NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic twentieth-century story of Jay Gatsby's quest for Daisy Buchanan, examines and critiques Gatsby's particular vision of the 1920 's American Dream. Written in 1925, the novel serves as a bridge between World War I and the Great Depression of the early 1930 's. The idealism evident in Gatsby's constant ambition helps define what Fitzgerald saw as the basis for the American Character. Gatsby is a firm believer in the American Dream of self-made success: he has, after all, not only invented and self-promoted a whole new role for himself, but has succeeded both financially and socially. However, Gatsby hopes to obtain that which is unfeasible, at least to the degree which he desires.
As the novel unfolds, Gatsby seems to realize that his idea and pursuit of Daisy is more rewarding than the actual attainment of her. Although Gatsby remains fully committed to his aspirations up until his death, he struggles with the reality of when those aspirations for his American Dream are either achieved or, in Gatsby's case, proven inaccessible. The Great Gatsby's main and most evident theme would be the corrupting influence of wealth to the purity of a dream. This theme is clearly developed in the characters of Tom and Daisy Buchanan. In contrast, the pursuit of a dream is a noble thing that gives meaning to life, as proven by Gatsby's lifelong pursuit of Daisy. Gatsby is never corrupted by his wealth, for it is there for a single purpose - to prove his worth to Daisy.
Readers will clearly see and comprehend that those living in the East lead lives of materialism and possession, that corruption has now taken over the American Dream, and lastly that money cannot buy everything. The East is a symbol of shallowness, carelessness, and corruption, as evidenced by characters such as Tom and Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Meyer Wolfsheim. In contrast, the Midwest is a symbol of morality, conservatism, and practicality, as shown by Nick Carraway. Nick had tried to flee from his Midwestern morals by going to New York, but instead he became horrified to see that the East was completely corrupt. As a result of this Nick returns home to the Midwest.
Nick was able to see that his cousin and her friends were all corrupted by their money in a variety of ways. Daisy was born and married to wealth. She had no values and no purpose in her life. All she did was float around from one social scene to the next wearing her white expensive gowns. Daisy had an affair with Gatsby in result of her boredom. She did not value the feelings of Gatsby and only saw their affair as some entertainment to her life.
When Daisy hits and kills Myrtle Wilson she does not stop and when Gatsby gets shot, she does not even telephone or send flowers. Daisy is only worried about protecting and entertaining herself and she does not care about others. However, Tom is probably more purposeless than his wife. With no real career, he plays with polo ponies and race cars. Tom too has a mistress in which he rents out an apartment for in New York. He commands her to go there for his entertainment whenever he desires.
When he does not like her behaviour, he strikes and hurts her. When Tom realizes that Daisy is involved with Gatsby, he becomes enraged and confronts his wife's lover, exposing that he is a nobody. Even though he admits to having various affairs, he says that he will always love his wife and come back to her. Daisy calls him disgusting, but refuses to leave him because of his wealth. After Daisy accidentally kills Myrtle, the two of them flee together, refusing to own up to any responsibilities. "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy -- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made" (188). Jordan Baker, Daisy's wealthy friend, is a champion golfer; still, she has no morals or values.
She is a liar and a cheat, going so low as to moving her golf ball during one of her matches. And lastly, Meyer Wolfsheim, a man associated with Gatsby and the underworld who is a bootlegger and a gambler. In order to make money he fixed the World Series in 1917. It is only Gatsby who is not corrupted by his money. Although he has a large mansion, drives flashy cars and gives extravagant parties, everything he has done in life has been done to fulfill his dream - to prove to Daisy that he is worthy of her. He believes that his possessions will convince Daisy to forget about the past and to marry him.
Once Daisy made it clear that she choose Tom, Gatsby no longer had a need for any of his possessions. The major theme of the Great Gatsby would be the corruption lead from the American Dream. This dream had risen from the Majestic period and has since then developed in the nineteenth century. The Dream was based on the assumption that each person, no matter what origins had the ability to succeed in life on the single basis of his or her own skill and effort. The Great Gatsby is a novel about what happened to the American Dream in the 1920 s, a period when the old values became corrupted by the vulgar pursuit of wealth. The characters in the novel have moved to the East in pursuit of this new dream of money, fame, success, glamour, and excitement.
Tom and Daisy must have a huge house, a stable of polo ponies, and friends in Europe. Gatsby must have his enormous mansion before he can feel confident enough to try to win Daisy. "There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams -- not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion" (101). Fitzgerald is not criticizing the American Dream itself but the corruption of it. The energy that might have gone into the pursuit of noble goals has know redirected into the pursuit of power and pleasure, and a very empty form of success. However the characters each have different levels of corruption.
Nick just observes and comments on what he believes to be wrong. Gatsby lives the American Dream purely and lastly Tom, Daisy, and Jordan who are the prime examples of the corruption of the dream. Gatsby genuinely believes that if a person makes enough money and collects a great enough fortune, he can buy anything. He thinks his wealth can erase the last five years of his and Daisy's life and reunite them at the point at which he left her before he went away to the war. Many people believe that if they had money they could manipulate time, stay young, and buy their happiness through materialistic spending. Throughout the novel, there are many parties, however each ends in waste (trash) or violence (broken nose).
Gatsby later learns that money cannot buy happiness and if it did as in Tom and Daisy's case, it would not resemble the pure love between a man and a woman. Once Gatsby realized the fact that Daisy was going to remain with Tom he no longer had any want or need for his possessions. Gatsby no longer cared for his riches for they were not able to reunite himself with his lost love Daisy. Between the wealth of New York City and the East Egg lays the Valley of Ashes which is a symbol of the waste and corruption that characterizes the wealthy. When Gatsby's dream is crushed by Daisy's refusal to forget about her love for Tom, Fitzgerald is stating that the American Dream of wealth and beauty is just as delicate. Watching over the Valley of Ashes are the eyes of T.
J. Eckelberg, a symbol of God who is sadly looking down at the wasteland below. God seems ashamed of mankind. This powerful image repeatedly states the theme: wealth corrupts. The ashes represent all those who are wealthy who allowed their money to take over their lives. Individuals no longer cared for the well being of others and soon it became obvious that they no longer had a real purpose on this Earth rather than spending their money and having countless parties.
In the end Gatsby realizes that money and materialistic items is not what makes a person but it is actually what transforms a person for the worse. In conclusion, The Great Gatsby is an extraordinary novel which deals greatly with the corruption that so often accompanies wealth and success of the American Dream. Although Gatsby had more money than all of the East Eggers put together he did not become corrupt and he did not allow this to come in the way of his dream. All of the wealthy characters use people and things and then discard them as trash, destined for the Valley of Ashes. Tom uses Myrtle, and she dies amongst the ashes chasing after him. Gatsby too used the butlers and the cooks to provide for his parties.
They are left to clean up the ravages of Saturday night on Sunday morning. Fitzgerald is clearly saying that the American Dream has gone away. People are so into chasing the almighty dollar that they have forgotten real human values. Like Tom and Daisy, their lives wind up in the Valley of Ashes, empty of meaning or purpose.
Bibliography: The Great Gatsby by f. Scott Fitzgerald
Free research essays on topics related to: daisy buchanan, meyer wolfsheim, valley of ashes, tom and daisy, jordan baker
Research essay sample on Tom And Daisy Valley Of Ashes
