John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life.” This small but powerful quote describes the trends in the 1920’s, shown in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This era was a time of change from the traditional values and culture of America, whether this was for good or for bad. The Great Gatsby reflects the trends of the 1920’s through the transformation of James Gatz, the differences between the houses in West Egg and East Egg, and the unflattering picture of the era. Fitzgerald conveys a message warning against the perils of materialism during the course of the novel.
First, his transformation of James Gatz to Jay Gatsby shows the trends of the decade because of the determination he had for wealth and luxury. James lived a simple life in North Dakota, but he wanted to create a lifestyle that followed the ideal “American Dream” from the 1920s. He was drawn to the possibility of glamour and wealth that became popular in the era; this is shown with the to-do list Gatsby wrote in his copy of Hopalong Cassidy. Also, the friction between West Egg and East Egg demonstrates the cultural differences of the era. East Egg is typically home to families with “old money,” and living aristocratic-like lives, whereas West Egg is home to those who were working for “new money.” East Egg represents …show more content…
Even though the novel does show the American Dream as a challenge of hard work, it also focuses on the importance of owning material goods and having prosperous wealth. Gatsby may have achieved his goal of wealth, but the material life he surrounds himself by lead to an empty happiness that was never completely fulfilled. He continues throwing lavish parties and living in a magnificent mansion, but he was never content. Instead he was always searching for more. Here, Steinbeck is making a point that wealth and material items do not guarantee
First, his transformation of James Gatz to Jay Gatsby shows the trends of the decade because of the determination he had for wealth and luxury. James lived a simple life in North Dakota, but he wanted to create a lifestyle that followed the ideal “American Dream” from the 1920s. He was drawn to the possibility of glamour and wealth that became popular in the era; this is shown with the to-do list Gatsby wrote in his copy of Hopalong Cassidy. Also, the friction between West Egg and East Egg demonstrates the cultural differences of the era. East Egg is typically home to families with “old money,” and living aristocratic-like lives, whereas West Egg is home to those who were working for “new money.” East Egg represents …show more content…
Even though the novel does show the American Dream as a challenge of hard work, it also focuses on the importance of owning material goods and having prosperous wealth. Gatsby may have achieved his goal of wealth, but the material life he surrounds himself by lead to an empty happiness that was never completely fulfilled. He continues throwing lavish parties and living in a magnificent mansion, but he was never content. Instead he was always searching for more. Here, Steinbeck is making a point that wealth and material items do not guarantee