Great_Gatsby

Jessica Schafer Period 2 3/10/10 Fitzgerald’s Modern America In the Great Gatsby ,by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are three social classes, a man said to be a modern hero, and the “flawless American dream” within the short novel. Jay Gatsby ,whofalls in love with Daisy, does everything possible for her even though in the end he didn’t end up with his true love. Fitzgerald shows his readers that the three social classes have the same faults but different the way they portray them, Gatsby is a modern American hero despite everything the occurred and there are flaws within the American dream. Fitzgerald engages his fans in the novel by showing that the three social classes all share the same faults but are different in the ways they hide and portray them to the public. Old money such as Daisy, Tom and Jordan hide their flaws to protect their reputation. When Tom is having an affair which occurs behind closed doors such as when “Tom and Daisy vanished… Toms got some woman in New York”(page 15). The people who are included in the “old money” group have to protect their reputation by hiding behind their manners, money and culturedappearances. At the time when Nick and Jordan gossip about Toms affair they make sure that they are all alone so no one will know or hear them gossiping. In chapter 2, the poor are truthful and don’t care about hiding their flaws and putting everything on the table such as being prejudice when Mrs. McKee says that “ I almost married a little kike” (page 34). People who have no money are straight forward because they have nothing to hide or to hide behind. They have nothing to lose, no money. The group considered as “new money” are stuck in between both groups and hide behind their alcohol such as when a very drunk man who crashes his coupe and said, “Wha’s matter'...Did we run outta gas'...At first I din’ notice we’d stopped” (page 54). This shows a huge amount of violence and carelessness because the “new money” followers don’t have manners but do have new money that they have recently earned. They are still trying to figure out where they belong and while they think the alcohol is to blame because that’s what they hide behind. Sometimes heroes are hard to find throughout the book such as distinguishing Gatsby as a modern hero or a villain. Clearly Gatsby is a man of action because Jordan tells Nick that Gatsby wants Nick to arrange a lunch in with the two men and Daisy he makes a point to ask Nick when he says “I don’t want to put you in any trouble... and which day would suit you'”(Page 82). This shows that Gatsby is a man of action because he gets things done that he wants done. He makes sure he also follows through with his plans also. Gatsby is also has morals and principles which are proven when Lucille ripped her dress at one of Gatsby’s parties and he sent her a replacement gown when she says “when I was here the last time I tore my gown on a chair and he asked me my name and address and a week later we got a package from Croirier’s with a new evening gown in it” (page 43). This proves that Jay Gatsby is flawed but is ruled by strong morals. He sees that it was his furniture’s fault even though she may have been drunk when the accident occurred he still felt bad so he sent her a brand new dress. Jay Gatsby doesn’t give up even when there are over whelming odds against him when he hasn’t seen Daisy in the past five years and now she is married. He says ”imcertainly glad to see you again” (page 87). He still loves her after not seeing her for so long and even though she is married he still wants to try and have a relationship with daisy. Everyone believes that you should come to America! It’s the land of dreams and unlimited opportunities! But in reality, some people do face limits such as Gatsby who was born as a poor farm boy when he realized that to become successful he had to climb a latter and leave Daisy behind in chapter 6 when Gatsby says “out of the corner of his eye Gatsby saw that the blocks of the sidewalks really formed a ladder …if he climbed alone… he could gulp down a n incomparable milk of wonder” (page 110). When Gatsby says that he would have to climb alone, that means no one would support him. He would have to do it all on his own climbing up on the ladder. Sometimes America is a land of continual progress such as Gatsby’s successful career, or sometimes life gets worse. On page 122 once Tom figures out that his wife is having an affair with Gatsby he says “I’ve been making a small investigation of his past…Daisy knew him before we were married.” Tom is so angry that Daisy is cheating now his life, Daisy’s, and Gatsby’s got a whole lot more complicated because now no one was faithful to their loved ones and everything was messed up. In chapter 1, Daisy says “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” Daisy is not a fool herself but is the product of a social environment that, to a great extent, does not value intelligence in women. The older generation values subservience and docility in females, and the younger generation values thoughtless giddiness and pleasure-seeking.