Great Gatsby Analysis

Great Gatsby Analysis

The Great Gatsby Analysis


Speakeasies, smokers, and smugglers dominated the 1920s in American Culture. Business was booming post- World War I and it was clearly evident in the lifestyles of the Americans. However, the flare of the city disguised moral decay that was affecting millions of Americans. The post-War celebration was not as enthusiastic as then it may seem. In fact, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby accurately depicts the 1920s social structure, its problems and the morality degeneration. The Great Gatsby has multiple themes which include disheartening discouragement, a rigid social structure, and geographical culture as shown in the lives of fictional characters Nick, Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby.
  When we are children we are told again and again that trying equals succeeding. The American Dream is about effort. However, Fitzgerald disagrees with this ideal. Fitzgerald believes that a man can try many times, but he will most likely fail. This viewpoint emerged after the gruesome World War I. In the novel, this idea is symbolized by the green light at Daisy’s dock. Gatsby, her lover but not husband, sees it and wishes to come out to her. He vows to fight for her and win her hand in marriage against the evil Tom. Despite his effort, and his passion, he never gets Daisy. Ironically the setting of the novel, New York City, is one of the immigration capitals on the planet where the American Dream is held in prestige; Fitzgerald opposes that well held belief.
The American Dream is not only related to money, but also to society. The Great Gatsby continues its analysis on the American Dream by looking at the social structure of New York City. The two rich places in the book are the East Egg and the West Egg. The East Egg is the old rich, the aristocracy, and the people who have inherited money and have astonishing social grace. The West Egg is the new rich, these people made money through the stock market and gangsterism. The two eggs are next to each other,...