FREE ESSAY ON THE GREAT GATSBY

THE GREAT GATSBY

The Great Gatsby
I. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, born in St. Paul, Minnesota, grew up in an upper-middle
class family where he enjoyed the traditions of the upper classes, but not the financial
ability to uphold those practices. Fitzgerald acquired his fame, almost overnight, with
the publication of his first book, This Side of Paradise, in 1920. His extensive career
began with the writing of stories for mass-circulation magazines, such as The Saturday
Evening Post. That same year, he married Zelda Sayre, who later became one his major
influences on his writing, along with literature, Princeton, and alcohol. In the summer
of 1924, Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby, a novel about the American dream. This novel
was written in Fitzgerald's own time. The reader is able to see his insight and artistic
integrity in the way that which the novel is composed. He brings forth the values that he
embraced at least partially in his own life, such as materialism and the magic of wealth,
which are clearly placed in the characters of The Great Gatsby. The novel is almost a
paradox of his own biography: a unique materialism in which men attempt to create
happiness from material achievement. The novel received the most striking critical
appraisal, just as predicted by Fitzgerald. This honorary event marked the climax of his
fame, however, his reputation faded from then on. With the illness of his wife, he
reflected his experiences in his further work, such as Tender Is the Night. Some other
examples of his work include The Beautiful and Damned and The Love of the Last Tycoon. At
the age of forty-four, Fitzgerald dies of a heart attack. Since his death, critics have
come to see his work as a reflection of the American culture and of "The Twenties", a
noteworthy representation of his people that is saturated with meaning today. 
II. The story of Gatsby takes place in the 1920's, a time that began with the closing of
the bloodiest conflict the world had ever witnessed. The European society had suffered
spiritually from the effects of World War I, yet life in America became a time of
material demand. The twenties are best known as a decade when American business was
riding high and increases in productivity brought hundreds of new products within the
reach of the average consumer. The widespread impact of the stock market downturn
heightened the popular view of the importance of the economy during the 1920's. Americans
perceived business as the source of this new good life; thus, materialism grew. The fact
that The Great Gatsby takes place during the actual life of Scott Fitzgerald is very
significant to the story because in his world, the setting reveals the nature of the
characters. Much of the story is described about the West Egg and East Egg, two distinct
locations of Long Island. Tom and Daisy Buchanan, the primary examples of the stable
upper class, live in the wealthiest area of Long Island: East Egg. They are satisfied
with their inherited traditions and long-term financial situation. Tom and Daisy lack the
tastelessness that Gatsby is characteristic of. Jay Gatsby and Nick are residents of West
Egg; both have acquired wealth in their lives yet do not have the sheer intelligence
associated with prosperity. If looked at from a moral perspective, East Egg and West Egg
both carry a kind of individual fault, whether it is rudeness or emptiness. New York
City, home of the apartment of Tom's mistress and the Plaza Hotel, is where money is made
and where pleasure is gained. Parties and social events take place there. The story also
occurs in the home of Gatsby, a place that circulates a cycle of guests. The house is
both meaningless and bland, almost an illusion created by money. In general, the setting
is directly related to the main theme of the story: the American dream, in the sense that
each character, based on their residence, tries to prevail themselves greatly into the
faux realm of riches. 
III. The Great Gatsby is a story that depicts the American dream while, at the same time,
criticizes its values. Nick Carraway, the narrator, is introduced as a functioning
character of the book. He has moved form the Midwest to New York to learn the bond
business. He learns that Gatsby, his next-door neighbor, held a past relationship with
his cousin Daisy that eventually broke due to his shortfall of money. Daisy and Tom
invite Nick for dinner where he learns of Tom's affair with Myrtle. A short time after,
Nick meets Gatsby at one of his parties where they become friends. In a while, Nick finds
out that Gatsby is in need of a favor: Gatsby wishes to see Daisy to revive their
relationship from the past. Since Gatsby's main thrill in life was to ultimately impress
Daisy with his startling wealth, he was both terrified and eager to meet her at Nick's
place. They fall in love; oddly, Daisy is swayed by the amount of shirts he owns. Tom
develops a suspicion, and Gatsby realizes his relationship with Daisy is not the same.
The affair between Daisy and Gatsby comes out into the open during lunch at the
Buchanan's. Tom's jealousy is let loose when he initiates a fight with Gatsby, and he
forces Daisy to make a decision. Although she wishes to continue to enjoy both Tom and
Gatsby, she chooses Tom, and Gatsby's dream is over. At this time, Wilson discovers his
wife has been unfaithful, and Myrtle escapes. A car, of which Daisy was the driver, kills
her; Gatsby feels he must accept the blame for her. The crazed husband of Myrtle kills
Gatsby, assuming he was the driver, and then kills himself. Seemingly, the only person
who prepares a funeral for Gatsby is Nick. The others leave without any notice. Disgusted
by what he has seen, Nick realizes than a belief based on materialism shames the American
dream more than fulfills it. He moves back to the Middle West. 
