Suppose you wanted to analyze the importance of cars in The Great Gatsby. Copyright 2023 - IvyPanda is operated by, American Culture in the Novel The Great Gatsby. He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray. As such, the Great Gatsby era is the period in 20th century U.S. history nicknamed both the "Roaring 20s" and the "Jazz Age." The first nickname points to America's post-WWI economic prosperity and the country's greater influence abroad. | The culture of the wealthy Americans represented in the novel was defined mainly by consumerism and excessive Additionally, places and objects in The Great Gatsby have meaning only because characters instill them with meaning: the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg best exemplify this idea. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. This article will guide you through the historical, economic, and social movements of the 1920's as they relate to events, themes, and characters in The Great Gatsby. As an example, let's look briefly at Myrtle. Obsession In The Great Gatsby And Frankenstein . You'll also receive an email with the link. The Great Gatsby, Third novel by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925. You need wealth, the more the better, to win over the object of your desire. This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. A Comprehensive Guide. "There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. Set in the year 1922, the novel occurs during the thriving period of prosperity in America where materialism set the tone of society as reflected by the main characters economic successes. Why does Myrtle run out in front of Gatsbys car? Jay Gatsby is one of the main characters In The Great Gatsby. In the novel, he later relocates to New York where he gets involved in bond business. What Does The Great Gatsbys Ending Mean? But, in 1917, the U.S. was pulled into the fighting, fearing an alliance between Germany and Mexico. . This term paper on American Culture in the Novel The Great Gatsby was written and submitted by your fellow On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city, between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains. Readers may end the novel wondering if the American Dream is actually attainable at all. Unfortunately, with regard to The Great Gatsby, this dream dwindled, as materialism, consumerism, and the culture of loosening social morals became the order of the day in the 1920s America. (9.146). Industrial Market Structure and Economic Performance. The novels narrator illustrates well the increased consumerist culture. She indeed admires East Eggs people with mega envy together with intense animosity. Tragically, Myrtle is hit and killed that evening by Daisy. One of the major topics explored in The Great Gatsby is the sociology of wealth, specifically, how the newly minted millionaires of the 1920s differ from and relate to the old aristocracy of the countrys richest families. As discussed above, moneyand specifically having inherited moneynot only guarantees a certain social class, it guarantees safety and privilege: Tom and Daisy can literally live by different rules than other, less-wealthy people. Such symbols reflect social challenges such as corruption that arose from the emergence of materialist and capitalist cultures. Also seen throughout The Great Gatsby is the flapper culture. Why Did Gatsby Fail to Achieve the American Dream? She was not able to endure being at a disadvantage, and given this unwillingness, supposedly she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was unusually young in order to keep that fresh insolent smile turned to the world, and yet satisfy the demands of her hard jaunty body (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli 63). Curious to see how much Daisy and Myrtle's struggle for more echoes the lives of real women? For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! "It's full of". ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? 22 Apr. In this novel, actual mountain climbing is safer than social climbing. (2022, August 12). However, Fitzgerald illustrates the price of prosperity as he portrays its negative effects such as the greed, lies, and deceit the characters possess in order to satirize the selfish way many were choosing to live. Why does Gatsby arrange for Nick to have lunch with Jordan Baker? Though all of its action takes place over a mere few months during the summer of 1922 and is set in a circumscribed . However, while Nick is wealthy, he is nowhere near as wealthy as the Buchanans or Gatsbyhe expresses surprise both that Tom is able to afford bringing ponies from Lake Forest ("It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that" (1.16), and that Gatsby was able to buy his own mansion ("But young men didn'tat least in my provincial inexperience I believed they didn'tdrift coolly out of nowhere and buy a palace on Long Island Sound" (3.88)), despite the fact they are all about 30 years old. Modernism was all about breaking with the past. What trench warfare looked like. Being dishonest makes her (Jordan) incredibly uncomfortable with life. The post-war boom also had a positive effect on minorities in the U.S. One of the effects was thatJewish Americanswere atthe forefront of promoting such issues as workers rights, civil rights, woman's rights, and other progressive causes. Myrtles affair with Tom is her approach of taking advantage of him to reach an extravagant lifestyle, Daisy allows Gatsby to take the blame for Myrtles death without regret, and Gatsby changes his whole name and way of life in order to feel personally accomplished; all eventually realize that the happiness they expected to receive in the end resulted in misery, especially with the deaths of Myrtle and Gatsby. 