Magdalena Kalinowska
Mr. Sterner
English 11 Honors
25 August 2014
Title
The Roaring 20s, was an era during which many people believed they lived the so called “American Dream.” Wealth, back then associated with the dream, leading many to their own downfall. The characters in this novel, show dishonesty in rich people, and their greed, by always wanting more and more, even though they succeeded and have what they always wanted.
Thesis Statement: Scott F. Fitzgerald explains throughout the entirety of The Greats Gatsby that it is impossible to maintain happiness when someone tries to achieve the American Dream because the dream leads to wealth, which leads to greed and gluttony, which causes corruption and will finally lead to death. Almost …show more content…
Even though Tom had a very successful past, and a career of a famous football player, he was a wealthy man from and old family in Chicago. His American Dream was what he already had, a big house, a wife and a child. As other characters in the book, it wasn’t enough for him, therefore he cheated on Daisy with Myrtle Johnson. On the other hand, Myrtle saw Tom as a pathway to excessive and rich life, because she tries to get away from the Valley of Ashes. The valley of ashes represented the differences between the poor and rich. For the poor it was hopeless and impossible to even think of attaining the American Dream. It also shows how the rich will treat the poor for ages to come, with plentiful disgust. Tom finding out the secret love that Gatsby always has had for Daisy, angered him, saying “I supposed the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well if that’s the idea you can count me out . . . Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white.” (Pg 123-124). The author shows the lack of moral standards for this particular character because he himself cheated on his wife, but when his American Dream is threated, he actually acts like he is …show more content…
Many rich people during the 1920s had too much leisure time. therefore they spend a lot of time playing sports which also show great corruption in this particular novel.As in the book, Jordan Backer, a famous golfer, cheated in a golf tournament, and Meyer Wolfsheim fixes the world championship, both for their own gain. The author says “When we were on a house-party together up in Warwick, she left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down , and then lied about it – and suddenly I remembered the story about her that had eluded me that night at Daisy’s. At her first big gold tournament there was a row that nearly reached the newspapers – a suggestion that she had moved her ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round,” showing dishonesty, and corruption of wealthy people for the purpose, of a better American
Mr. Sterner
English 11 Honors
25 August 2014
Title
The Roaring 20s, was an era during which many people believed they lived the so called “American Dream.” Wealth, back then associated with the dream, leading many to their own downfall. The characters in this novel, show dishonesty in rich people, and their greed, by always wanting more and more, even though they succeeded and have what they always wanted.
Thesis Statement: Scott F. Fitzgerald explains throughout the entirety of The Greats Gatsby that it is impossible to maintain happiness when someone tries to achieve the American Dream because the dream leads to wealth, which leads to greed and gluttony, which causes corruption and will finally lead to death. Almost …show more content…
Even though Tom had a very successful past, and a career of a famous football player, he was a wealthy man from and old family in Chicago. His American Dream was what he already had, a big house, a wife and a child. As other characters in the book, it wasn’t enough for him, therefore he cheated on Daisy with Myrtle Johnson. On the other hand, Myrtle saw Tom as a pathway to excessive and rich life, because she tries to get away from the Valley of Ashes. The valley of ashes represented the differences between the poor and rich. For the poor it was hopeless and impossible to even think of attaining the American Dream. It also shows how the rich will treat the poor for ages to come, with plentiful disgust. Tom finding out the secret love that Gatsby always has had for Daisy, angered him, saying “I supposed the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well if that’s the idea you can count me out . . . Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white.” (Pg 123-124). The author shows the lack of moral standards for this particular character because he himself cheated on his wife, but when his American Dream is threated, he actually acts like he is …show more content…
Many rich people during the 1920s had too much leisure time. therefore they spend a lot of time playing sports which also show great corruption in this particular novel.As in the book, Jordan Backer, a famous golfer, cheated in a golf tournament, and Meyer Wolfsheim fixes the world championship, both for their own gain. The author says “When we were on a house-party together up in Warwick, she left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down , and then lied about it – and suddenly I remembered the story about her that had eluded me that night at Daisy’s. At her first big gold tournament there was a row that nearly reached the newspapers – a suggestion that she had moved her ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round,” showing dishonesty, and corruption of wealthy people for the purpose, of a better American