In "the Great Gatsby," What Does Gatsby Tell Nick About His Family?

The Great Gatsby is unremarkably studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response.

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Introduction

Call it the greatest American novel or ultimate story of unrequited romance—The Dandy Gatsby is undoubtedly a stunning snapshot of ane of the most American decades that America has ever seen. The 1920s saw meaning economical growth after WWI, and what's more American than cloth excess, wealth, and prosperity? The stock market was going off, businesses were booming, and people were having a not bad time.

Well, not everybody—and on the flipside, what'due south more American than socio-economic inequality or the ever-quixotic American Dream?

In this blog, we'll go through the novel in this context, examine some of its primal themes, and also have a recollect about the critiques information technology raises nearly American society. We'll likewise go through an essay prompt that ties some of these things together.

Life in the Roaring Twenties

This snapshot from the 2013 moving-picture show adaptation actually tells us a lot about the 1920s. On the one manus, social and cultural norms were shifting—men no longer sported beards, and women were dressing more than androgynously and provocatively. On the other mitt, the mod, American economic system was emerging—people began ownership costly consumer goods (like cars, appliances, telephones etc.) using credit rather than greenbacks. This meant that average American families were able to get these things for the first time, while more prosperous families were able to alive in extreme excess.

In Fitzgerald's novel, the Buchanans are i such family unit. Tom and his married woman Daisy have belonged to the ane% for generations, and the 1920s saw them cement their wealth and status. At the same time, the booming economic system meant that others (like the narrator Nick) were relocating to cities in pursuit of wealth, and (like Gatsby) making significant financial inroads themselves.

The Bang-up Gatsby traces how the differences betwixt these characters can be destructive even if they're all wealthy. Add together a drop of Gatsby's unrequited love for Daisy, and y'all have a story that ultimately examines how far people get for romance, and what money just can't buy.

The respond to that isn't so obvious though. Yeah, money can't buy dearest, but it also can't buy a lot of other things associated with the lifestyle and the values of established wealth. We'll get into some of this now.

Wealth and class

Fitzgerald explores tensions between three socio-economical classes—the establishment, the 'nouveau riche' and the working grade.

Tom and Daisy belong to the 'quondam money' establishment, where wealth is generational and inherited. This means they were built-in into already wealthy families, which affects their upbringing and ultimately defines them, from the way they speak (Tom'due south "paternal antipathy" and Daisy's vocalism, "total of money") to their major life decisions (including marriage, symbolised through the "string of pearls" he buys for her—which, fun fact, is estimated to exist worth millions of dollars today). It also affects their values, equally we'll see in the following department.
For now, consider this image of their abode (and those ponies on the left, which they as well ain), described as follows:

"The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for [400 metres], jumping over sun-dials and brick walls and burning gardens—finally when it reached the business firm drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run."

Nick Carraway also comes from a similar (though not as extravagant) background—his family had been rich by Midwestern standards for "three generations" before he came to New York.

Conversely, Gatsby belongs to the 'nouveau riche', or new money. Unlike the Buchanans, Gatsby was born into a poor family, just coming to wealth in the 1920s smash. Specifically, he inherited money from Dan Cody later running away from abode at 17.

Although they are all rich, at that place are significant cultural differences betwixt old and new money. Old money have their own culture of feigned politeness which Gatsby doesn't quite get. When Tom and the Sloanes invite Nick and Gatsby to supper in chapter six, Gatsby naively accepts, to which Tom would reply behind his back, "Doesn't he know [Mrs. Sloane] doesn't want him?" Fifty-fifty though Gatsby is financially their equal, his newfound wealth can't buy his style into their (nasty, horrible) lifestyle.

Finally, this is contrasted with the working form, particularly George and Myrtle Wilson who we meet in chapter two. They live in a greyness "valley of ashes", the detritus of a prosperous society whose wealth is limited to the 1%. Fitzgerald even calls it a "solemn dumping basis", suggesting that life is precarious and hard hither. Consider what separates George—"blond, spiritless… and faintly handsome"—from Tom (hint: $$).

Myrtle is described differently, nonetheless—she is a "faintly stout" woman with "perceptible vitality". This may be less of a description of her and more of a commentary on Tom's sexuality, and what attracts him to her such that he cheats on Daisy with her. Still, Myrtle's relative poverty is evident in her expressions of want throughout their meeting—"I want to get one of those dogs," she says, and Tom only hands her the coin.

Ultimately, looking at the novel through the lens of class, we see a club where upward social mobility and making a living for yourself is possible, just not for everybody. Even when you go rich, it doesn't guarantee that you'll of a sudden, seamlessly integrate into the lives of old coin.

Morality and values

Added to this story of social stratification is a moral dimension, where Fitzgerald can be a fiddling more than critical.