2022. The journey to reaching a fulfilling life and the American Dream came with struggles, and many people resorted to crime and dishonest behavior as a way to circumvent their actual problems. They even went to the extent of assimilating masculine ways and fashions into their lifestyles. Additionally, the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, which banned the sale of alcohol, created a thriving underworld designed to satisfy the massive demand for bootleg liquor among rich and poor alike. I'd never understood before. For instance, inThe Great Gatsby, it's taken for granted that the Jewish gangster Meyer Wolfshiem would need the WASP-y face of Jay Gatsby to make some of his deals, since Wolfshiem wouldn't have been allowed to join or participate important political and business networks. Despite not being as wealthy as Tom and Daisy, his second cousin, they see him as enough of a peer to invite him to their home in Chapter 1. Show how each instance reveals Tom or Daisy's carelessness, and how those instances thus foreshadow the bigger tragedyMyrtle's death at Daisy's hands, followed by Tom's manipulation of George to kill Gatsby. When describing Gatsbys parties, Caraways says that there was frequent musical noise emanating for his neighbors house throughout all nights in summer (Zeitz 22). Fitzgerald illustrates the era of Prohibition by displaying Gatsbys flagrant misuse of the law, which only results in his own demise and failure as he perishes the same way he entered the city of New York with himself being his only true friend. New York, NY: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2000. Myrtle mentions this with regard to her husband, George, whom she mistook for someone of better breeding and hence greater prospects: I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasnt fit to lick my shoe. Similarly, Gatsbys pursuit of Daisy is bound up with class. student. SparkNotes PLUS In the contemporary phenomenon of "Gatsby parties"festivities intended to capture the air of the titular Jay Gatsby's famously lavish, bacchanalian partiesjazz is de rigueur to evoke the 1920s. In spite of this, Gatsby is actually more ignored and used as opposed to honored. Money (or the lack of it!) Discount, Discount Code In Nicks mind, the ability to create meaningful symbols constitutes a central component of the American dream, as early Americans invested their new nation with their own ideals and values. Indeed, Tom Buchanan believes that he needs additional power and influence despite being already powerful and blessed with a beautiful daughter and wife. Nick's connection to Daisy in turn makes him attractive to Gatsby. All rights reserved. F. Scott Fitzgerald, though he didn't actually see any fighting during his time in the army, was a member of this generation. For instance, rumors exist that Gatsby is involved in the importation and ferrying of illegal liquor amid the existing ban. IvyPanda, 12 Aug. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/american-culture-in-the-novel-the-great-gatsby/. Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream. After all, her voice is "full of moneythat was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. August 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/american-culture-in-the-novel-the-great-gatsby/. Meanwhile, Tom's mistress Myrtle, a car mechanic's wife, puts on airs and tries to pass as rich through her affair with Tom, but her involvement with the Buchanans gets her killed. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. After all, Tom's money secures her fancy apartment and allows her to lord it over her guests and play at sophistication, even while Nick looks down his nose at her. Ironically enough, Nick resides in West Egg while Tom and Daisy reside in East Egg, this being analogous to where they find their moral values and happiness. Jordan temporarily flouts expectations by ""[running] around the country," (1.134) playing golf, and not being in a hurry to marrya freedom that she is allowed because of her money, not in spite of it. In The Great Gatsby, money is a huge motivator in the characters' relationships, motivations, and outcomes. F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, written in 1925, depicts a portion of Nick Carraways life characterized by the time he is influenced by the mysterious Jay Gatsby and his extensive pursuit of his former flame and Nicks cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Russian allies France and England were pulled in to defend Russia. Development Arrested. Purchasing . Although her husband is immensely loyal to her, she possesses a strong desire to have everything else. Wealth, Class, and Society For this prompt, you can explore earlier examples of Tom's carelessness (breaking Myrtle's nose, his behavior in the hotel scene, letting Daisy and Gatsby drive back to Long Island after the fight in the hotel) as well as Daisy's (throwing a fit just before her wedding but going through with it, kissing Gatsby with her husband in the next room). By Matthew Walther Mr. Walther is the editor of The Lamp, a Catholic literary journal, and a . We touched on this a bit with the quotes, but all of the characters can be analyzed from the point of view of their wealth and/or how materialistic they are. The 1920s marked a key time of change in the social status of women as so called flappers defied the traditional norms for conduct and dress, and women finally received the right to vote (The Great Gatsby Novels 74). The various social climbers and ambitious speculators who attend Gatsbys parties evidence the greedy scramble for wealth. Our introduction to Tom and Daisy immediately describes them as rich, bored, and privileged. