The Great Gatsby Critical Essay

Niki Barnes
Literature and Film
C Block
January 30, 2018
Critical Theory Writing Assignment
I chose the Marxist Criticism chapter because after reading the piece I believe that the marxist
perspective complements today's world better than ever and it also caught my attention most when
learning about the various theories in the class presentation. In Lois Tyson's marxist chapter, the
quote, "From a marxist perspective, differences in socioeconomic class divide people in ways that
are much more significant than differences in religion, race, ethnicity, or gender"(54) demonstrates
that the marxist view is commonly forgotten in our day to day lives when considering our thought
processes. The common structures of human society revolves around economics,...show more
content...
He repeats his ideals of commodification and adds in some new viewpoints on how capitalism
can have its negatives. Tyson's argument for Gatsby's beloved Daisy relates to his commodity
quote on how people choose dates based on money. For example, Tyson writes how "Tom relates
to the world only through his money; for him, all things and all people are commodities"(70). Tom
uses his relationships with women, especially Daisy to put himself higher on a social scale as well
as developing a higher socioeconomic status. Tyson has to stretch many of his arguments to fit the
marxist theory but he definitely made it match all of his arguments. He even goes so indepth to
explaining how commodification "is a psychological attitude that has invaded every domain of our
existence"(79). Secondly he write how capitalism has some negatives, "an object becomes a
commodity only when it has exchange value or sign–exchange value, and neither form of value is
inherent in any object. Both are forms of social value:they are assigned to objects by human
beings in a given social context."(69) We rely so much on values of the objects we have just like
how Gatsby cares deeply about the socioeconomic status of each and every one of his party
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Critical Analysis Of The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is perceived as an outlet for Fitzgerald's self–perceived social inadequacies, it is
far more than that. He told his publisher he wanted to write 'something extraordinary and beautiful.'
The book's themes of wealth, social stratification, and unattainable love aren't specific to the 1920s,
with Gatsby's story being as relevant today as it was when written. This is because it explores the
universal themes of the unfairness of societal constructs and the struggles with time and fate.
However, the main theme evident in the novel and the film is the American dream. Historically, it
became known as the Jazz Age, a term coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald to describe his generation and
the excesses and materialism that would precede The Great Depression. A century later, Australian
film director, Baz Luhrmann, known for his cinematic editions of classic literature, attempted to
reinvent the novel. In the recent film, there were some very important themes and scenes that were
left out, which were critical for the story and the symbolism embedded in the novel. Particular
characters were also adapted to better suit Luhrmann's setting and therefore, not staying true to the
original literature.
Rather than staying true to the characters, the film depicts the characters in an exaggerated manner
for entertainment purposes. A main character change is Daisy. (add about Daisy) To be able to
create a magnificent film, the audience must fall in love with some of the characters.

Throughout "The Great Gatsby" there are many different forms of narration and dialogue. Barbara
Hochman takes these narrating voices into account in her essay, "Disembodied voices and narrating
bodies in 'The Great Gatsby'." Throughout her writing she gives thorough explanations of each of
the major characters dialogues and how they relate to one another, as well as focusing on one of the
main characters and narrator of the novel, Nick. Dan Coleman also provides sufficient information
on dealing with the dialogue of the novel is in essay, "Tuning in to Conversation in the Novel:
Gatsby and the Dynamics of Dialogue." Coleman further breaks down the dialogue and addresses the
relationship between another two of the novels main characters,...show more content...
In narration, Nick gives his understanding of what it was that Gatsby was trying to convey when he
says, "Gatsby's very phrases were worn so threadbare that they evoked no image except that of a
turbaned 'character' leaking sawdust at every pore as he pursued a tiger through the Bois de
Boulogne" (10). This criticism makes perfect sense from the readers perspective because Nick has
expected more of Gatsby, not necessarily and an extremely honest person, but at least a storyteller.
The essay by Coleman focuses firstly on language, dialogue, and how the two combined have been
shut out by solely tuning in to the narrative voice. With the use of the opinions of other critics, he
explains how most critical evaluations focus on either the language and dialogue, or the narrative
voice, but never link the two together. Fitzgerald himself offers an invitation to reconsider the
critical method in saying, "There was never a good biography of a good novelist. There couldn't
be. He is too many people if he's any good" (2). With this Fitzgerald is implying that there is not
only one author behind a good novel, and there cannot be just one narrative voice within that novel.
This is exactly what Fitzgerald is trying to do with "The Great Gatsby".
By speaking

