Comparison Of Characters In The Great Gatsby

Improved Essays
Correlation of Characters Many individuals around the world focus on making life a successful experience, With the important factors such as wealth, status, and fame are initially incorporated in the experience that is called the American Dream. Considering the correlation of the American Dream, In the novel Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald focal characters such as Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby present a satisfying demonstration of these expectations that influences their values to accomplish life-long goals. Fitzgerald illustrates these characters in a society located in the West and East Egg in Long Island. The area is described to be accommodated with individuals that are very successful and reach to be unsurpassed towards others of the society. …show more content…
In the novel, Tom is altered by the wealth and status in the society and chooses to express these motives towards others to impress his greatness with Daisy. Even though Tom was granted wealth from his family, he continues to achieve his way of self-fulfillment. Valuing his focus on society, Tom is challenged by Gatsby competition to achieve these motives for the love of Daisy. As Gatsby continually has parties his status increases in the society “I suppose you’ve got to make your house into a pigsty in order to have any friends”(Fitzgerald 137). Desecrated by Gatsby status, Tom’s pursuit for more status and wealth is paused by the impact of Daisy.
In the novel, Fitzgerald describes societal expectations as the importance to having the American Dream. Considering the correlation of the American Dream, The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald focal characters such as Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby present a satisfying demonstration of these expectations that influences their values to accomplish life-long goals. Many individuals such as these characters strive to achieve the American Dream in the modern society today, but societal standards that took place in Fitzgerald has changed to become more difficult to

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Great Gatsby illustrate a division in social class based on the characters’ family backgrounds. Several characters have their own goals and dreams, the American Dream. The American Dream is to be born to a world of equality, to have the same equal opportunity, and to achieve goals through hard work. The Great Gatsby present characters who tries to get more than they already have. Jay Gatsby, the protagonist in The Great Gatsby, wants more than being a janitor and a rich man; he throws parties every Saturdays to attract Daisy’s attention, but lost everything in the end.…

    • 1092 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In 1925 when F. Scott Fitzgerald first published the novel “The Great Gatsby” it sold a disappointing twenty one thousand copies. Today more than twenty five million copies of the have been sold world wide. Just like other American classics directors have taken their turn making timeless novels into major motion pictures. Forty nine years after the book was published Jack Clayton released the film “The Great Gatsby”. Now, American literature teachers are presented with the delim, weather or not watching the film would prove beneficial to students.…

    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Compare And Contrast Tom And Gatsby

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited

    Tom loves who she actually is. He may have many affairs, but he still loves her. During the novel Tom says: “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife” (99). In this quote Tom is saying that he still loves Daisy, despite his affairs, and that he will not stand by and be silent if his wife is sleeping around. So while Tom is in love with the real Daisy Gatsby loves the image of her that he has created over the past five years, since he last saw her.…

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Great Gatsby Dbq

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In the novel, The Great Gatsby, several characters such as Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Tom Buchanan all represent the American dream. Individuals were too consumed to materialism and used their goal of the American Dream as a way of physical comfort, thus demoralizing spiritual values. During this time period, every American was fighting for their rights; however, nothing seemed to change. Everyone treated each other like objects.…

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Tom reveals the origins of the source of wealth of Gatsby. He reveals he is a criminal who has engage in organized crime activities. But deeply, he cannot opt with the fact Daisy is leaving him with a man who Tom thinks is lesser than him. The criminal activities are just a front in Tom’s argument. It represents how he would not allow any person lesser than him to hold what he holds dear, control Daisy.…

    • 1381 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While Nick and Gatsby are on there way for lunch Nick feels that in the time his met Gatsby he has only spoken to him six time and finds him to be a person who “has little to say”. Then suddenly Gatsby brakes the silence while they are in the car by asking Nick “Look here old sport.” he broke out surprisingly “what’s your opinion of me, anytime?”(65) Gatsby although not very many know who he is seem to know and hear the conversations that people make up of him while at his parties. Gatsby has been seen as a character who is very mysterious from the beginning of the book and throughout his life.…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In the story of The Great Gatsby, there are four characters. The main character is Gatsby. He is rich, lives in West Egg New York, and throws parties that last all weekend long. Gatsby had a girlfriend that he loved before he left for war. His girlfriend promised him she would wait for him.…

