Great Gatsby: Social Commentary
Social Commentary
Social conditions: Throughout the novel "the great Gatsby", places and settings epitomize the various aspects of the 1920s American society that Fitzgerald depicts. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s as an era of decayed social values. When World War I ended in 1918, the generation of young Americans who had fought the war became intensely disillusioned. The dizzying rise of the stock market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden, sustained increase in the national wealth and a newfound materialism, as people began to spend and consume at unprecedented levels. A person from any social background could, potentially, make a fortune, but the American aristocracy -- ...
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less-sophisticated, and a more innocent type of people, as they haven't been consumed by material possessions, money, and greed their whole lives. The Buchanans, for example, they have a very large mansion for a home, and are somewhat of a stuck up family. East Egg is portrayed as corrupt in the novel, and is moral-less, compared to the more humble West Egg. According to F. Scott Fitzgerald, the West Egg is "less fashionable"(Fitzgerald, Pg. 9) with "wide lawns and friendly trees."(Fitzgerald, Pg. 7) Most of the people that live in the West Egg have morals and ethics to live by, rather than their own money, such as Nick Carraway. After Nick does Gatsby the favor of reuniting him with Daisy, he offers Nick the chance to take part in Gatsby's business and earn more money. Even though Nick struggles to sell bonds, he politely declines, realizing that Gatsby was only returning the favor. This shows that Nick has dignity, and doesn't live off the image portrayed by how much money he has ...
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with traditions. New technologies, like automobiles, movies and radios, spread the idea of modernity to a large part of the population. Fitzgerald portrays the nefarious effects of materialism created by the wealth-driven culture of the time. Automobiles played an important role in the culture of the 1920s, as well as an important role in the lives and deaths of several characters. At the time the novel was set, the automobile was still a relatively new technology, and just beginning to become important in the culture of wealthy Americans. To the rich characters in The Great Gatsby, the automobile was not so important as a mode of transportation as much as it had importance as a ...
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"Great Gatsby: Social Commentary." Essayworld.com. March 5, 2018. Accessed November 30, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Great-Gatsby-Social-Commentary/106676.
"Great Gatsby: Social Commentary." Essayworld.com. March 5, 2018. Accessed November 30, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Great-Gatsby-Social-Commentary/106676.
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