An Analysis on The Great Gatsby
Francis Scott Fitzgerald once said “Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” Fitzgerald creates a story full of symbols including the American Dream, Dr. TJ Eckleberg Optometrist’s eye advertisement, the Valley of Ashes and the Green Light. The novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald embodies many themes; however the most significant one relates to the corruption of the American dream. The American Dream is defined as someone starting low on the economic or social level, and working hard towards prosperity and or wealth and fame. By having money, a car, a big house and having nice clothes this symbolizes the American dream. This dream also represents how people can become successful in their …show more content…
The first and most obvious group Fitzgerald attacks is the rich/ the american dream.This represents the idea of the American Dream, where qualities of hard work and ambition are shown. In many ways the social elite are correct. “New money” people cannot be like them and in many ways that works out in their favor. Those in the society’s highest echelon are not considered to be the nicest people. They are very judgmental, superficial, falling to look at the people around them. Their live their lives in such a way as to perpetuate their sense of superiority all though it is very unrealistic. The people with newly acquired wealth, though they are not necessarily much better. For example think of Gatsby’s partygoers. All they do is attend his parties, drink his liquor, eat his food, never once taking the time to even meet their host of the party. Also they never bother to wait for an invitation they just show up to the party. When Gatsby passed away, all the people that frequently came to his house every week mysteriously became very busy doing other things elsewhere. Meaning abandoning Gatsby when he could no longer do anything for them. Fitzgerald shows, however, their concerns are largely living for in …show more content…
The complete opposite of life in the West Egg and in New York.Valley of Ashes represents absolute poverty and hopelessness. “ This is a valley of ashes - a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of grey cars crawl along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak and comes to rest and immediately the ash - grey men which screens their obscure operations from your sight.”(Fitzgerald 20) Just as people with money, Fitzgerald uses the people with no money to convey a very strong message. Nick, however he comes from a family with a bit of wealth. Even though he does not have nearly the amount of capital of Gatsby or Tom. But in the end, though he shows himself how to be an honorable and principled man, which is way more than what Tom exhibits. Myrtle on the other hand is a different story. She comes from the middle class at her very best. She is trapped in the valley of ashes.Myrtle is not the only one in this boat. She spends days and nights trying to make it out of The Valley of Ashes. In fact Myrtle is very desperate to move up the social hierarchy. This leads to her having an
Francis Scott Fitzgerald once said “Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” Fitzgerald creates a story full of symbols including the American Dream, Dr. TJ Eckleberg Optometrist’s eye advertisement, the Valley of Ashes and the Green Light. The novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald embodies many themes; however the most significant one relates to the corruption of the American dream. The American Dream is defined as someone starting low on the economic or social level, and working hard towards prosperity and or wealth and fame. By having money, a car, a big house and having nice clothes this symbolizes the American dream. This dream also represents how people can become successful in their …show more content…
The first and most obvious group Fitzgerald attacks is the rich/ the american dream.This represents the idea of the American Dream, where qualities of hard work and ambition are shown. In many ways the social elite are correct. “New money” people cannot be like them and in many ways that works out in their favor. Those in the society’s highest echelon are not considered to be the nicest people. They are very judgmental, superficial, falling to look at the people around them. Their live their lives in such a way as to perpetuate their sense of superiority all though it is very unrealistic. The people with newly acquired wealth, though they are not necessarily much better. For example think of Gatsby’s partygoers. All they do is attend his parties, drink his liquor, eat his food, never once taking the time to even meet their host of the party. Also they never bother to wait for an invitation they just show up to the party. When Gatsby passed away, all the people that frequently came to his house every week mysteriously became very busy doing other things elsewhere. Meaning abandoning Gatsby when he could no longer do anything for them. Fitzgerald shows, however, their concerns are largely living for in …show more content…
The complete opposite of life in the West Egg and in New York.Valley of Ashes represents absolute poverty and hopelessness. “ This is a valley of ashes - a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of grey cars crawl along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak and comes to rest and immediately the ash - grey men which screens their obscure operations from your sight.”(Fitzgerald 20) Just as people with money, Fitzgerald uses the people with no money to convey a very strong message. Nick, however he comes from a family with a bit of wealth. Even though he does not have nearly the amount of capital of Gatsby or Tom. But in the end, though he shows himself how to be an honorable and principled man, which is way more than what Tom exhibits. Myrtle on the other hand is a different story. She comes from the middle class at her very best. She is trapped in the valley of ashes.Myrtle is not the only one in this boat. She spends days and nights trying to make it out of The Valley of Ashes. In fact Myrtle is very desperate to move up the social hierarchy. This leads to her having an