Type of Work . The Great Gatsby is a novel of tragedy. In ancient Greek literature, a tragedy involved the downfall of a noble character with a tragic flaw (called hamartia). The Great Gatsby records the downfall of two characters with at least some noble characteristics: Gatsby and American society. Their tragic flaws are naive idealism and corrupt behavior. The Great Gatsby was Fitzgerald’s third […]

Daisy says these words as she describes to Nick and Jordan her hopes for her young daughter. Daisy is not a fool herself but because of her surroundings intelligent women are not viewed as valuable. Opposite of the older generation, the younger generation enjoys the thoughtless minds of the young and vulnerable women only seeking pleasure and not those that cater to their needs. Daisy’s […]

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The American Dream—A Road to Immorality “‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (New International Bible, Genesis 3:4-5). The prevalence of temptation and immorality has been present from the beginning of time. In the Biblical sense, it was […]

Fitzgerald uses Nick to introduce the readers to the evolution of ‘James Gatz’ to Gatsby. Straight away Nick is telling the story in retrospect, once again which is an indication that the narrative is based more on his thoughts and interpretations than facts – meaning his reliability can’t always be trusted, and starts the chapter about Gatsby straight away and how there is an ‘ambitious […]

The conclusion of Nick’s account of his experiences ends in chapter 9. The final section, on pages 148-9 is a very effective and evocative ending to the novel. It is rich with metaphorical representations which Fitzgerald deliberately implements in order to create emotion and an intricately intimate aura in order for the reader (back in the time of publication) to identify and understand the ‘big […]

In Chapter 1, the narrator introduces himself as Nick Carraway and talks about himself and his father. He describes himself as tolerant but fails to realizes his views are very biased and speaks with pity to those who “haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had,” as his father says. Nick comes from a well-known Mid-Western family, and graduated from Yale (as his ancestors have) in […]

This extract establishes both the physical and symbolic values of the setting in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It also provides us with the traits of the characters in the novel in relation to the thematic focus. The setting is also symbolic of Fritzgerald’s satire of 1920s New York lifestyle , particularly emphasizing on the American dream , social class and money. Prior […]

Gatsby Essay Honors English II Asura Louise Osborne In the 1920’s, the world was full of new inventions, dances, and drinks. The standards of even the most rigorously structured social classes were changed, allowing the rich to cut loose and throw elaborate and entertaining parties. Every day, the world was changing for the better. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work “The Great Gatsby” reflects these ideas, […]

In Gatsby’s conversation with Nick, Gatsby, who has many belittling rumors surrounding him, tries to get Nick to sympathize with him by describing himself as a nice person who has gone through “hard” times, but his attempts are unsuccessful. Because of the rumors, Nick wants to know more about Gatsby because, “[He] had talked with him perhaps six times in the past month and found, […]