The Cycle Continues ( The Great Gatsby Essay)
Prompt: Does The Great Gatsby symbolized a time period in the U.S, or can it be related to different times. If so, how does the characters show similarities from the different time periods.
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of American best writers of the 20th century. He accomplished success by his unique way of writing. During the 20th century was also the Jazz Age which was influential for Fitzgerald writing. In addition he is considered part of the "Lost Generation" by all the changes in society happening in the 1920's. One of his creation is "The Great Gatsby" published in the year of 1925. The book consist of the following characters: Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Nick Caraway, Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, Meyer Wolfsheim, Myrtle Wilson, George B. Wilson, and Mr. Gatz. The novel resembles the time period it was written. However, it can also related to multiple time periods through America's history by the social classes differences, music, and women rights. Therefore, the Great Gatsby not only symbolized a time period in the U.S but also different time periods.
To begin with, in the story we see social classes division. In the first chapter introduced by the character Nick Caraway, he says "I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the
two,...My house was at the very tip of the egg,... between two huge places...Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water." This quote would show two different places to live in New York city. The first one is West Egg represented in real life as Great Neck peninsula, where the new people with wealth lived. In the other hand we have East Egg which represented Port Washington in real life. East Egg would be the place where people had been wealthy for quiet a long time. Also, the valley of ashes not mention in the quote was in between these two areas. The valley of ashes would be the place where all the people with less wealth would live. Now, separation of social classes did not only happened in the 1920s. The U.S has experience this issue before and after this book was published. For example back to 1800s during the market revolution, the upper, middle, and lower classes already form part of society as well in 2000s. The upper class in the time of the market revolution, often live a life of luxury, with a wide open houses, elegant furnishings and latest developments. This can relate to Jay Gatsby from the novel in 1925, but also now days in 2018 people with wealth live the same way as in 1800's, or 1900's. In the other hand the middle classes in the market revolution consisted in farmers, merchants, lawyers, etc. Also they made up 30% of the population and they were able to provide an education to their sons and daughters. Nick Caraway from the novel is an example of a middle class person who attended school and was learning business. Again this shows no difference in time periods because back to 1800's middle class could afford an education as well in the 1900's and continues its way until now in 2018. In addition, lower social classes has always struggle the most. During the market revolution the lower classes had to live in tenements which were buildings that housed twenty or more families in cramped, airless apartments. While in the 1920's the lowest class became poorer and the rich became richer. This was because many were unemployed or if having a job the wages were too low as characterized in the novel referring to the valley of ashes. In early 2000's the people leaving in poverty has been growing fast, many of them live in slums. This proves how each social class has remained the same proving that there has being and continues to have a division of social classes as resemble in the novel The Great Gatsby. This shows how the book does not only demonstrates the division in the 1920's but also it can be expressed and related to different time periods.
In continuation, music has always been an import factor when it comes to changes in society.
During the 1920's a new type of genre was introduced. This was the Jazz, which had a popular impact in society. For example, Jay Gatsby used to have a lot of parties at his house, many would give us the sense that the music played at his parties would be Jazz. "By seven o'clock the orchestra has arrived, no thin five-piece affair, but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos, and low and high drums...now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music." This quote from the novel can prove the type of music at Gatsby's parties was definitely Jazz. Nevertheless in the 1950s a new style of music also developed which is known as Rock'n'Roll. This new genre influenced most of the youth culture. Despite the music evolution we can see how it gives a clear view of the time period it has been popularized. The Great Gatsby shows pride over the Jazz Age, which makes the novel not only to represent that specific time period because even now days people has pride on the new music genres.
Another important event that has being around for a long time is women's rights. The Great Gatsby symbolized women's role in society during the 1920's. Daisy Buchanan is an example of the women role because even though women's right was expanding during this time ( 19th amendment in 1919, gave women suffrage), the expectation for women were the same. For example, especially wealthy women, would need to married and have children and that was all. This explains Daisy's action in the book. However, women equality has being an issue that symbolized U.S lack of democracy. The book only showed a small potion of inequality in the 1920's, nevertheless there was previous women movements and also later the fight for equal rights continued through the years until now.
To sum up, a novel can be a mixture of reality and fiction as shown in the Great Gatsby. This specific book does not only shows society in the 1920's but also it shares similarities with previous years and upcoming years. There is people that would argue the 1920's was unique and the novel only shows this specific time. Each time period has a unique part, however there can always be patterns from the past or even the future. In addition many historians would compared the 1920's with the 50's because they shared many similarities. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald expression in the book The Great Gatsby, would be a great example on how different times in the United States can be much alike than different.