Firstly, old coin is portrayed equally shallow. Daisy's marriage to Tom and the Sloanes' insincerity are elements of this, but some other skilful example is Gatsby's party guests. Many aren't actually invited—they invite themselves, and "they came and went without having met Gatsby at all." Their vacuous relationship to Gatsby is exposed when he dies, and they completely abandon him. Klipspringer, "the boarder", basically lived in Gatsby's house, and even then he notwithstanding wouldn't come to the funeral, only calling up to get a "pair of shoes" dorsum.

The rich are also depicted equally cruel and inconsiderate, insulated from repercussions by their wealth. Nick's clarification of Tom's "barbarous body" is repeatedly realised, as he breaks Myrtle's nose in chapter two and condescends Gatsby with "magnanimous contemptuousness" in chapter seven. Later Myrtle dies, Nick spots the Buchanans "conspiring" and describes them as "smash[ing] up things and creatures and and so retreat[ing] dorsum into their money or their vast carelessness"—he sees them as fundamentally selfish.

Gatsby is portrayed more than sympathetically though, which may come from his humble upbringing and his want to be liked. This is probably the central question of the novel—is he a hero, or a villain? The moral of the story, or a alert? Consumed by dearest, or corrupted by wealth?

I'k going to leave nigh of those for the next section, simply I'll finish hither with one last snippet: Lucille, a guest at his parties, tears her clothes and Gatsby immediately sends her a "new evening gown". Weird flex, but at least he'south existence selfless…

Honesty

That said, a major function of Gatsby'south character is his dishonesty, which complicates his moral identity.

For starters, he fabricates a new identity and deals in shady business simply to reignite his five-yr-sometime romance with Daisy. Nosotros come across this through the emergence of Meyer Wolfsheim, with whom he has unclear business "gonnegtions", and the resultant wealth he at present enjoys.

In chapter three, Owl Eyes describes Gatsby every bit a "regular Belasco", comparing him to a film director who was well-known for the realism of his sets. This is a really lucid analysis of Gatsby, who is in many ways just similar a film director constructing a whole fantasy world.

It'southward too unclear if he loves Daisy for who she is, or just the idea of Daisy and the wealth she represents. Indeed, he doesn't seem to treat her as a person, but more like something that he can pursue (similar wealth). This is a skilful read, and so I won't really get into it here—just consider how much things have changed since Gatsby outset met Daisy (similar her marriage and her children), and how Gatsby ignores the mode her life has changed in favour of his still, stationary memory of who she used to exist.

Dear, desire and hope

All of this makes it tricky to distil what the novel's message actually is.

Is it that Gatsby is a good person, especially bandage against the corrupt quondam coin?

This analysis isn't wrong, and it actually works well with a lot of textual bear witness. Where Nick resents the Buchanans, he feels sympathy for Gatsby. He explicitly says, "they're a rotten crowd…you lot're worth the whole damn bunch put together." Maybe love was an honourable goal compared to money, which ostensibly makes you "cruel" and "devil-may-care".

I wouldn't say he was fell, but this reading is complicated past how he can be careless, choosing not to care about Daisy'south bureau, and letting his desires overtake these considerations.

Is it that Gatsby and his desire for Daisy were corrupted by wealth despite his good intentions?

There'south as well testify to suggest wealth corrupts—Nick describes it every bit "foul dust" that "preyed" on Gatsby, eroding his good grapheme and leaving backside someone who resembles the vacuous elite. Although love might've been an honourable goal, information technology got diluted past coin.

Gatsby's paradigm for understanding the globe becomes driven by materialism, and he objectifies Daisy. He starts trying to buy something that he originally didn't need to buy—Daisy's love. She certainly didn't autumn in beloved with this man who owned a mansion and a closet full of "beautiful shirts." Thus, Gatsby is a sympathetic product of a arrangement that was ever stacked confronting him (a poor male child from North Dakota). Capitalism, correct?

Is it that backer America provides nothing for people to pursue except for wealth, and therefore piffling reason for people to feel hope?

Well…

Past the basics: structural economical tension and the doomed American Dream

Now we want to start thinking across the characters (e.g. if Gatsby is a skillful person or not) and also cistron in their social, historical, political and economic context (eastward.g. if he was doomed to brainstorm with by a society driven by money). This subheading does sound a bit much, but we'll intermission information technology downwardly hither.

A primal part of this novel is the American Dream, the idea that America is a country of freedom and equal opportunity, that anyone tin 'brand information technology' if they truly attempt. Value is placed on upward social mobility (moving up from a working-grade background) and economic prosperity (making $$), which defined much of the Roaring 20s…

…for some.