Gatsby has the quest of reinventing himself,and finding Daisy again. The poor James Gatz was
the son of farmers. He was very poor growing up and had always wanted to be rich. He basically
has a new persona at this point, the former James Gatz becomes the rich and handsome Jay
Gatsby. When Jay Gatsby was younger, he was a military officer. He had good manners and very
much charm. These manners and this charm caused the young Daisy Buchanan fell for him and he
fell for her. When he was drafted to fight in the first world war Daisy promised to wait for him,
which she did for a while, but then one Tom Buchanan comes along while Mr.Jay Gatsby is in
university. Daisy marries Tom and yet Gatsby and Daisy stilllove each other. So how on earth did
that work out? Well here is how, Gatsby has been watching Daisy from afar (No my friends, he is
not a stalker) he sees how unhappy she is in her marriage. At this point, Nick is going to come in
alright? He is also the narrator for this book. He works in Manhattan but lives in Long Island in a
town called "West Egg" he moves in next to a huge mansion, which we all find out is the home of
Jay Gatsby. There are parties that happen over there every night, live music, flappers, alcohol,
gambling, etc. One day Nick gets an invitation to one of the parties, to which he attends, he meets
one Mr. Jay Gatsby, however he has no idea until they start talking about the war and introduce
themselves. Jay Gatsby trusts Nick and they become friends and

Later after the uncooperative dinner, the party ended. Jorden needed leave to bed because a golf
game. When Nick left, Tom and Daisy suggested that they both want for him to make relationship
in Jordan. Once Nick was home, it was Nicks first time to see Gatsby who was very attractive and
good looking man. He was upright on the grass. Nicks was searching out on the water, but he could
not see anything. Nicks insights and approaches about the incident and the characters of the one of a
kind novel are the main key to The Great Gatsby. Composing the novel is Nick's method for
grabbing the explanation of the story which played a role. In chapter 1, the first couple pages, he
found certain inconsistencies about Nick's opinion. He defines himself as open minded and
broadminded. He also presented himself as an honorably fortunate. He had enhanced sense of
respectability than other people around. In the meantime, Nick had a bad response to his
experience in New York. Then, he finally went back to the Midwest to look for less ethically vague
situations. Gatsby stood up for him like an exemption. Nick appreciated Gatsby very much, even
though Gatsby symbolizes all the things Nick disregard in New York. Gatsby made clear challenge
to Nick's standard method for the considered world. Nick had a hard time in terms with the test that
modifies throughout the novel.
In the realm of East Egg, charming appearances serve to cover ugly substances. The marriage of
Tom and Daisy Buchanan appears

Critical View Of The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby was written during the 1920s, which is also known as the Roaring Twenties. In
the narrative F. Scott Fitzgerald gave a critical view of this time. In the 1920s and the 1930s there
was a lot going on, for example bootlegging, drinking, criminal activity, and an evolution of jazz
music. The women were also going through an evolution, in 1920 they got the right to vote and
since then they changed a lot and they became known as Flappers. Women not only wanted to take
care of their families but also wanted to have a career. "The independent New Woman, who
rejected marriage for career and political action who often rooted her emotional life [...] was
gradually discredited. In her place came the flapper, who celebrated her sexual independence...show
more content...
in Drowne 163). This is definitely the case with Daisy Buchanan. In The Great Gatsby, the narrative
is told through the lens of Nick Carraway, he came to live in West Egg next door toJay Gatsby. He
gets to know Jay Gatsby and Gatsby is in love with Nick's cousin, Daisy Buchanan. She is married
to Tom Buchanan. Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan know each other from the past, Gatsby had to
leave for war and he had to say goodbye to Daisy but he never stopped loving her, and in fact she
never stopped loving him either. Daisy is very beautiful and charming, but in fact Daisy is a
shallow, selfish and individual woman. Daisy has a daughter with Tom Buchanan but that is not her
focus, her focus lies with herself and her own life, so she is much more self–centered than women
used to be. Gatsby is infatuated by Daisy and Nick understood why, "It was the kind of voice that
the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played
again. Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate
mouth" (Fitzgerald 8). In this fragment it shows that men are being lured towards her and that there
is a sexual attraction there, men cannot seem to forget her. But it is not only the fact that she is
beautiful

