Written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby traces the upward social mobility of Jay Gatsby and his desire to regain Daisy’s love during the Roaring Twenties. After World War I, more than half of the American population lived in urban areas, and the culture of the cities depended on popular habits of mass consumption that increasingly undermined the rigid moral codes of rural America, especially of the Midwest. As part of the Lost Generation, Fitzgerald reveals his disillusionment with the excess consumer culture by his use of physical geographies that metaphorically reveal the moral decadence of the society and sensationalize the tension between the prevailing Western ideals and the traditional Eastern values.
Fitzgerald depicts …show more content…
For one, Gatsby’s association with Meyer Wolfsheim, who “fixed the World’s Series” and “bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores” distinguishes him as a bootlegger in the West Egg, indicative of the rise of gangsters who sought to pursue get-rich-quick schemes by the illegal selling of alcohol during Prohibition Era (73, 133). Moreover, wealth had been the primary reason that Gatsby wanted to forgo his relationship with Daisy, as seen when he declares that he wanted to “take what he could and go” (149). In addition to his accumulation of wealth, Gatsby’s use of money also insinuates the characteristics of West Egg. His ownership of a mansion with Gothic characteristics of “Hôtel de Ville in Normandy” and a swimming pool as well as his purchases of vivid shirts originate from his consumption of modern products which the West Egg potently represents (5). Although Gatsby’s modern affluence ensues from his accumulation of wealth through corrupt practices, the mass-producing economy of the 1920s facilitated an aura whereby modern merchandise in the West Egg rivaled the East Egg’s preset …show more content…
Sandwiched between two materialistic areas, the Valley of Ashes constitutes a lifeless region “where ashes take forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke...” (23). More importantly, the contrast between the “spasms of black dust” and the bright “flicker” of the city further highlights the decadence of all characters in this society (23, 68). While the valley, at its most basic level, symbolizes the “gray” consequences of uncontrolled consumption, the definition of the valley can be extended to represent the working class, specifically to the Wilson family (23). Just as the Valley of Ashes is the filthy victim of the consumer culture, both George and Myrtle are victims of the materialistic aristocrats. Unlike the other characters, the Wilsons do not and cannot live up to the high societal standards characteristic of the rich. For one, George Wilson’s automobile garage situated in the barren valley functionally serves as a microcosm of the dire consequences associated with driving automobiles. Although automobiles allow for a far superior feeling of individualism, this liberation comes at a cost. Not only does Wilson have to indirectly “repair” society by fixing broken vehicles in a desolate area, but he also has to live through the traumatizing death of his wife. Whereas George
Fitzgerald depicts …show more content…
For one, Gatsby’s association with Meyer Wolfsheim, who “fixed the World’s Series” and “bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores” distinguishes him as a bootlegger in the West Egg, indicative of the rise of gangsters who sought to pursue get-rich-quick schemes by the illegal selling of alcohol during Prohibition Era (73, 133). Moreover, wealth had been the primary reason that Gatsby wanted to forgo his relationship with Daisy, as seen when he declares that he wanted to “take what he could and go” (149). In addition to his accumulation of wealth, Gatsby’s use of money also insinuates the characteristics of West Egg. His ownership of a mansion with Gothic characteristics of “Hôtel de Ville in Normandy” and a swimming pool as well as his purchases of vivid shirts originate from his consumption of modern products which the West Egg potently represents (5). Although Gatsby’s modern affluence ensues from his accumulation of wealth through corrupt practices, the mass-producing economy of the 1920s facilitated an aura whereby modern merchandise in the West Egg rivaled the East Egg’s preset …show more content…
Sandwiched between two materialistic areas, the Valley of Ashes constitutes a lifeless region “where ashes take forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke...” (23). More importantly, the contrast between the “spasms of black dust” and the bright “flicker” of the city further highlights the decadence of all characters in this society (23, 68). While the valley, at its most basic level, symbolizes the “gray” consequences of uncontrolled consumption, the definition of the valley can be extended to represent the working class, specifically to the Wilson family (23). Just as the Valley of Ashes is the filthy victim of the consumer culture, both George and Myrtle are victims of the materialistic aristocrats. Unlike the other characters, the Wilsons do not and cannot live up to the high societal standards characteristic of the rich. For one, George Wilson’s automobile garage situated in the barren valley functionally serves as a microcosm of the dire consequences associated with driving automobiles. Although automobiles allow for a far superior feeling of individualism, this liberation comes at a cost. Not only does Wilson have to indirectly “repair” society by fixing broken vehicles in a desolate area, but he also has to live through the traumatizing death of his wife. Whereas George