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? Mining the text for a character's attitude toward money can be a very helpful way to understand their motivations in the world of 1920s New York. (1.4), "My own house was an eye-sore, but it was a small eye-sore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor's lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionairesall for eighty dollars a month. How does Tom find out about the affair between Gatsby and Daisy? Imagine spending weeks in this hole in the ground. The novel includes Nick's anti-Semitic description of a Jewish character - Meyer Wolfshiem. In the monied world of The Great Gatsby, class influences all aspects of life, and especially love. Scott Fitzgerald mentions in her novel an incident of prohibition of sale and the production of liquor to tame youths who had become overindulged in alcoholism. Web. Free trial is available to new customers only. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Great Gatsby! Daisy is coercive and manipulative. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Everyone who comes to the parties is attracted by Gatsby's money and wealth, making the culture of money-worship a society-wide trend in the novel, not just something our main characters fall victim to. This speaks to her materialism and how, in her world, a certain amount of wealth is a barrier to entry for a relationship (friendship or more). Why is Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby a Satire? You can use them for inspiration, an insight into a particular topic, a handy source of reference, or even just as a template of a certain type of paper. "American Culture in the Novel "The Great Gatsby"." Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: PrepScholar 2013-2018. Fitzgerald carefully sets up his novel into distinct groups but, in the end, each group has its own problems to contend with, leaving a powerful reminder of what a precarious place the world really is. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Anne Marie Hacht. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! If Nick were just a middle-class everyman, the story could not play out in the same way. Selling alcohol was accomplished in many ways, including throughspeakeasies - basically, underground social clubs. So while Daisy is materialistic and is drawn to Gatsby again due to his newly-acquired wealth, we see Gatsby is drawn to her as well due to the money and status she represents. She even adopts a different persona among her guests: "The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur. Few characters in literature or indeed life embody an era quite so tenaciously as Jay Gatsby does the Jazz Age. Although she is a famous player of golf, she can do anything on the loose to have her right always. This marked a shift both in how black culture was understood and appreciated by the rest of the country and in how womens rights were progressing, as well discuss in the next sections. If you analyze a character through this theme, make sure to explain: #2: How money/materialism drives their choices in the novel. We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. According to Zeitz, 1920s marked an era in which Americans began to reap from the benefits of increased consumerism (21). To Nick, the way that Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby line up morally correlates with their geographical choice of lifestyle (The Great Gatsby Novels 73); in other words, Nicks unsophistication and simplicity reflect his admiration for the Midwest just as Toms, Daisys and Gatsbys materialistic and immoral behaviors mirror their affinity for the fast-paced life of New York. The Great Gatsby takes place during a time that's now known as the Jazz Age or the Roaring 20s. A Comprehensive Guide. A close look at these two distinct societies gives an image of a future fictional American society culture, which is free from corruption and largely not driven by individualism. Fitzgerald himself waspart of a circle of modernists who regularly met inParis (others included Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Sinclair Lewis, and the painters Picasso and Matisse). Although the story is told with grace and beauty, its events are intended to be shocking. These shared ideals include a notion of freedom that ensures all Americans the possibility of upward social mobility, as long as they work for it. Historical context: the giant arm propping up the baby that is your argument. Caroline Brown . Symbolically, the author denotes aristocrats as old money (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli 54). Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/american-culture-in-the-novel-the-great-gatsby/. Inspired by the devastation of WWI, writers in The Lost Generationembraced a cynical view of human nature. Best Analysis: Money and Materialism in The Great Gatsby, Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, Analyzing characters via money/materialism, Common assignments and analysis of money/materialism in Gatsby, Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now, he opens the book with his father's advice, We've compiled a list of 15 must-have items for fans of. This began during WWI as more women began to work to make up for the men fighting abroad, and as more professions opened up to them in the men's absence. Any time someone isdrinking alcohol in the novel, they are doing something illegal, and are clearly in the know about how to get this banned substance. She thinks that she deserves to be with Tom whose money, influence, and power provide answers to her (Mytle) problems of poverty.