Luhrmann's reveal of who Gatsby really is could have outclassed the reveal of Darth Vader to
Luke. The turning turmoil of the dialog between Nick and Gatsby leads to an explosion of color
and climax of music. Luhrmann stuns the audience with motion and has them clinging onto their
seats as the reveal occurs: Luhrmann starts off the colossal reveal with following Nick up a
staircase crowded with party goers talking to what seems to be a military vet who is being
friendly. The framing and camera angel of which this is done makes it seem as if you, the viewer,
has to meander around people to see Nick and gives a real time appeal which is accompanied by a
winding buildup of music the crescendos and overcomes the whole moment. Than the music hits
its climax and all goes silent to the reveal of Gatsby. Fireworks, confetti, along with a huge
arrangement of a blaring orchestra fills the dead space so that the tempo of the reveal stays as
high as it can. Luhrmann then puts the monologue of Nick and how he feels about his smile into
a mental voice as if you were inside of Nicks head, absorbing every bit of emotion that he was
feeling. Doing so takes the audience away from the bustle of the party and gives a break to the
heart as if the viewer where jumping from a plane and just pulled the parachute. The camera is
dead on with Gatsby's face allowing him to be seen as a great and powerful figure however, the soft
look given by Gatsby makes a warm and trusting glow to this great being

Criticism Great Gatsby
Reader–response Criticism
Reader–response criticism argues that the reader, with whatever experience they bring, will give the
text its meaning. Thus, our personal experience/mission is relevant to the meaning of the text. A
reader–response critic would say the truth of the text is something we make within ourselves, rather
than outside ourselves. Such criticism also deems the text's indeterminacy as a stimulus towards our
subjective interpretation.
Within The Great Gatsby, there is much indeterminacy surrounding Gatsby which allows the reader
to create and form their own opinions. Nick seems to mirror the reader's attitudes toward Gatsby
throughout the book as Gatsby's characterization progresses in both positive and negative portrayals.
...show more content...
Nick's interactions with other men and his attraction to more masculine women hints at Nick's
proclivity toward men. The evidence for this is infinite. As seen from Nick's eyes, Nick notices
both Gatsby's and McKee's grooming when he takes out his handkerchief to wipe McKee's
"cheek the remains of the spot of dried lather" (36) and when he describes Gatsby's "short hair ...
as though it were trimmed every day." (50) Even more so, in the description of the night with
McKee, Nick is seen to be standing beside McKee who was "clad in his underwear." (38) Nick's
description of his attraction to Jordan, too, whom he describes to have a "mustache of
perspiration" (58) is of a male characteristic rather than a feminine one. Jordan also hints at lesbian
undertones as much like a lesbian, she is a professional golf player whose appearance is "small
breasted ... like a young cadet" (11) giving off a more masculine

The Great Gatsby as a Criticism of American Society In the novel The Great Gatsby, author F.
Scott Fitzgerald criticizes American society through the eyes of his narrator Nick Caraway, as he
watches the downfall and pathetic lives of what most consider achievers of the American Dream.
Fitzgerald's criticism of American Society is more prominently proven by his Harsh view of
America's materialistic standard of living, the tragic death of Gatsby, the negligence displayed by
Gatsby's friends, the reveal of Gatsby's innocent childhood, and Fitzgerald's personal life experiences.
All lead the reader to see Fitzgerald's unforgiving blow towards American Society. Fitzgerald first
introduces the mysterious Gatsby through the thoughts of...show more content...
Daisy ends up killing Myrtle accidentally in Gatsby's car, and Tom tells Myrtles husband that it
was in fact Gatsby who was driving the vehicle. This leads Wilson, Myrtles husband, to go to
Gatsby's estate, murder Gatsby and then kill himself. "It was after we started with Gatsby toward
the house that the Gardner saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was
complete." (Fitzgerald 162). Ultimately, the wealthy Gatsby ends up dead never reuniting with
the woman he lived to impress. The holocaust the novel refers to is symbolic of the death of
Gatsby's fantasy life in which money can by him his love Daisy and his friends. After the killing
is complete to people thought of to be Gatsby's friends flee before the funeral. "But she and Tom
had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them." (Fitzgerald 164). This quote
supports the idea of the false reality most Americans during the 1920's lived in. Tom and Daisy
break away from the holocaust and simply move on with their pointless lives making others clean
up the mess they left. Nick Caraway and his judgmental narration ultimately allow one to see the
flaws and corruption of American society as he responds to the events of Gatsby and Wilson's
death, and Tom and Daisy's actions following the casualties. After the murder of Gatsby and suicide
of Wilson, the book then goes into Gatsby's funeral service where none

The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, is hailed as a masterpiece of American fiction. The author, F.
Scott Fitzgerald offers up a commentary on the American society of which he was a part. He
successfully encapsulates the mood of a generation during a politically and socially crucial and
chaotic period of American history. In fact,The Great Gatsby stands as a brilliant piece of English
literature that of which offers a vivid peek into American life in the 1920s. Fitzgerald carefully sets
up his novel into distinct groups with each group having its own problems to contend with, for the
sole purpose of leaving a powerful reminder of what a precarious place America truly was. By
creating distinct social classes – old money, new money, and no money– Fitzgerald sends strong
messages about the elitism running throughout every stratum of society, and thereby challenging the
myth of the so–called "American Dream." Although the 1920s was supposedly a time of high
optimism for Americans, Fitzgerald yet seeks to discredit the supposed idealism of the American
Dream; he portrays the much bleaker side of this chaotic era by focusing on its indulgence,
hypocrisy, shallow recklessness, and its dangerous consequences, all represented by the novel's
characters. To begin with, the 1920s was the decade of "decadence" and "prosperity" that America
has enjoyed at that time. It is its surging economy, however, that has turned the 1920s into a period
of easy money, hard drinking, decayed

Essay about Great Gatsby Film Analysis
Rachel Hobson
HON English 3
September 11, 2011
Critical Analysis: The Great Gatsby Film
The classic American novel, The Great Gatsby, presents a major theme of passing time. Losing
Daisy meant losing Gatsby's entire world, which he only kept alive through his hope of repeating
the past. Daisy is a symbol of everything he values and therefore became the entity of his dream: his
dream of spending the rest of his life with Daisy, the woman he loves undeniably. But Gatsby doesn't
realize his dream is unattainable because unfortunately, he cannot go back in time or recreate the past.
Gatsby is stuck in the past, longing for the relationship between him and Daisy, and can't accept the
future, resulting in his own death. This is depicted in...show more content...
Their hands are so close, but never actually touch or come intact with each other because the two
are metaphorically so far away from each other in that their relationship only exists in the past,
and not in the future. A few scenes later, Gatsby and Daisy are shown kissing through a pond with
an unstable reflection. The water is agitated and quivering endlessly as opposed to still and calm.
The murky and unsteady water depicts a sense of "oldness" in Daisy and Gatsby's relationship.
Because the shot is a reflection, it's as if the moment is false or an imitation, as if they are
"reflecting" on a memory in the past. The framing of these scenes denote Gatsby's stark refusal to
accept what he cannot control: the passage of time.
A prominent color in the movie and novel of The Great Gatsby is green. It is the color that
represents Gatsby's hope. For example, the green light across the bay that Gatsby associates
Daisy's house with is a symbol of his destiny with her. Also, Gatsby gives Daisy a ring with a
green jewel but because he is her past and she is married now, she tells Gatsby to keep it. As the
movie progresses and Daisy and Gatsby spend more and more time together, green became more
and more visible. The most prominent scenes of green were a series of cuts. Daisy and Gatsby
sitting between multiple trees cuts to a bird's eye view of the pair running through a forest, which
then cuts

An Annotated Critical Bibliography of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gastby
Pauly, Thomas H. Gatsby as Gangster. Studies in American Fiction, vol. 21 no.
2, 1993.
Thomas H. Pauly, after an evidently thorough examination of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby,
is convinced that Jay Gatsby, the mysterious figure upon whom the novel fixates, is a sinister
character and a mastermind regarding illegal activities. Despite Gatsby's charming attitude and
contrary claims, Pauly believes that "Gastby is a businessman...whose business is crime–and this
means whatever illegal enterprise comes to hand. Today he would be dealing in narcotics and selling
arms to terrorists (46)." Throughout his essay, Pauly provides examples to promote...show more
content...
Although Pauly's is an interesting point, he fails to exhibit sufficient valid evidence to prove his
original thesis; only vague speculations are provided to substantiate his theorizing. It is, indeed,
obvious that throughout the novel, Gatsby is involved in criminal activities; however, there is little
proof to show that he is a "sinister gangster," as Pauly believes him to be. Meyer Wolfshiem, in
fact, once refers to Gatsby as nothing more than a gentlemanly, charming tool which he employed
for his own uses (179); even those closest to Gatsby do not think him to be any kind of mastermind.
Gatsby was not a cunning criminal mastermind; his illegal actions were simply the only avenue
within his knowledge that would bring him wealth, which he would need in order to win Daisy's
heart. On the contrary, Gatsby was not particularly cunning in anything, least of all that to which he
devoted his life–Love.
Doyno, Victor A. Patterns inThe Great Gatsby. Modern Fiction Studies, XII 415–426,
1969.
Victor A. Doyno claims that The Great Gatsby, byF. Scott Fitzgerald, is filled with many patterns and
subtle nuances. In his essay, he demonstrates this belief with many examples and excerpts from the
novel, and makes many interesting points. Doyno believes The Great Gatsby to be a "consciously
artistic achievement," and attempts to prove his argument. Doyno's first observation regards the
photographs taken by Mr. McKee as they are shown

Thesis Statement For The Great Gatsby
Thesis Statement: Throughout the narrative, Scott Fitzgerald uses symbols such as the Valley of
Ashes, the green light and the eyes of TJ Eckleburg to indicate how greed, materialism and the loss
of moral values in society contributed to the unattainability and corruption of the American Dream.
Paragraph 1: The Valley of Ashes. Topic Sentence: The Valley of Ashes symbolises the
consequences and corruption of materialism in America. Supporting sentences: Its occupants
represents those confined in their pursuit of the American Dream meanwhile the rich enjoy their
wealth and success in East and West Egg. In reality, the valley of ashes is described as a grey,
desolate and filthy motor road, lodged between West Egg and the rest of New York. It
...show more
content...
The green colour represents Gatsby's obsession over Daisy, who embodies his TAD as well as his
devotion to love. He makes it his life goal to become prosperous and wealthy so he can impress
Daisy's expensive needs and in turn win or buy back her affection. All throughout the story, he
gets involved with bootlegging, crime and extravagant parties hoping Daisy will take notice.
Gatsby dream eventually comes to a halt when Daisy runs over and kills Myrtle with his car and
Gatsby is left to take responsibility. The green colour of the light is replaced with corruption, as
Fitzgerald compares it to "a fresh, green breast of the new world" ( pg

Critical Appreciation Of The Great Gatsby
Without utilizing profundity of thought, The Great Gatsby is basically a romantic tale of the
outlandish taboo want between a lady and a man. The essential subject of the novel,
notwithstanding, flaunts a significantly bigger, less sentimental extent of the novel. Despite the
fact that a large portion of its essential plot happens over just a couple of short a very long time
through 1922's mid year, and is set in a little zone in relative vicinity to Long Island, New York,The
Great Gatsby is an a view on the 1920's in America, and uses a ton of changed imagery with it,
specifically the misfortune and dismantling of the American dream in a period actually named after
the measure of riches and industry it created in material overabundance. Fitzgerald can exhibit the
1920s as a period of passing on social and good esteems, prove in its staggering negativity, want, and
unfulfilling quest for joy. The heedlessness of the gatherings and festivities that prompted wild jazz
music, exemplified in The Great Gatsby by the rich gatherings that Gatsby tosses each Saturday
night, in the long run was made, in the debasement of the American dream, as the widespread want
for riches and delight outperformed more beneficial beliefs.
At the point when World War I finished in 1918, the age of youthful Americans who had battled the
war turned out to be strongly disappointed, as the fierce savagery that they had recently confronted
made the Victorian social ethical quality of mid

