FREE ESSAY ON THE GREAT GATSBY

THE GREAT GATSBY

A Critical Review: The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a universal and timeless literary masterpiece.
Fitzgerald writes the novel during his time, about his time, and showing the bitter
deterioration of his time. A combination of the 1920s high society lifestyle and the
desperate attempts to reach its illusionary goals through wealth and power creates the
essence behind The Great Gatsby.
Nick Carraway, the narrator, moves to a quaint neighborhood outside of New York City
called West Egg; his distant cousin and his former colleague, Daisy and Tom, live in a
physically identical district across the bay called East Egg. The affluent couple quickly
exposes Nick to the corrupting effect of wealth and materialism. He often serves as a
sophisticated observer at several fashionable parties, yet he remains uninvolved in the
hedonistic lifestyle. Jay Gatsby, the man who gives his name to the book, lives in an
extraordinary estate adjacent to Nick, where he incessantly welcomes guests to sumptuous
parties. Nick develops a fixation and a selfless devotion to Gatsby. Gatsby is a dreamer,
absorbed by the past, and Nick reluctantly aids him in attempts to fulfill his ideal. The
impractical illusions, in the end, destroy Gatsby and lead Nick to see the ultimate
manifestation of corrupt American society.
In The Great Gatsby, greed and corruption centralize the theme. Fitzgerald uses the
contemporary public as a core of life for his characters. Gatsby's intent to win a love
from his past by the display of lavish possessions results in annihilation. He was doomed
from the beginning by his avaricious wishful thinking. Gatsby's approach to attain his
goal was encumbered by immoral manners. The way he made money, tried to find love, and
lived his life were all completely selfless, yet unjust. His bootlegging business earned
him millions but also repelled everyone from his funeral. The countless years Gatsby
worked to earn his fortune to win back his beloved abruptly ended with a decisive close.
And the lavish parties with caterers, bartenders, and orchestras never drew his "golden
girl" to the scene. 
The characters of The Great Gatsby are in constant search of their own identities-a
second theme. They think that the only ingredient to happiness is wealth and possession.
At the beginning of the novel, certain images of the characters are embedded in the
reader's mind, but as each one approaches a goal, he or she becomes more absorbed in
desire and shows a shocking change in temperament. When Nick went to Tom and Daisy's
house for dinner one evening at the beginning of the novel, Daisy attempted to make plans
with Nick. She said, "What'll we plan? What do people plan? (p.25)." She acts naive and
innocent with no sense of independence. Contradicting this episode, she kills a woman in
a car accident and goes home to, literally, eat cold chicken. She is in constant dispute
with herself; she truly has no idea of what to do, and her husband, Tom, has the same
dilemma. Tom believes that his exterior belongings make him the "brute of a man (p.25)"
Daisy says he is. After Tom read the book The Rise of the Coloured Empires, he became
violently angered by the threat of another race submerging the whites. This shows that
even though Tom felt superior, he had inner self-doubt that he could be defeated which
caused him to react with rage. Both Tom and Daisy eventually discover the shameful
history they have so carefully amassed yet are still unable to overcome their deceit and
allow themselves to retreat back into their money and vast carelessness.
A corrupting effect of wealth can easily be found among both the established rich people
of East Egg and the newly rich residents of West Egg. The people of East Egg, such as Tom
and Daisy Buchanan, have developed in a world of money and hold an empty future of
purposelessness encompassed by assets. On the other hand, the inhabitants of West Egg
have worked their way up into the world of fortune, many dishonestly, but still hold the
vulgarity they garner from their origin. The events that take place in East Egg promote
conservatism and power; they are moderately low-key and quiet. Parties and lack of
refinement, on the contrary, consume West Egg. When the plot is occurring in West Egg,
the story is generally fast-paced; when the plot is occurring in East Egg, the tempo
slows.
The Great Gatsby takes place in the decade of the "Roarin' Twenties". Fitzgerald
splendidly incorporates the truth behind the 1920s into his writing. Looking back upon
the decade, a spirited vision of dancing and merriment emerges. The high-class American
society was in a state of celebration; World War I had finally came to closure. When
asked about the purpose of life, Daisy replied, "I don't know, but it has to do with
money and lots of it (p.96)." The men and women of the 1920s were acting impulsively and
foolishly. Regardless of how conceited one may seem, he or she secretly had no idea of
what he or she was doing. The corrupt, immoral things the characters in The Great Gatsby
do directly represent the high-society lifestyle of the 20's. 
The three main homes of the characters also greatly correspond with their place in
society. Jay Gatsby lives in an enormous mansion, which housed a large Gothic library.
Nick once observed the irrelevant quantity of books and how they had seemed never opened.
Gatsby's house was full of expensive, luxury items rarely used as anything more than
opulent trimming. His house operated merely for parties-a characteristic of the newly
rich. Tom's estate, on the other hand, was a ravishing colonial manor. The furnishings
were tasteful and pleasant. It suited the Buchanan established rich demeanor. Nick lived
in a middle-class house surrounded by mansions of the elite just as his ordinary
lifestyle was intertwined with upper society. "There was a sharp line where my ragged
lawn ended and the darker, well-kept expanse of his began (p.78)." Nick knew that he did
not belong to the aristocratic community that he mingled with daily. People enjoyed Nick,
and he enjoyed scrutinizing them. Eventually, Nick even grew weary of trying to
understand the motives of others.
The symbolism in The Great Gatsby plays an immense role in plot. It binds the true
significance of the story to the text. "...wedging his tense arm imperatively under mine
Tom Buchanan compelled me from the room as though he were moving a checker to another
square (p.24)." Nick often makes reference to Tom physically controlling people. Here,
and in many other illustrations, Fitzgerald uses symbolism for characterization purposes.