    • 1089 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In every American story, there is an individual that seeks the American Dream in some sort of way. Particularly in the 1920s and 30s, there are many who made risky decisions based off of this dream. In the renowned novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays these ambitious decisions made through three different types of people. Social status, love, race, and gender play an important role and are the main decision-making factors in this novel. However,as well as there are hopes of pursuing this dream, there are threatening consequences that follow.…

    • 1491 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The True American Horror Story “The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it’s possible to achieve the American Dream” (Tommy Hilfiger). In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby illustrates an individual who, through his desire and his overwhelming sense of hope, earns the American Dream. However, this is distinctive to Tom Buchanan, who shows the benefits of being born into “old money”. During the 1920’s, everyone desired “new money” in order to acquire the same social and economic status as the generationally wealthy class. In The Great Gatsby, the desire to obtain the American Dream drastically impacts an individual 's perception to others.…

    • 1396 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    He believes that Daisy is attracted to Tom because of his wealth, and thinks that if he gains the same amount of wealth, Daisy will come back to him. Gatsby will stop at nothing to acquire the wealth…

    • 1799 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby narrates the story of a man, Jay Gatsby, and his perseverance to achieve his dream to win over his love, Daisy. Unfortunately, Gatsby’s life comes to an abrupt end, along with that dream. All of this is seen through the point of view of Nick Carraway, a man who moves to New York to learn about the bond business. The book takes place in the 1920s, a time of economic prosperity, with many people striving to achieve the American Dream. The American Dream is the ideal that Americans have the opportunity to achieve wealth and prosperity through hard work and dedication.…

    • 1230 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    American Dream: The Great Gatsby In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. S. Fitzgerald writes about a time period in American history where achieving anything was possible, at least that was the common belief. Not only does he describe the economic, social, and historical circumstances that drive his characters, but also a glimpse into the minds of the characters that they use as a way to justify their actions and motives. The most basic reason for the actions that take place in the course of the book is towards an idea that many people are familiar with. It’s the American Dream.…

    • 1111 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On the surface of the novel written by Scott F. Fitzgerald, one may say that "The Great Gatsby" illustrates a classic American story with a plot twist, having one of the preeminent characters pass in an abrupt and unforeseen way. However, underneath that very surface lies the resounding theme of the novel—The American Dream. "The Great Gatsby" is a pure symbolic reflection of America in the 1920s, depicting the effects of the sudden boom in the marketplace and the intensified materialistic views people gained. The American Dream in the novel is stripped of its ambition and gaiety once Fitzgerald spun a mordant critique of that particular decaying illusion in the society of the '20s, where people 's ethical significance was splintering, and their giddy greed for wealth and superfluous material items resulted in hedonism—which very well still happens today.…

    • 1357 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    This is presented through Daisy’s personification of the American dream, her choice of Tom over Gatsby, and Myrtle’s death. Fitzgerald draws from his own misfortunes to show that the promise of the American Dream is false. He died “believing himself a failure… and he seemed destined for literary obscurity” (Brucolli). Fitzgerald felt as if he failed in literature therefore he had a negative view for the American Dream, which he wasn’t able to fulfill. He used this pessimism of the American Dream as a backdrop for The Great Gatsby.…

    • 1390 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The main theme behind Fitzgerald’s literature is the demise of the American Dream. By examining his portrayal of the “elite society” it is very easy to perceive that the American Dream is no longer about hard work and dedication to reach success. Rather Fitzgerald argues that it has now become solely about manipulation to become materialistic and corrupt. For example, on the surface Jay Gatsby is perceived to be a successful man with a dashing personality, expensive clothes, and a luxurious mansion. But upon taking a look at how he attained all of those things he is the exact opposite of what the American Dream was originally about.…

    • 1396 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays