Great Gatsby

Wide Awake and Dreaming Hanna Chait T. E. Lawrence stated â€Å"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. † In The Great Gatsby, the central theme is realizing that creating your own dreams and living in your reality is extremely different.Myrtle dreamt of having money, yet knew Tom would never leave Daisy, Gatsby dreamt of being with the Daisy he created, but realized she had changed, and Daisy dreamt of being in love and being with Gatsby, but would NEVER leave Tom. Myrtle Wilson desires one thing in life, money. She lives in the valley of ashes, the desolate and barren land that lies between Long Island and New York. She wants nothing more than to become wealthy, leave the valley of ashes, leave her husband, and become a extravagant vapid housewife like she always dreamt of being. ‘I married him because I thought he was a gentleman,’ she said finally. ‘I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe’† Myrtle remarked of her relationship with George. She wanted so badly for him to be something else, someone with class.She wanted a perfect, wealthy man of high social standing. Myrtle discussed her wedding day to George, â€Å"The only crazy I was, was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in, and never even told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out. Myrtle was embarrassed and almost disgraced about the fact that George didn’t get married in a suit he bought for himself. Myrtle said she knew right away she made a mistake, so the question was why did she go through with it in the first place? That’s why Myrtle has Tom though: he was her fulfillment, her fortune, though in reality they would never truly be together. Tom was with Daisy and that is how it was going to stay, Tom would never truly love a woman from the valley of ashes. This was known because of the elaborate lie Tom constructed about why he will never leave Daisy because she is a Catholic, when in fact she is not.Just as Myrtle was creating a false sense of her relationship with Tom, Gatsby was doing the same with Daisy. Jay Gatsby had a dream, his dream was of the Daisy he met and fell in love with five years ago. He dreamt of Daisy admitting that she never loved Tom, that way they would finally have been able to run off together to the life that he once knew. He dreamt of a future, the future he knew they were meant to have from the day he met her. He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you. After she had obliterated four years with that sentence they could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken. One of them was that, af ter she was free, they were to go back to Louisville and be married from her house – just as if it were five years ago. When Gatsby finally had Daisy he realized that there was no longer a dream, he had what he wanted. He soon finds himself asking has my dream changed, or has Daisy changed? Gatsby first noticed this when he had Daisy over, that she was no longer the whimsical 18-year-old Daisy Fay of Louisville, Kentucky that he once knew, that he grew to love.There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams–not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion The magnitude of this realization was that Daisy was not the same Daisy she once was five years ago she had changed. This hurt Gatsby, it woke him up from the fantasy he was living in and showed him that although the love remained the same the girl was no longer the same.Though Gatsby’s dream of Daisy had existed for the past five years, Daisy’s dream of being with Gatsby had only just been recognized, and she could not decide if it is something she truly wanted or if it was just something to make her happy. She had only just reconnected with Gatsby after five years, at a tea set up by Nick and Gatsby. As Daisy went to say goodbye to Gatsby at the end of the tea, she whispered something in his ear and Gatsby was filled with a rush of emotions. â€Å"As watched him he adjusted himself a little, visibly.His hand took hold of hers, and as she said something low in his ear he turned toward her with a rush of emotion† (103). This is where the reader begins to see a new Daisy, a Daisy that wanted to be with Gatsby, and had a general need to feel loved. Later on she was forced to identify what her true feelings were about Tom and Gatsby, she was told to state the claim that she never loved Tom, but she found herself only able to say that she no longer loves him, but she DID at one time love him. â€Å"’Oh, you want too much! ’ she cried to Gatsby. ‘I love you now — isn’t that enough? I can’t help what’s past. She began to sob helplessly. ‘I did love him once — but I loved you too. ’† Daisy proclaimed this to Gatsby, as he begged her to admit she never loved Tom, she then proceeded to ask Tom to take her home. Thus ending her dream and Gatsby’s, she wants to be with Gatsby and she wants to be loved, but she knows Tom is the life she is meant to have. Daisy loves her money and her place in society too much to actually feel loved; this is something that will never change. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald delves into a world of dreams and fantasies, as well as vast realizations of what life is really like.Myrtle wanted nothing more than to live in a society she feels she truly belongs in, and to be wealthy, but deep down as painstaking as it was to admit she knew she could never have Tom. Gatsby wanted to be with the Daisy he knew and loved five years ago, a dreamlike Daisy of 18 years of age, but the Daisy he meets once more has changed. Lastly Daisy wanted nothing but to be loved and be happy, but she knew she loved her money and life too much to let herself be happy. This is how The Great Gatsby shows us how dreams can hurt you much more than the realty you are living in. Great Gatsby This extract establishes both the physical and symbolic values of the setting in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It also provides us with the traits of the characters in the novel in relation to the thematic focus. The setting is also symbolic of Fritzgerald's satire of 1920s New York lifestyle , particularly emphasizing on the American dream , social class and money. Prior to the extract, Nick begins by commenting on himself, stating his qualities; tolerance and tendency to reserve judgments as one of them. In the summer of 1922, Nick Carraway has just arrived in New York and is living in a part of Long Island known as West Egg.Fitzgerald establishes Nick Carraway as an impartial narrator but not a passive one. From the novel's opening paragraph onward, this will continue create an internal conflict for Nick himself. Because despite the fact that Gatsby represents all that Nick despises, Nick cannot help but admire him. Geographically, the differences of the upper classes a re symbolized by two residential areas of Long Island, New York â€Å"Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated by a courtesy bay, jut out into . . . Long Island Sound. . . n arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size. † Fitzgerald continues to emphasize the social divisions between the two Eggs and their inhabitants with colorful imagery which develops symbolic significance. Nick lives in Long Island in what is known as the West Egg. The West Egg is located across the bay from the East Egg. Nick, after describing his area as the less fashionable of the two, continues to confess that â€Å"this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them. The relationship between geography and social values is an important motif in The Great Gatsby. Each setting in the novel corresponds to a particular thematic idea or character type. This extract intro duces the two most important settings in the novel, East Egg and West Egg. Even though each is home to the wealthy they are separated as Nick says â€Å"by a courtesy bay†, the two regions are opposite in the values they uphold. East Egg represents taste, and aristocracy while West Egg represents ostentation and the flashy manners of the new rich.East Egg is associated with the Buchanans and the monotony of their inherited social position, while West Egg is associated with Gatsby’s gaudy mansion. Nick is attracted to the fast-paced lifestyle of New York. But it is contradictory because he also finds that lifestyle grotesque and damaging. This inner conflict is symbolized throughout the book by Nick’s romantic affair with Jordan Baker. He is attracted to her vivacity and her sophistication just as he is repelled by her dishonesty and her lack of consideration for other people.The second contrast is between the city scenes and the suburban ones. Like Nick Carraway , Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby commute into the city for their respective lines of work. The women are left behind. This geographical divide is also a gender borderline. But the city is important in other ways, too; Tom only interacts with his mistress in the city, and Gatsby only sees Meyer Wolfsheim there. They both use the city to hide their goings-on from the people they value on Long Island. The setting in the Great Gatsby is closely related to the Concept of the American Dream in the novel.The American dream was originally about discovery, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. In the 1920s depicted in the novel, however, easy money and relaxed social values have corrupted this dream, especially on the East Coast. One of the major topics explored in The Great Gatsby is the sociology of wealth, specifically, how the the new rich are segregated from the old aristocratic rich who live on the East Egg In the novel, West Egg and its denizens represent the newly rich, while Eas t Egg and its denizens, especially Daisy and Tom, represent the old aristocracy.Fitzgerald portrays the newly rich as being vulgar, gaudy, ostentatious, and lacking in social graces and taste. Gatsby, for example, lives in a monstrously ornate mansion, wears a pink suit, drives a Rolls-Royce, and does not pick up on subtle social signals, such as the insincerity of the Sloanes’ invitation to lunch. In contrast, the old aristocracy possesses grace, taste, subtlety, and elegance, epitomized by the Buchanans’ tasteful home and the flowing white dresses of Daisy and Jordan Baker.What the old aristocracy possesses in taste, however, it seems to lack in heart, as the East Eggers prove themselves careless, inconsiderate bullies who are so used to money’s ability to ease their minds that they never worry about hurting others. The Buchanans exemplify this stereotype when, at the end of the novel, they simply move to a new house far away rather than condescend to attend G atsby’s funeral. The setting in the Great Gatsby is closely related to the Concept of the American Dream in the novel.Daisy is in love with money, ease, and material luxury. She is capable of affection (she seems genuinely fond of Nick and occasionally seems to love Gatsby sincerely), but not of sustained loyalty or care. She is indifferent even to her own infant daughter, never discussing her and treating her as an afterthought when she is introduced in Chapter 7. In Fitzgerald’s conception of America in the 1920s, Daisy represents the amoral values of the aristocratic East Egg set. Great Gatsby Charles de Montesquieu says that â€Å"to become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them†. Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby , protagonist Jay Gatsby progresses as a hero through his dedication for love, his youthful dreams, and his Christ-like persona. His passion for love reflects in his greatness; for he proves commitment, dedication, and a loving soul for others. Jay Gatsby lives the model of the American Dream in a youthful and undertaking way. Extravagance combined with dreams for success comes greatness. Gatsby also is considered a vision of Jesus Christ as the novel uses different biblical allusions to prove his greatness as a relatable leader. Jay Gatsby’s dedication and commitment for love makes him a hero, yet most of others fail to see his greatness. Gatsby dedicates his life to fulfilling his dream of his lost love Daisy Buchanan. He yearns for her love and â€Å"believes in the green light† across the bay (Fitzgerald 25). This is the first time narrator Nick Carraway begins to see Gatsby’s other side and realizes his desire for the one he truly loves. The green light embodies his vision of desire forcing Gatsby â€Å"to fashion a reality of his own to correspond to the dream† (Weinstein 8). He must accomplish his dream in his own way, working with the circumstances given at hand. Gatsby â€Å"stretched out his hand desperately as if to snatch only a wisp of air, to save a fragment of the spot that she had made lovely for him† (Fitzgerald 33). Gatsby is committed to her love and desires NOTHING more than her simple love. Daisy says to Gatsby, â€Å"We haven't met for many years†. Gatsby quickly responds â€Å"Five years next November† (Fitzgerald 87). Gatsby knows the exact date of their last meeting, proving his dedication toward the building upon the relationship. â€Å"Gatsby [is] attracted to Daisy for purely idealistic, romantic, and even metaphysical reasons†; none of it is for money (Mellard 4). He loves Daisy for who she truly is and never gives up in his journey to pursue a mutual love. Gatsby is† profoundly kind, always seeing the best in people, or, what is better, seeing them as they see themselves† (Mellard 2). He reaches people down to their level even within his own greatness; even bringing out the best in others. Jay Gatsby devotes his life to love of others and the dedication of pursuing it. Jay Gatsby lives and thrives in his youth of being the American Dream. Simply put, Gatsy's home is described as being â€Å"a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden (Fitzgerald 9)†. Gatsby’s lavish home is wanted by majority of Americans. Nick explains how his â€Å"eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes† at his own luxurious, well-attended parties (Fitzgerald 50). Everyone attends Gatsby's extravagant parties wether invited or not. He looks at all of his guests identically; with appeal. â€Å"Gatsby has a fabulous career and yet, is humble in himself†, for he is the image of the classic American Dream (Weinstein 5). Gatsby's ability to be able to stay humble yet successful is heroic. Gatsby’s life is full of enchanted objects aspiring to be the youthful man of many dreams (Fitzgerald 93). Gatsby's youth is found through his dreams of love and hope of life and happiness around him. Gatsby’s youth â€Å"leaves an impression of interminability† (Mellard 2). His dreams prolong as his youth stays forever. Gatsby is forever young. Simply said, â€Å"The Great Gatsby is the picture of the American Dream† (Weinstein 1). The American Dream is all about achieving greatness in a self-inflicted way like as Jay Gatsby. Gatsby would not be able to achieve such greatness without the core values of a humble leader whom dominates his own dreams of youth. The character of Gatsby has a religious entity that brings him closer to the vision of the Son of God. â€Å"The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end† (Fitzgerald 104). Gatsby is the â€Å"American Adam† throughout the novel. He acts as the biblical Adam while fulfilling the spot of the American dream. Gatsby is described as having â€Å"a heightened sensitivity to the promises of life† (Fitzgerald 6). Like the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he has promises for the coming life in order to live out his greatness apart from his own senses. Gatsby brings life to the others around him, bringing out the best in people, giving the rare smile of admiration; nevertheless he is the incarnating God (Mellard 12). Nick describes Gatsby when watching him upon first meeting as â€Å"he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling† (Fitzgerald 25-26). Jay Gatsby is like a â€Å"Christ-figure as a scapegoat† (Mellard 9). Similar to Jesus Christ, Jay Gatsby would place blame upon others on himself, for he desires nothing more than love. In