The Great Gatsby

“How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter 1 of ‘The Great Gatsby? ” Fitzgerald opens the first chapter introducing us to Nick Carroway, who is clearly of first person narration and he is telling the story from the future. By telling the story as though it has already occurred, Fitzgerald has created the Illusion that his maln character has already experienced the events that are unfolding. This ensures that Nick is a retrospective narrator throughout the book but also obviously a bias story teller.

Fitzgerald makes it known that Nick has already met all the characters and knows hem and their story, he openly has his own personal Judgements and opinions of them, also making It clear he is going to be a bias narrator, giving out inaccurate and one-sided information to the reader. The chapter also tells us about Nick’s life in New York when he lived in 1922 and his life in Fitzgerald’s purpose of chapter one is mainly to introduce the characters of the book and to drop hints and revelations for the events in the rest of the book, such as suggesting themes of class and characterisation of Gatsby.

The chapter also presents us the relationship etween Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Furthermore, the housing is deeply described by Fitzgerald, “A sunken Italian garden, a half-acre of deep, pungent roses, and a snub- nosed motor boat that bumped the tide offshore”. This presents an Image of wealth and the strong themes of money linked with social class due to the immense description of the expansive home Tom and Daisy took for granted. The author’s description of the houses shows the difference clearly between Nick’s home which hed “Rented In one of the strangest communities”, Inexpensive In comparison to

Tom and Daisy’s house which was a representation of old money. This is again also shown in chapter one with home which Nick had described as a “mansion”, Implying that his house Is huge and could possibly link to Gatsby’s personality from what we know of him. This shows that Gatsby has new wealth and that he simply bought his mansion to fit his stereotyped personality and ego. Fitzgerald still telling the story from Nicks point of view, makes the audience aware that Nick is new into this lifestyle, and that he is not particularly wealthy within his own devices.

However I think It’s clear from the start that Nick will have to change his personality also In order to fit in with everyone else and his friends. This is due to the fact that when Nick leaves the Buchannan’s’ house, he is “confused and a little disgusted. ” This is aimed at the attitude Daisy has towards Tom’s evident promiscuity and blatant affair he has going on with a girl from New York as Daisy is aware and doesnt show any sign of caring that her husband Is having an affair as she Is not making any effort to stop it.

He’s confused as to why Daisy doesn’t simply leave Tom and find someone else, but as I said he has yet to adjust to the mind-set of the rich and foolish upper- class. This Is done well by Fitzgerald however, as It gives Nicka sense of lower status In comparison to his friends in that before he becomes Involved them he must first adjust his personality. Not only does this work on a human level, but it also reveals more about Nick’s character as he explained how genuine and non-judgemental he completely fake in front of these friends he has made.

This can Introduce and theme of people being fake’. The author starts off the story in chapter one, talking to the reader through Nick, “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one… ]ust remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had. ” – This is the first case of Fitzgerald pointing towards the reader and asking them to look at themselves. This is because of the fact that we all Judge our friends, our familV’How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter 1 of ‘The Great GatsbV? , and other members f community in our mind, but we do not all have the courage to come out and say it. Nick does not talk of his opinions as far as I know from chapter one to his friends, the story tells us all his accurate Judgements of the other characters. However I don’t think we can trust his completely as he is bias. I think Fitzgerald has purposely done that to leave a mystery of Nick from what I can tell from chapter one alone, but also Nick can be considered reliable as he speaks his opinions to the readers and doesn’t hold back what’s on his mind.

Nick is portrayed to us as an honest guy in the first hapter, however I think he is of the theme fake’ a he is being nice to the people he has met so far despite the Judgements he has formed of them. So he gets along with everyone in public but Judges them in private which is only revealed to us readers. I think that Nick is a very real and genuine character, and that Fitzgerald has created an accurate depiction of the average American man. He isn’t born to old money, and isn’t born in to new money, he’s Just born into a normal family, making his own judgements.

Even though Nick can be considered a secret hypocrite. And even though he claims to be appalled and disgusted by the ways of the rich and upper- classes due to the cheating that goes on, on Tom’s behalf, it fascinates him, and he wants to know more. I think that this is where Fitzgerald has made us somewhat ‘like’ Nick as he is Just a normal person trying to change to fit in with his surroundings and peers. So I think that Fitzgerald is telling us the story in chapter one through Nick as us readers can relate to him being a regular person, so in some ways we live the story and there is a part of Nick in all of us.

Setting is one of the important elements and crucial parts in any literary pieces. It tells much about the world where the characters exist in. Moreover, it is important because it is the basis for the readers to judge the believability of the novel (Morgan). The author added that the “the type of world… will determine the reactions and behaviors of your characters. ” The setting will also reflect the social mores of a particular culture.