Ahmir Minnis
Mrs. Noel
English III
11 November 2017
Literary Analysis: The Great Gatsby
"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this
world haven't had the advantages that you've had." He didn't say any more, but we've always been
unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than
that. In consequence, I'm inclined to reserve all judgments [...]. (1.2). In the novel, The Great Gatsby
written by F. Scott FitzGerald portrays not only lying but the consequences of lying which is one of
the main focuses throughout the book, and is shown between multiple characters that later face the
consequences because of their lying. Lying in The Great Gatsby is expressed by multiple
characters from different social classes and some pay the price for their actions while the higher
class doesn't pay for their mischievous deeds.
Tom has multiple ways of how he lies he uses Myrtle for sexual pleasure because he is both bored
and dissatisfied with his marriage with Daisy so he seeks out Myrtle for excitement. He lies to
Myrtle as to why he cannot leave Daisy [quote] (38). Tom then breaks Myrtle's nose for
disrespecting Daisy. Tom also orders Myrtle around [quote] (36) He refers to extramarital
relationships as "spree" (138). Whilst Myrtle is a Gold digger, and uses Tom not only for his money
but to ascend up the social status while associating herself with him and deserted George. She's

Great Gatsby: Fitzgerald's Criticism of The American Dream
The American Dream, as it arose in the Colonial period and developed in the nineteenth century,
was based on the assumption that each person, no matter what his origins, could succeed in life on
the sole basis of his or her own skill and effort. The dream was embodied in the ideal of the
self–made man, just as it was embodied in Fitzgerald's own family by his grandfather, P. F.
McQuillan.
Fitzgerald's novel takes its place among other novels whose insights into the nature of the American
dream have not affected the artistic form of the novel itself. The Great Gatsby serves as Fitzgerald's
critique of the American dream.
The Great Gatsby embodies a...show more content...
Fitzgerald's critique of the American dream is developed through certain dominant images and
symbols. Fitzgerald uses the green light as a symbol of hope, money, and jealousy. Hope signifies
the center of the dream, but jealousy and lure of money pollute it. Gatsby is a noble man whose
vision is fouled by his dream because he remains in a "wonder" at Daisy's presence
throughout the novel. He is unable to see the carelessness and self–centeredness of Daisy whose
"foul dust" destroys him. Fitzgerald also uses the contrasting images of the East and
Midwest to develop his critique. The East denotes the place where the corruption of the American
dream has occurred. Finally, at the end of the novel, Nick decides to move back West. Nick learns
that this place of dishonesty, lack or morale, and lack of values is not the place for him.
In the novel, The Great Gatsby, Scott F. Fitzgerald gives some severest criticism of the American
dream ever written. That dream has been destroyed and polluted by the pursuit of material success.
Fitzgerald is successfully able to identify the deficiencies of the American vision itself. Fitzgerald
shows that the secret of life happiness is to

Marxist Criticism In The Great Gatsby
Lois Tyson writes in her "Marxist Criticism" about the ideas of Marxist theory, and specifically
how "The Great Gatsby" criticizes capitalist culture. The idea of commodification is introduced as
"the act of relating to persons or things in terms of their exchange value or sign–exchange value to
the exclusion of other considerations" (Tyson 69). While commodification can be used in terms of
buying and selling goods of values, it can also be used in terms of a certain mindset. In this
mindset some people, especially the rich, will see almost everything as a commodity, able to be
bought. It could be actual goods, or even people though not bought literally they are intrigued and
enticed by money. The novel "The Great Gatsby" exemplifies this mindset and ideas through
characterization. Tyson states that the novel aides in showcasing how the "American dream not
only fails to fulfill its promise but also contributes to the decay of personal values" (69). The
wealthy being able to buy anything they want with their money decreases moral and personal
standards. Those in the lower class have a ideal version of the American dream where they live a
great life, but in reality that's just not how it works.
Specifically in the novel, the narrator is wealthy and most of his friends are as well, living in New
York. Each character has their own struggles and desire, even though most are in the upper class
with a couple being poorer. In the novel, "The Great Gatsby", author F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes the
characterization of Myrtle Wilson and Daisy Buchanan to demonstrate that social classes define a
person and influences their perspective on life and ideas of the American dream. Along with the
novel, Woodie Guthrie's song, "This Land is Your Land" and Lois Tyson's "Marxist Criticism"
strengthen this argument with the idea that even though there could be equality within commodity
and Marxist ideas, there isn't always which creates these class differences. "Marxist Criticism"
argues that Tom buys his way into women's lives, which is true for Myrtle as she wants something
more in life and Daisy has Tom's money already but it still isn't enough from her point of view. Tom
Buchanan, a rich man born into his wealth, is married to