conclusion, F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby , protagonist Jay Gatsby progresses as a hero through his dedication for love, his youthful dreams, and his Christ-like persona. His passion for love reflects in his greatness; for he proves commitment, dedication, and a loving soul for others. Jay Gatsby lives the model of the American Dream in a youthful and undertaking way. Extravagance combined with dreams for success comes greatness. Gatsby also is considered a vision of Jesus Christ as the novel uses different biblical allusions to prove his greatness as a relatable leader. Jay Gatsby’s dedication and commitment for love makes him a hero, yet most of others fail to see his greatness. Jay Gatsby lives and thrives in his youth of being the American Dream. The character of Gatsby has a religious entity that brings him closer to the vision of the Son of God. His passion for love reflects in his greatness; for he proves commitment, dedication, and a loving soul for others. Jay Gatsby lives the model of the American Dream in a youthful and undertaking way. All in all Jay Gatsby proves his greatness well. Great Gatsby Great Gatsby Gatsby: The False prophet of the American Dream The American dream, or myth, is an ever recurring theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest colonial writings. Briefly defined it is the belief, that every man, whatever his origins, may pursue and attain his chosen goals, be they political, monetary, or social. It is the literary expression of the concept of America: the land of opportunity. F. Scott Fitzgerald has come to be associated with the concept of the American dream more so than any other writer of the country.In fact, the American dream has been for Fitzgerald what the theme of the separate peace has been for Earnest Hemingway – the focal point or building block for much, if not all, of his work. However, Fitzgerald’s unique expression of the American dream lacks the optimism, the sense of fulfilment, so evident in the expressions of his predecessors. Cast in the framework of the metaphor, the aforementioned exponents of the American drea m were Old Testament prophets predicting the coming of the golden age, complete with a messiah who was to be epitome of the word â€Å"American. † Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s answer.To Fitzgerald the long prophesied American dream had its fulfillment in the â€Å"orgiastic† post World War I period was known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties. † He was the self-appointed spokesman for the â€Å"Jazz Age†, the term he takes credit for coining, and he gave it its arch-high priest and prophet, Jay Gatsby, in his novel The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is aptly suited for the role of arch-high priest because he is the persona and chief practitioner of the hedonism that marked this period. He is also its unwritting prophet, for his failure and destruction serve as a portent for the passing away of an era.The suggestion that The Great Gatsby may contain religious implications is not a new idea. Bernard Tanner sees it as a â€Å"Jazz Parody†, â€Å"The Gospel of Gats by†. Gatsby is characterized as an â€Å"inverted Christ† in this drama, and the rest of the dramatis personae are neatly fitted in, perhaps too neatly, to this allegorical framework. To wit: Nick Carraway is Nicodemus, the Pharisee; Dan Cody is St. John the Baptist with his femme fatale , Salome, in the guise of Ella Kaye; and Meyer Wolfsheim is St. Peter complete with three denials.These characters, plus others, act out their parts in the gospel, carrying out such events as the marriage feast at Cana, various parables, Judas' betrayal, and Christ's crucifixion. A. E. Dyson maintains, that Dr. T. J. Eckleburg â€Å"is the only religious reference† in this novel. Roger L. Pearson doesn’t agree with these two interpretations. He believes that Fitzgerlad is much like Hemingway in his symbolic technique in The Great Gatsby, in that he projects a series of variations in his imagery so as to achieve a cumulative effect.Fitzgerald becomes at times orthodox and f ormulistic to a degree in this novel. However, he achieves a totality of expression by introducing motifs that give the reader a slightly differing perspective of Gatsby, while always moving in a specific direction. Hence, Gatsby is no shallow stereotype. Instead, he has depth and complexity. There is a religious design in The Great Gatsby, and it has its basis in Jay Gatsby himself. Nick Carraway, the narrator and interpreter of the novel, describes Gatsby thus: The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself.He was a son of God-a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that-and he must be about His Father's business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. It should be noted that Gatsby is â€Å"a son of God,† the God of material love-Mammon. Rather than an â€Å"inverted Christ† or God, Gatsby is a perverted God; one who is dedicated to the physical rather than the spiritual world. Gatsby has come to espouse the gospel of the corrupted American dream. His existence is founded on a lie, a delusion, and he terms this monstrous lie â€Å"God's truth† in relating to Nick his past.It is evident, even to Nick, that Gatsby is a self-deluded fraud living in a world of shams. His lie especially reflects his materialism. He is Mammon