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of American best writers of the 20th century. He accomplished success by his unique way of writing. During the 20th century was also the Jazz Age which was influential for Fitzgerald writing. In addition he is considered part of the "Lost Generation" by all the changes in society happening in the 1920's. One of his creation is "The Great Gatsby" published in the year of 1925. The book consist of the following characters: Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Nick Caraway, Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, Meyer Wolfsheim, Myrtle Wilson, George B. Wilson, and Mr. Gatz. The novel resembles the time period it was written. However, it can also related to multiple time periods through America's history by the social classes differences, music, and women rights. Therefore, the Great Gatsby not only symbolized a time period in the U.S but also different time periods.
To begin with, in the story we see social classes division. In the first chapter introduced by the character Nick Caraway, he says "I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the
two,...My house was at the very tip of the egg,... between two huge places...Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water." This quote would show two different places to live in New York city. The first one is West Egg represented in real life as Great Neck peninsula, where the new people with wealth lived. In the other hand we have East Egg which represented Port Washington in real life. East Egg would be the place where people had been wealthy for quiet a long time. Also, the valley of ashes not mention in the quote was in between these two areas. The valley of ashes would be the place where all the people with less wealth would live. Now, separation of social classes did not only happened in the 1920s. The U.S has experience this issue before and after this book was published. For example back to 1800s during the market revolution, the upper, middle, and lower classes already form part of society as well in 2000s. The upper class in the time of the market revolution, often live a life of luxury, with a wide open houses, elegant furnishings and latest developments. This can relate to Jay Gatsby from the novel in 1925, but also now days in 2018 people with wealth live the same way as in 1800's, or 1900's. In the other hand the middle classes in the market revolution consisted in farmers, merchants, lawyers, etc. Also they made up 30% of the population and they were able to provide an education to their sons and daughters. Nick Caraway from the novel is an example of a middle class person who attended school and was learning business. Again this shows no difference in time periods because back to 1800's middle class could afford an education as well in the 1900's and continues its way until now in 2018. In addition, lower social classes has always struggle the most. During the market revolution the lower classes had to live in tenements which were buildings that housed twenty or more families in cramped, airless apartments. While in the 1920's the lowest class became poorer and the rich became richer. This was because many were unemployed or if having a job the wages were too low as characterized in the novel referring to the valley of ashes. In early 2000's the people leaving in poverty has been growing fast, many of them live in slums. This proves how each social class has remained the same proving that there has being and continues to have a division of social classes as resemble in the novel The Great Gatsby. This shows how the book does not only demonstrates the division in the 1920's but also it can be expressed and related to different time periods.
In continuation, music has always been an import factor when it comes to changes in society.
During the 1920's a new type of genre was introduced. This was the Jazz, which had a popular impact in society. For example, Jay Gatsby used to have a lot of parties at his house, many would give us the sense that the music played at his parties would be Jazz. "By seven o'clock the orchestra has arrived, no thin five-piece affair, but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos, and low and high drums...now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music." This quote from the novel can prove the type of music at Gatsby's parties was definitely Jazz. Nevertheless in the 1950s a new style of music also developed which is known as Rock'n'Roll. This new genre influenced most of the youth culture. Despite the music evolution we can see how it gives a clear view of the time period it has been popularized. The Great Gatsby shows pride over the Jazz Age, which makes the novel not only to represent that specific time period because even now days people has pride on the new music genres.
Another important event that has being around for a long time is women's rights. The Great Gatsby symbolized women's role in society during the 1920's. Daisy Buchanan is an example of the women role because even though women's right was expanding during this time ( 19th amendment in 1919, gave women suffrage), the expectation for women were the same. For example, especially wealthy women, would need to married and have children and that was all. This explains Daisy's action in the book. However, women equality has being an issue that symbolized U.S lack of democracy. The book only showed a small potion of inequality in the 1920's, nevertheless there was previous women movements and also later the fight for equal rights continued through the years until now.
To sum up, a novel can be a mixture of reality and fiction as shown in the Great Gatsby. This specific book does not only shows society in the 1920's but also it shares similarities with previous years and upcoming years. There is people that would argue the 1920's was unique and the novel only shows this specific time. Each time period has a unique part, however there can always be patterns from the past or even the future. In addition many historians would compared the 1920's with the 50's because they shared many similarities. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald expression in the book The Great Gatsby, would be a great example on how different times in the United States can be much alike than different.
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