself, but everyone that is not up to his standards as well. By doing this he not only reveals what he is to the reader, but more importantly he also shows the lengths he will go to make his past fantasies of a life with Daisy into an inconceivable …show more content…
Because of his insecurities and diffident personality, he is only a cowardice man putting on a facade. The lack of regard he gives to himself and other people without wealth in his situation, the rudeness he shows to Nick in regard to Daisy, and the meeting where he finally admits his self conscious attitude all show how Jay Gatsby represents the stereotypical wealth from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s time. John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and other men like Gatsby were far too noticed during their time, and still are today. Just as these men made their millions in less than legal ways, and managed to have a permanent long lasting impact, Gatsby holds an individual impact on us as well. He forces humanity to look at what we value, how we treat others, and if our lives truly hold any value, or if we are just simply the Jay Gatsby of our own
When Nick agrees to allow Gatsby his reunion with Daisy, Gatsby immediately casts disappointment on Nick’s home, because he does not make the same attempts that Gatsby does to hide his inner flaws. Instead of being grateful towards Nick for arranging tea, he looks and says to Nick with reluctance, “‘ I want to get the grass cut’ he said. We both looked down at the grass - there was a sharp line where my ragged lawn ended and the darker, well kept expense of his began. I suspected that he meant my grass” (Fitzgerald 52- 53). Gatsby does not think that Nick’s home is fit for meeting Daisy, and along with sending a gardener to cut Nick’s grass, he also has a greenhouse sent over with “ innumerable receptacles to contain it” (Fitzgerald 54). Gatsby’s blatant disbelief in the value of humanity is on display throughout the arrangement of his meeting, showing how he belittles not only himself, but everyone that is not up to his standards as well. By doing this he not only reveals what he is to the reader, but more importantly he also shows the lengths he will go to make his past fantasies of a life with Daisy into an inconceivable …show more content…
Because of his insecurities and diffident personality, he is only a cowardice man putting on a facade. The lack of regard he gives to himself and other people without wealth in his situation, the rudeness he shows to Nick in regard to Daisy, and the meeting where he finally admits his self conscious attitude all show how Jay Gatsby represents the stereotypical wealth from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s time. John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and other men like Gatsby were far too noticed during their time, and still are today. Just as these men made their millions in less than legal ways, and managed to have a permanent long lasting impact, Gatsby holds an individual impact on us as well. He forces humanity to look at what we value, how we treat others, and if our lives truly hold any value, or if we are just simply the Jay Gatsby of our own