The setting is a very important tool in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby because it exposes the characters. Moreover, the setting emphasizes the character traits and themes which give meaning to the critical events. The novel has four settings. These are the West Egg, East Egg, New York City and the valley of ashes. Subsettings also exist within these major settings. East Egg is the more fashionable area of Long Island where the rich live. West Egg, on the other hand, is the less fashionable area of Long Island.

The Valley of Ashes is a desolate wasteland while New York City is the place symbolizing America during the 1920s: anything goes in New York City. This is where affairs and parties are held These four major settings give the readers an idea about the values of the people who work or live there. For example, Nick ended up in West Egg because he did not have the money to purchase a house in East Egg. Gatsby is also in West Egg because his present credentials are not acceptable in East Egg.

As a result, Nick left and Gatsby was ruined. The novel’s major settings correspond to a particular type of character or theme. For instance, West Egg is like Gatsby. It symbolizes the new rich and the aristocracy during the 1920s. East Egg is like the Buchanans, who enjoy high social status, are wealthy and powerful. The valley of ashes, on the other hand, is like George Wilson, desperate, without hope and reflects the American’s society’s moral decay. New York City is chaos, with its parties and affairs.

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald satirizes how newly wealthy Americans acted during the 1920’s through Jay Gatsby. The 1920’s was nicknamed the ‘Roaring Twenties’, and during this time period, many people were much more wealthy and were only interested in big, extravagant things. Jay Gatsby is an example of this. He was born poor, gained his wealth, and now he throws big parties at his mansion to impress hundreds of people. In the beginning of Chapter 5, Nick arrives at West Egg to find Gatsby’s mansion lighting up the night sky.

Nick said to Gatsby, “Your place looks like the World’s Fair” (81). The significance of Nick’s statement shows how Gatsby tries to be “old money”, when really he is “new money”. Gatsby tries to show off his wealth by turning on every single light in his mansion, but he lacks the class of those who really are “old money”. This satirizes how wealthy people were during the 1920s; they were obnoxious and did not have the same class as those who were wealthy before that time period. Another example of this is when Fitzgerald tells the reader what Gatsby is wearing for when Daisy comes over Nick’s house.

Fitzgerald wrote, “Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie, hurried in” (84). Daisy knows Gatsby as a poor man that she used to love, but couldn’t be with because her family didn’t approve. Gatsby still loves Daisy, and he dresses like this because he wants to impress her. Newly wealthy people during the 1920’s always wore expensive clothing. Gatsby dressing like this just satirizes those people, and shows he truly isn’t “old money”, no matter how hard he tries to be. Later in the chapter, Gatsby invited Daisy and Nick over to his house because he wants to show off his mansion to Daisy.

Gatsby said, “ I want you and Daisy to come over to my house” (89). Gatsby brought Daisy to his house, and even though she was impressed with what he has become, even Daisy realized that everything he owned is inelegant, and doesn’t have the same type of possessions that “old money” people have. This satirizes how people during the 1920’s tried to show off their flashy possessions, but they don’t truly have as much worth. Fitzgerald’s use of satire of newly wealthy people during the 1920’s are truly expressed through Gatsby’s actions and belongings.

Great Gatsby Review————————————————- CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORSHIP COMP 1500: College Writing Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Division of Humanities Submitted by: Assignment Number: 1 Assignment Title: The Great Gatsby Review Date: March 16, 2013 CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased.

I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Student’s Signature: The Great Gatsby I’m known to be a very picky reader. I judge titles, the size of font, and the cover illustration. With all this in mind, I thought I would hate the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. On the contrary, this book was a page turner, and I constantly found myself at the edge of my seat biting my nails in anticipation. The descriptions in this book helps you imagine and greet the characters so vividly.

Fitzgerald shows an excellent understanding of lives that contain the great American Dream of being a millionaire and being happily married, yet are corrupted by greed. The more you read into the novel, the more you get pulled into a twisted love story. In the beginning of the novel, I was a little lost. I couldn’t understand who goes to an extravagant mansion party without knowing who the host is, or why nobody tried to find out. Luckily, our narrator, Nick, goes searching for this host.

A drunken man wearing owl glasses stumbles upon Nick and begins observing the novels on the large bookcase. To his surprise, all the novels are real and not a facade to make the host look intelligent. When I discussed this with my teacher, she said this may be a foreshadowing that resident of this wealthy community use wealth to cover up their wrongdoings and moral decay. What is the host, Gatsby, hiding if he wasn’t getting credit for any of his parties? This mystery pulled me into the book and that’s when I began to love it.

We soon meet the rich and romantic Gatsby and who seems like he has his whole life together. He’s well respected for being in the army, rich and handsome. Despite all the magic, it’s a cruel facade. Behind the glitter lies a sad story with gloom and intensity. The Great Gatsby shows his desire into harsh, vivid light. He is a character who is so perfectly and tragically characterized, as he forgot his honest past as Jay Gatsby, and lost Daisy, his true love, who perfectly plays her part as innocent malevolence.

If that’s not enough, Gatsby must also compete with Tom, Daisy’s husband, who slyly watches while he boasts of his physique and wealth. The two struggle to play their position in this twisted love triangle, which harms countless victims. Among the disorder, seems to be the only one with true knowledge of what is right, but doesn’t stop the chaos. The relationship is a massacre where no one truly wins. All in all, The Great Gatsby is about deception and the American Dream.

Fitzgerald blurs our view with reality of the harsh world, yet slyly lets us see clearly enough to see Nick’s view on the chaos. Because Gatsby represents the truth of the American Dream, Fitzgerald shows that it will only lead to the decay of innocence and trouble, as Gatsby did during his transition from an honest, to corrupt man. Fitzgerald delicately handles this complex scheme in a way I have never seen replicated in authors today. I enjoy the book because once you think you know what’s going to happen, Fitzgerald slyly flips the script perfectly.

Significance of Social Status in The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby may appear to be a simple tragic romance; however, within the text, Fitzgerald identifies and defines social gaps and importance of wealth. He also presents women within a very separate space as the men. The Great Gatsby allows the reader to enter into the world of wealth and experience the joys and tragedies of being within this certain class.

In the novel, Fitzgerald criticizes American society in the 1920’s for its emphasis on money, superficial relationships, and obsession over class; as well as allowing the reader to interpret the position of gender inside the class. Society has, indeed, a great part to play in shaping the identities of individuals. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he [my father] told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (1).

This quote was probably the backbone of the narrator’s actions and character. Throughout the novel, the characters that he came into contact with were immediately associated with their money and their association with their given level of wealth. Jay Gatsby is the center character in Fitzgerald’s novel. Gatsby tells Nick that from his childhood in the Midwest and his youth, he got to know Cody from whom he learned how to struggle through life and get money.

He is totally self-taught and tells Nick that he had been in the drug business and later in the oil business. Throughout the novel there is an overall absence of the lower class; however, ironically, the only character that lower wealth was associated with was Gatsby. He was the most prestigious when compared to all of the other characters, yet was the only to have the absence of money in his past. With this, Fitzgerald proves that the current existence of money justifies the acceptance of character, reiterating the idea of social levels of money.

The Great Gatsby Many people dream of being rich and famous because they want to be honored and idolized by people. This is the goal of Jay Gatsby, the protagonist in The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald which was considered his masterpiece in the year 1925. Jay Gatsby only wished to be with Daisy, the girl that he truly loved. In this essay, one will notice that the high amount of love in the story isn’t usually the kind of love that saves people’s lives and brings them their true happiness.

Nick Carraway is a young man from Minnesota who moves to New York to learn about the bond business. He rents a house in West Egg, Long Island, a place where newly rich people live. He lives next to Jay Gatsby, the mysterious owner of the grand mansion who throws lavish parties every Saturday night. Nick’s cousin is Daisy, the wife of Tom Buchanan and the woman that Gatsby loves. Tom Buchanan has an affair with Myrtle Wilson.

Because of Jordan Baker, a competitive golfer with whom Nick met and fell in love but didn’t work out with, he found out that Gatsby’s been in love with Daisy for a long time, and the reason why he lives like a young rajah is to impress Daisy with how successful he is. Through a favor that Gatsby’s asks, Nick sets a meeting for Gatsby and Daisy for them to reunite and find out the love they had. After a short time, Tom suspects the extraordinary relationship of his wife with Gatsby.

Though Tom is involved in an affair, he is deeply insulted by the idea that his wife could also cheat on him. One day, Tom forced the group to go to New York to have lunch in Plaza Hotel, where he confronts Gatsby about his relationship with Daisy. Tom announced that Gatsby is a bootlegger and his involved on other illegal activities, and Daisy demanded to go home. Gatsby and Daisy drive back home together in Gatsby’s car, while Tom, Nick and Jordan are in Tom’s car. On the way home, Myrtle was hit and killed by the car of Gatsby.