More importantly, symbolism is used to further the understanding of the theme. In order
to get in and out of the city, a train must be boarded; the train passes through an area
referred to as the "valley of ashes". Towering over the waste-land is a billboard with
T.J. Eckleburg looking over the land. George Wilson, the owner of a shabby garage shop in
the valley of ashes, refers to the eyes on the billboard as the eyes of God. The valley
of ashes symbolizes that the world has become an isolated desert consumed by the
manufacture of wealth. God looks down aimlessly over this grotesque land, seeing his
subjects worship money, and He no longer able to care.
Nick, Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, and Jordan were all born in the west and moved east. This goes
against the usual metaphorical move from east to west, as practiced by the first
explorers of our country. The east to west movement is often in search of serenity and
utopia, while enduring the lack of luxury items. In The Great Gatsby, the movement to the
east provokes an opposite affect. Life is generally thriving with possession, but
omitting tranquility and morals. Fitzgerald's ingenious concept of this now obvious truth
is superbly incorporated into the text.
Gatsby's car ultimately connects the plot and theme together symbolically. It shows
Gatsby's material wealth and how glorious a life he must be living. Gatsby's main
initiative for wealth is to dazzle the woman with whom he has forever been in love. As
the conclusion draws closer, the vehicle becomes more significant. When Tom demands to
drive Gatsby's car leaving Gatsby to drive Tom's vehicle, they switch personas. The
affair becomes evident to Tom, and he reacts with vulgarity and irrationality. This is
the behavior one would expect from new money. Acting as one from an established
background, Gatsby remains calm, yet forcibly declares his righteousness. The primary
symbolism of the car comes at the end. The car, of wealth and power, causes brutal
devastation to each character in different ways. 
In conclusion, The Great Gatsby is a morally and historically enlightening classic about
the moral decline in the 1920s. F. Scott Fitzgerald fabricated brilliant symbolic
allusions in every line of writing. The book never loses meaning, for it comes from an
unforgettable, real time period in American society. It is recommended for a person of
any age, race, or gender who is interested in understanding a peculiar part of what the
modern world has become. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby truly captures the
essence of American literature.