The conflict between the traditional rich and the newly rich shows the horrific effects
of wealth. Each character bases his life around petty means, and is in conflict with each
other's illusions. Tom's wealth and Daisy's love for it surmount Gatsby's enduring dream,
the American dream: the misconception that happiness can be recaptured if only one can
make enough money. The practicality of it all is highly unlikely. When one bases his life
to the acquisition of money, all morals and realities are reduced to a realm of shallow
thoughts. This is clearly seen in Gatsby's failure to regain Daisy. Outside forces, such
fortune, money, and greed, interfere with the characters' goals. The outcome of the story
was fitting to the plot. Since the purpose of the novel is to demonstrate the failure of
a life based on materialism, the characters end up failing in becoming true beings of
their own will and power; money becomes their driving force. This scenario serves a
universal appeal to those whose only objective is money.
IV. Perhaps the best example of the superficial attitudes involved in materialism is
Daisy. She is lovely, delicate, and at the same time, arrogant. Daisy was born into her
wealth and knows no other life. Money is her main concern, just as Gatsby said her voice
rings with money. Both Tom and Gatsby want her in their lives. However, Tom does not
envision at her as a woman, but rather as a child. Hence, he has a mistress Myrtle who is
Daisy's complete opposite. Daisy possesses a cold heart with little concern for those
around her, especially Gatsby. She was very much in love with him in their early stages
of their past relationship, however she chose Tom, who has more money. Her attitude
toward Gatsby revolves around the superficial illusion of what he represents, not what he
truly is. As for Tom, he and Daisy are more partners in a world of wealth than husband
and wife. For that reason, she can never leave him for Gatsby, a West Egger. She wanders
off every so often when her emotions seep through the cracks of her soul, yet her
narrow-mindedness is brought back at the reminder of her husband. She is pulled away from
Gatsby as the pressure of Tom, for she will never appreciate a life without wealth. Her
perception of life lacks real moral values, as demonstrated by her superficial actions to
numb herself to her husband's infidelity. In the outcome, Daisy destroys Gatsby's goal,
for she herself stands for the corrupted vision of distorted goals. Unfortunately, Daisy
never realizes her problem of shallowness. Still married to Tom, she flees to New York at
the death of Gatsby, living her life as an "obedient" wife. Being put in the setting of
the story, I would have not acted as Daisy. The story has taught me how insignificant a
life based on improper morals is. I would have followed my true initial feelings, in this
case, love for Gatsby. A life based on materialistic aspects is a waste of time; the
person is not drawn to the qualities of the other person, but rather his possessions. 
V. Certainly the most central theme of The Great Gatsby is the American dream, or even
further, its failure. The genuine American dream is a romantic expectation, a belief in
the possibility of achieving goals and pleasure with hard work and dedication. However,
this dream corrupts itself in the person of Gatsby. Fitzgerald's purpose in writing this
novel was to demonstrate the path of this perception, and how it was overcome by the
vulgar interest in wealth. Fame, money, reputation, and excitement are symbolic of the
life of the characters. Fitzgerald criticizes the fact that the power of society was
solely dedicated to gain excesses of capital. The theme of the corruption of value is a
main concern. The lives of the Buchanans, filled with material comforts and luxuries, and
empty of purpose, represents this condition. Another theme that is closely related with
materialism is the discovery of oneself. The Great Gatsby is a paradox. Gatsby was
neither great nor Gatsby; his real name was Gatz. This invention of a new soul is purely
to obtain his dream: Daisy. He never discovered the real Gatz and the capabilities of his
true spirit. "Gatsby" was clearly driven by money, and he was led to failure. Ultimately,
his dream lives on, and even at the time of his death, Gatsby holds on to his faith. His
dream is so strong that it can uphold itself in any case. Hence, a third theme develops:
the need for hope and dreams to give meaning to man's efforts. Striving towards some
ideal is the way by which man can feel a sense of his own identity. The reader is able to
grasp these concepts easily, and is left with one concern: Is it possible to love Gatsby
and be critical of his dream at the same time? It is possible to love Gatsby for his
strength and unselfish nature, yet still criticize him for his self-delusion. The
disappointing mood of the book is constantly being maintained with the blindness of the
characters. Even Gatsby never truly sees Daisy or himself, so blinded is he by his dream.
Tom's affair along with Daisy and Wilson's shows how unreal the material world is without
necessary humane elements.