One of the most well–known works of literature from the 20th century is F. Scott Fitzgerald's
masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. Inspired by Fitzgerald's experience in post–WWI America and into
the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby reflects many idealisms and themes relatable to people of
all time periods. Part of the book's charm is that it is still as relevant today as it was when it was first
released. The Great Gatsby is both an inspired work of fiction and an influential historical work, and
will likely continue to be so for years to come. F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby in
1925. This book is contemporary to Fitzgerald's time, as it takes place during the summer of
1922. It begins with its narrator and protagonist, Nick Carraway, moving to New York. He has
come to New York to learn about bonds and move up in the business world, and moves into a
section of Long Island known as the West Egg. In this section, he is surrounded by "new money," or
people of recently established wealth, who display their wealth through lavish parties and gaudy
lifestyles. The most extravagant is Nick's next–door neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who has elaborate parties
each weekend. Nick also has a cousin, Daisy Buchannan, who lives in East Egg, the more
established wealthy area of Long Island. Daisy is married to Tom, who was one of Nick's
schoolmates from Yale. At dinner one night, Daisy and Tom introduce Nick to Jordan Baker, with
whom he starts a relationship. From Jordan, Nick

Criticism of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald creates an artificial world where money is the object of
everyone's desire. The characters, the setting, and the plot are very deeply submerged in a
Capitalism that ends up destroying many of them. Fitzgerald's criticism of Capitalism can be seen
as a move to subtly promote Socialism, an ideology in which value is placed on the inherent value
of an object rather than its market value. In a late collection of notes, Fitzgerald himself proclaims
that he is "essentially Marxist." [i] Marxism is a specific branch of Socialist theory. Fitzgerald makes
Gatsby a novel that is not inherently Marxist or even Socialist, but one that is...show more content...
This is a Capitalist ideal; because the characters have this value and they are corrupt, Fitzgerald is
criticizing Capitalism as a system through its values.
This class division is painfully apparent throughout the novel. In chapter five, some of the people
at Gatsby's party are singing a popular tune of the 1920's, which includes the lyrics: "the rich are
getting richer/and the poor are getting children/ain't we got fun?" (101). The flippancy of the
lyrics implies a general attitude of the upper classes toward the lower class. Later in the novel,
Gatsby describes a young Daisy, who appears "gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot
struggles of the poor" (157). This sentence captures the main argument of Marx's The Communist
Manifesto. In the Manifesto, he describes the constant conflict between classes, but says that the
real struggle is on the part of the lower class. In this book, the upper class is portrayed as being
extremely artificial and corrupt. The reason that Gatsby works so hard to become a member of the
upper class is to impress a girl who he places a market value on – and he becomes a member of that
class through illegalities. When Gatsby buys his house to impress Daisy, he is not simply
purchasing property; he "thinks he is buying a dream." [ii]
At one point in the novel, Nick says that "human sympathy has its limits" (143). Even the narrator of
the story, who has less

The 1920's was a decade full of independence and absurdity. Looking back at the decade, some
may see it as a negative and a beginning of unlawfulness that created our current era. On the other
hand, others may see this time period as expressive and free spirited. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote
The Great Gatsby to display the creative side of the decade. He was able to describe what the 1920's
were about by describing the distinct life of a man who lived through the decade and his crazy
life story. Several characters involved in the story were bold and uniquely expressive in their own
ways. Gatsby's obsessive love for Daisy not only focused on how out of the ordinary this decade
was, but also showed his evocative emotions and feelings that gave a clear image of what life was
like throughout this time. The 1920's were celebrated in The Great Gatsby through Gatsby's
character and the creation of his well known legacy.
The unique story of Gatsby's life expresses the out of the ordinary lifestyle of the 1920's. Not a lot
of people can say they have lived a life as rare and ritzy as Gatsby. To begin, no one was really
sure who Gatsby actually was. He built an enigmatic profile that no one was able to completely
distinguish. For example, people at his party said "Somebody told me they thought he killed a man
once"(168). Not only is it unclear whether Gatsby was proven to be a killer or not, but also it gives
us uncertainty of what may be the truth or hidden as a lie. Another reason

The Great Gatsby Critical Essay

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The Great Gatsby Critical Essay