In the Great Gatsby, characters are enchanted by the American Dream, thinking the American Dream is achievable. The 1920’s include dramatic social changes, such as the rising of social classes. Glorifying the American Dream leads people to become meretricious. Jay Gatsby, the main character, seeks glory and fame by creating a facade. Gatsby’s extravagant parties lead people to believe he obtains the American Dream. In reality, Gatsby becomes meretricious and corrupted by the dream. In the novel, Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the meretricious illusion of the American Dream is covering up ugly corruption and the demise of the people who try to reach it.
First, Fitzgerald represents the meretricious illusion of the American Dream through …show more content…
Through his transformation from James Gatz to the wealthy Jay Gatsby, Gatsby becomes valueless and worthless. For example, Gatsby throws elegant parties that are the talk of the town. Hundreds of people from both West Egg and East Egg, show up by the dozens to drink, dance. By the end of the night, the glamorous party guests are, in fact, quite shallow, becoming valueless. At first, the parties seem lavish and incredible, but as time progresses, the guests behave as if they are at an amusement park, leading to disintegration. Nick describes the scene of Gatsby’s party, “Most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands…” (56). This quote shows the disintegration of the party, because the husband and women by the end are bored and unsatisfied. Even though there’s an unlimited supply of food and alcohol for the guests, ultimately at the end of the night they’re unsatisfied. They come to Gatsby’s parties to escape the mundane world, but end up feeling the same. Concluding, that even Gatsby’s extravagant parties aren’t enough for the guests to feel fulfilled when they leave. The quote supports the theme, because even though Gatsby’s parties are lavish, the disintegration supports that his glamorous parties are just an illusion, and people aren’t actually enjoying …show more content…
He corrupted himself by making money through bootlegging and creating a fake background for himself which ultimately ended up making him a valueless man. For example, when Gatsby is telling people about his past he lies and Nick senses it, "...elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd. Some time before he introduced himself I’d got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care.” (53) This quote shows that Gatsby is indeed corrupt and that the people around him have nothing to do with his corruption or valuelessness. The quote shows that Gatsby’s fake facade is flawed, because Nick sensed it was “rehearsed” as if he was prepared his whole life for it. Therefore, proving that Gatsby created himself and that he created the meretriciousness that he became. He lied about the background that he came from, he lied about how he made his money when achieving the American Dream. But in the end he created himself, who is a meretricious and ultimately worthless man.
Throughout the Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is used as a symbol of the illusion and corruption of chasing after the valueless and meretricious American Dream. No matter how hard he tries to prove his false facade of the American Dream, only to become corrupted by it. Fitzgerald shows the readers that the American Dream may seem luxurious and glamorous, but in reality it is not. It is a meretricious dream that can
First, Fitzgerald represents the meretricious illusion of the American Dream through …show more content…
Through his transformation from James Gatz to the wealthy Jay Gatsby, Gatsby becomes valueless and worthless. For example, Gatsby throws elegant parties that are the talk of the town. Hundreds of people from both West Egg and East Egg, show up by the dozens to drink, dance. By the end of the night, the glamorous party guests are, in fact, quite shallow, becoming valueless. At first, the parties seem lavish and incredible, but as time progresses, the guests behave as if they are at an amusement park, leading to disintegration. Nick describes the scene of Gatsby’s party, “Most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands…” (56). This quote shows the disintegration of the party, because the husband and women by the end are bored and unsatisfied. Even though there’s an unlimited supply of food and alcohol for the guests, ultimately at the end of the night they’re unsatisfied. They come to Gatsby’s parties to escape the mundane world, but end up feeling the same. Concluding, that even Gatsby’s extravagant parties aren’t enough for the guests to feel fulfilled when they leave. The quote supports the theme, because even though Gatsby’s parties are lavish, the disintegration supports that his glamorous parties are just an illusion, and people aren’t actually enjoying …show more content…
He corrupted himself by making money through bootlegging and creating a fake background for himself which ultimately ended up making him a valueless man. For example, when Gatsby is telling people about his past he lies and Nick senses it, "...elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd. Some time before he introduced himself I’d got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care.” (53) This quote shows that Gatsby is indeed corrupt and that the people around him have nothing to do with his corruption or valuelessness. The quote shows that Gatsby’s fake facade is flawed, because Nick sensed it was “rehearsed” as if he was prepared his whole life for it. Therefore, proving that Gatsby created himself and that he created the meretriciousness that he became. He lied about the background that he came from, he lied about how he made his money when achieving the American Dream. But in the end he created himself, who is a meretricious and ultimately worthless man.
Throughout the Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is used as a symbol of the illusion and corruption of chasing after the valueless and meretricious American Dream. No matter how hard he tries to prove his false facade of the American Dream, only to become corrupted by it. Fitzgerald shows the readers that the American Dream may seem luxurious and glamorous, but in reality it is not. It is a meretricious dream that can