For many others, there was significant tension between these lofty values and their lived reality of life on the ground. As much as order around them was prospering, they just couldn't become a piece of the pie, and this is what makes it structural—as hard as George Wilson might piece of work, he simply can't become himself out of the Valley of Ashes and into wealth. Indeed, you can't achieve the Dream without cheating (as Gatsby did).

And then, in that location's this tension, this irreconcilable gap between economic goals and actual means. Through this lens, the tragedy of The Great Gatsby multiplies. Information technology's no longer just about someone who can't buy love with coin—it's about how nobody'due south dreams are really attainable. Not everyone can go coin, and money tin only get you so far. Everyone is stuck, and the American Dream is basically but a myth.

Thus, the novel could be interpreted every bit a takedown of capitalist America, which convinced people like Gatsby that the reply to everything was money, and he bolted after the "green low-cal" attraction of common cold, difficult greenbacks only to find out that it wasn't enough, that it wasn't the answer in the terminate.  (.

Consider what kind of message that sends to people like the Wilsons—if coin tin can't actually buy happiness, what good is information technology really to chase it? And remember that Gatsby had to cheat to go rich in the first identify.

Is [the novel's message] that capitalist America provides nada for people to pursue except for wealth, and therefore little reason for people to experience hope?

You tell me.

Prompt: what does Fitzgerald suggest about social stratification in the 1920s?

Whenever you get a new essay topic, you tin can utilise LSG'due south THINK and EXECUTE strategy, a technique to help y'all write better VCE essays. If you're unfamiliar with this strategy, then check it out in How To Write A Killer Text Response.

Allow's effort applying this to a prompt. I'll italicise the fundamental points that have been brought up throughout this mail service.

Firstly, social stratification clearly divided society along economic lines. This could be paragraph one, exploring how form separated the Buchanans and Wilsons of the globe, and how their lifestyles were so completely unlike even though they all lived in the prosperity of the Roaring 20s. George Wilson was "worn-out" from work, but he still couldn't generate upward social mobility for his family, stuck in the Valley of Ashes. Conversely, Tom Buchanan is built-in into a rich family unit with his beach-facing mansion and polo ponies. Colour is an important symbol hither—the Valley is grey, while E Egg is filled with color (a greenish light here, a "blueish coupe" in that location…).

The next paragraph might look at the cultural dimension, exploring how you just tin can't buy a mode of life. This might involve analysing Gatsby's wealth as deluding him into thinking he can "repeat the past" by buying into the life(style) of old coin. This is where Fitzgerald disillusions u.s. about the American Dream—he presents a reality where it isn't possible for anyone to 'make information technology', where the Buchanans still treat you with contemptuousness even if you lot're simply as wealthy. Gatsby'south dishonesty is ultimately a shallow 1—try equally he might, he merely cannot fit in and win Daisy dorsum.

Finally, we should consider the moral dimension—even though the wealthier socioeconomic classes enjoyed more lavish, luxurious lifestyles, Fitzgerald also argued that they were the nearly morally broke. Coin corrupted the wealthy to the point where they merely did not intendance well-nigh the lives of the poor, as seen in the Buchanans' response to Myrtle'south decease. Even Gatsby had to compromise his integrity and deal in shady business organisation in order to get rich—he isn't perfect either. Social stratification may look ostentatious and shiny on the exterior, merely the rich are actually portrayed as shallow and decadent.

A practiced essay on this novel will typically combine some of these dimensions and build a multilayered analysis. Stratification, love, wealth, morality—all of these big ideas can be cleaved down in terms of social, economic, cultural circumstances, so brand sure to consider all angles when you write.

Take a get at these prompts!

1. Nick is biased in his assessment of Gatsby—both of them are no ameliorate than the corrupt, wealthy Buchanans. Do you agree?

2. In The Great Gatsby, coin is a stronger motivating factor than dear. Do you agree?

3. Daisy Buchanan is more innocent than guilty—explore this statement with reference to at least 2 other characters.

four. What does Fitzgerald say about happiness in The Great Gatsby?

5. Is money the true antagonist of The Great Gatsby?

6. The women of The Nifty Gatsby are all victims of a patriarchal club. To what extent do yous agree? (Hint: are they all equally victimised?)

Challenge: According to Fitzgerald, what actually lays underneath the façade of the Roaring 20s? Make reference to at least 2 symbols in The Great Gatsby. (Hint: façade = "an outward appearance that conceals a less pleasant reality" – remember about things like colours, clothes, buildings etc.)

Resources

The Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response

How To Write A Killer Text Response Written report Guide

How to embed quotes in your essay similar a boss

How to plow your Text Response essays from boilerplate to A+

five Tips for a mic drib worthy essay conclusion

The Importance of the Introduction

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