Analysis Of The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
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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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This ‘Is everything all right?’ he asked immediately. . . . I went out and opened it. Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes (Fitzgerald 54- 55).
This description of Gatsby reveals his fears and imperfections when it comes to meeting Daisy Buchanan. By this point he is no longer the collected man that he portrays himself to be at his parties, but rather he is trying to keep himself together at all. This passage shows that what Gatsby portrays himself as is nothing more than an act, and that in reality, he cannot shake the lack of self confidence that followed him from his childhood. One can see how in reality, Gatsby is not the elegant and wealthy man that many think him to be. 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
This ‘Is everything all right?’ he asked immediately. . . . I went out and opened it. Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes (Fitzgerald 54- 55).
This description of Gatsby reveals his fears and imperfections when it comes to meeting Daisy Buchanan. By this point he is no longer the collected man that he portrays himself to be at his parties, but rather he is trying to keep himself together at all. This passage shows that what Gatsby portrays himself as is nothing more than an act, and that in reality, he cannot shake the lack of self confidence that followed him from his childhood. One can see how in reality, Gatsby is not the elegant and wealthy man that many think him to be. 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