... several young Americans who had fought in the war returned to America with a heightened disillusion of reality, as the horrors of the war made everyday life and social morality of the early 1900's seem trivial. Following the recession of 1921-1922, the nations economy grew spectacularly, which led a new age ... of a citizen, but of a consumer. " During the 1920's the perception of the American Dream was that an individual could achieve success in life regardless of family history or social status if they only work hard enough, yet the families with old wealth belittled those with new we...

• Word Count: 1603
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... wealth. The characters from East Egg acquire wealth from previous years but have no fulfillment in life. They are empty inside, shallow, and arrogant. A prime character that perfectly describes East Egg is Jordan Baker. She appears beautiful but is only interested in deceiving others in order to advance her way through ... life to get what she wants. Another pair that fits in East Egg well is the Buchanan's; ... Tom Buchanan is wealth brutalized by selfishness and arrogance" (Cowley 71). Because of Tom's wealth he has become abusive and self-centered; his life is centered on himself and...

• Word Count: 1589
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... any woman would leave her husband for any reason at all. Everything that Gatsby ever did in his whole life was based upon his pursuit of the dream. He moved to New York and bought his very expensive mansion because of Daisy. Jordan Baker said, "Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay."(Fitzgerald 83) He held many ... expensive parties in the hope that Daisy might show up at one of them. Jordan said, "I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties ... , some night, but she never did."(Fitzgerald 84) His daily life was also controlled by the dre...

• Word Count: 1290
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... alone" (Way 33). These comparisons show how Fitzgerald and Gatsby tried to relive the past and trying to obtain the unobtainable. In Fitzgerald's adult life he became broke and owed debts. Gatsby, too was penniless before starting to work for Dan Cody and then Wolfsheim. Fitzgerald's written works became ... annoying habit of always saying "Old Sport" a lot. He was also a bootlegger like Gatsby. Jordan Baker was a great golf champ. Fitzgerald based Baker on the 1923 Women's Golf Champ, Edith Cummings. Herman Rosenthal was the true-life guy, that Wolfsheim mentions, who got murdered outsi...

• Word Count: 1897
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... and power. Jay Gatsby, the central figure of the the story, is one character who longs for the past. Surprisingly he devotes most of his adult life to recapturing it and, finally, dies in its pursuit. In the past, Gatsby had a love affair with the affluent Daisy. Knowing he could not ... he asks around casually if anyone knows her. Soon he meets Nick Carraway, a cousin of Daisy, who agrees to set up a meeting. On page 83 Jordan Baker explains: "He wants to know...if you'll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and ! then let him come over." Gatsby's personal dream symbolizes the ... s...

• Word Count: 1321
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... recklessness of the wealthy, the cruelty of the Valley of Ashes, and Gatsby and Myrtle's tragic deaths. Nick Carraway's moral and honest view of life is the only slight relief from the feel of tragedy. Not only does the author use a controversial point of view to attract readers, he uses ... is money obtained by people who've had to work for it, legally or illegally. West Egg and Nick represent Fitzgerald and his way of life and East Egg is those duplicitous people of the "roaring twenties." Almost every successful piece of literature has themes and lessons that the author hopes ... nam...

• Word Count: 1839
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... production lines" (Sheldon 1). Materialism, or the theory or attitude that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greater good and highest value in life, was a common characteristic of the members of the upper class within the society of the twenties. This materialism is prevalent in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The ... comfort in the security of her money and her position within society, and this becomes all she desires out of life. When Daisy first appears, she is with her friend, Jordan Baker. They are sitting on a couch and are described as "buoyed up as though upon an ...

• Word Count: 1887
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School