Later Nick discovered that Daisy is the one who’s driving when the accident happened. Tom told Wilson, the husband of Myrtle, that the car who hit his wife is owned by Gatsby. While Gatsby is relaxing in his pool, Wilson shoots and kills Gatsby and himself. After the small funeral Nick arranged for Gatsby, he ended his relationship with Jordan, and moves back to Midwest. In the novel it was quite obvious how Gatsby longed for Daisy; watching the green light from Daisy’s house every night, reaching out to it. He did get Daisy back through Nick in the story, ut during the time that he wished very hard that Daisy would be his, he was unable to spend much time with the woman at all, and so, if truly thought about, he didn’t love Daisy for what she currently is because he didn’t know that anymore. Gatsby loved the Daisy he once knew, or how he remembers her to be. In turn, Daisy thought she was in love with Gatsby also, but shown through how she still didn’t try to get out of her marriage with Tom, she really wasn’t. She thought her appreciation of Gatsby’s attention was love.

Tom cheated on Daisy with Myrtle and thought that was fine as long as he loved his wife, but then how come he was furious when he found out about his Daisy’s love affair? Was it really only because he was insulted that Daisy would cheat on him too? Finally, the main character Nick claimed he loved Jordan Baker, but found it necessary to separate from her at the end of the book. There seems to be a lot of love going around in the story, but somehow love became something that ruined their lives, because somehow, it never became what the characters or what the readers knew it was supposed to be.

In chapter 3 Nick speaks of how he feels about Jordan towards the end of the story, talking about he thought he and Jordan had to go their separate ways, “…she had deliberately shifted our relations, and for a moment I thought I loved her…I’d been writing letters once a week and signing them: ‘Love, Nick,’ and all I could think of was how, when that certain girl played tennis, a faint mustache of perspiration appeared on her upper lip. Nevertheless there was a vague understanding that had to be tactfully broken off before I was free. ” (3. 169) Nick says that he only thought he loved Jordan out right.

He probably thought to mention the sweat on her upper lip while playing tennis because that’s not something that you call to mind right away about the person you love, at least not something as shallow as sweat. You don’t do things you should only be doing with the person you love with someone else, as Tom did with Myrtle. Oddly he cheated on Daisy, but he loved her. “I love Daisy too,” he says during their group confrontation at the Plaza Hotel, “Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time. (7. 251) If you could love someone but go behind his or her back to have an affair, and everybody in the world believed this, no one would be happy in love. In the same chapter Daisy also proves the love she feels is also twisted, “‘Oh, you want too much! ’ she cried to Gatsby. ‘I love you now – isn’t that enough? I can’t help what’s past. ’ She began to sob helplessly. ‘I did love him once – but I loved you too. ’” (7. 266) If at one point Daisy suddenly said she loved everybody she knew, it wouldn’t be hard to believe.

With a lot of skill, Fitzgerald was able to sum up all that love was in the story in the first chapter. Gatsby was only reaching out to something, and the whole time he loved he Daisy, he was in love with a green light—the thought of her. In the first chapter, Nick notices an odd gesture of Gatsby’s which told about what he felt about Daisy. “…he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling.

Involuntarily I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away…” (1. 152) The book showed how love can take a hold and take full control of people’s lives, but in a scary way, not be real love at all. Though most people know that love is beautiful, that there can be times that love is all we need, there’s a need to be careful. You need to be sure that it’s truly love, or else, love will be something you’d rather not have at all.

While you are reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, you will be creating an original, creative book that will include character analyses, chapter summaries, original artwork, a book review and discussions over color symbolism and themes found in the book. You will need at least 10 pieces of white or construction paper to create your book. I. II. Front Cover: a. Using symbols and color symbolism, decorate the cover to illustrate the main themes of the book. b. Inside the front cover you will include 2 things: . Author bio (top) ii. Background information about the 1920’s (bottom): Chapter Analysis: There are 9 chapters in The Great Gatsby so you will include 9 chapters in your own book as well. Each chapter will be divided up like this… a. Chapter Page: i. On this page you will note the Chapter name or number ii. You will find an interesting or insightful quote from the chapter and write it just under the chapter name/number. iii. You will provide a brief summary of the chapter you have just read. v. Below the chapter summary, you will describe the setting where the events in the chapter take place. v. You must include a small illustration of a symbol from the chapter somewhere on this page. b. Character Page: (choose one new character from each chapter) i. You will dedicate one page to completing a character analysis which will be formatted like this…. 1. TOP LEFT- Character description. Provide between 5 and 10 important traits for each character. 2. TOP RIGHT- Character’s conflicts.

Provide at least three conflicts the character is facing. 3. BOTTON LEFT- A quote that explains the characters actions 4. BOTTOM RIGHT- Resolution or summary of what happens to the character at the end of the book. (You may need to wait until you finish reading the book before you include this in your character analysis). 5. CENTER- Provide a small but accurate illustration of that character. c. Annotation: Find at least 1 literary device per chapter (similie, hyperbole, metaphor, imagery, personification, repetition, allusion, alliteration,