resurrected by the hedonism of the 1920s. Fitzgerald introduces a supporting image for the Mammonism of Gatsby in the description of his house which serves, among other things, as the temple of his Philistinism. The description about Gatsby’s home has overtones of Babel with its tower when viewed in the content that it is inhabited by people â€Å"who never knew each other’s name. The beauty of this image of Gatsby's house is that it is a dual one. It seems that Fitzgerald has created a twentieth-century replica-â€Å"a factual imitation†-of Milton's Pandemonium. The image is further solidified in that Mammon was its c hief architect and builder. The lights that decorate the mansion, the expensiveness of its appointments, the opulence of its library, all contribute to this image. Fitzgerald appears deliberately to contribute to the God-like image of Gatsby by withholding him from the novel, while surrounding him with an aura of myth.Some believe him to have been a double spy during the war, others that he once killed a man, while some see him as a criminal lord of the underworld, dealing in bootleg liquor, among other things. A principal image in The Great Gatsby is the valley of ashes, presided over by the ubiquitous Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. This wasteland lies between West Egg and New York City. Several interpretations have been offered as explanations of this scene. There are similarities between the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg and Fitzgerald’s description of the anonymous Owl Eyes. It is Owl Eyes who murmurs the eulogy of â€Å"The poor son-of-a-bitch† at Gatsby’s grave.William Gold hurst believes that Dr. Eckleburg’s presence in the novel is to â€Å"symbolize some implacable deity†. This has credence, for George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, refers to Dr. Eckleburg as the eyes of God. â€Å"God sees everything† But what of the valley of ashes itself? One critic has noted that Fitzgerald may have had the Valley of Hinnon in mind when he created the valley of ashes. Hinnon is the Old Testament name for the city dump outside the walls of Jerusalem. Since fertile, it was defiled by the worship of false god ant turned into ashes by God in his wrath. This analysis resolves the relationship between Dr.Eckleburg, the valley of ashes and Gatsby. The valley of ashes is the result of Jay Gatsby’s testament, the dust of a perverted American dream; and like its biblical counterpart, it has its association with the worshiping of a false god, Mammon, incarnate in his son, Gatsby. A contributing factor in this assessment of the role of Gatsby i s provided by Meyer Wolfsheim. It is an often stated premise that it takes evil to recognize evil. We have just such an instance here. Wolfsheim claims to have â€Å"made† Gatsby, and refers to him as a â€Å"man of fine breeding†. Gatsby also has a perverted or mistaken sense of what constitutes character.He refers to Meyer Wolfsheim as a â€Å"smart man† and he also lauds Jordan Baker as a woman who â€Å"wouldn’t do anything that wasn’t all right†. Gatsby’s gospel of hedonism is reflected in his house, wild parties, clothing, roadster, and particularly in his blatant wooing of another man’s wife. Daisy, a rather soiled and cheapened figure, is Gatsby’s ultimate goal in his concept of the American dream. However, he falls victim to his own preachings. He comes to believe himself omniscient – above the restriction of society and morality. He will win back Daisy by recapturing the past.Gatsby is going to achieve h is ends through sheer materialistic means, through the power that he thinks he commands from his wealth. It is at the death of Gatsby that Fitzgerald becomes formulistic and orthodox in his symbolism. The rejected and soon to be betrayed Gatsby stands alone under Daisy’s window, keeping a vain vigil over his shattered dream. The following afternoon, Gatsby, with the help of his chauffeur, fills his pneumatic mattress and starts for his swimming-pool. Shortly thereafter, the chauffeur hears the shots, fired by an â€Å"ashen fantastic figure† and Gatsby lies dead, a victim of his own absurd aspirations.The passion and crucifixion imagery is perhaps too unmistakable here; however, it does have its desired effect, because it casts Gatsby in the role of a rejected messianic figure through its Biblical illusion. He had come alive to us, â€Å"delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendour,† only to fail in his mission. Jay Gatsby’s eulogy is spo ken by Owl Eyes. Gatsby was the bastard of a hedonistic age, spawned by it and killed by it. Nick, at one point, surmised: â€Å" his imagination had never really accepted†¦his parents at all. The sole monument to the world of Gatsby’s ministry is â€Å"that huge incoherent failure of a house† that he left behind. And his epitaph on this monument is an obscene word, scribbled in chalk, by some neighbourhood boy. As a prophet of the American dream, Gatsby fails – miserably – a victim of his own warped idealism and false set of values. The American dream is not to be reality, in that it no longer exists, except in the minds of men like Gatsby, whom it destroys in their espousal and relentless pursuit of it. The American dream is, in reality, a nightmare. Great Gatsby Gatsby: The False prophet of the American Dream The American dream, or myth, is an ever recurring theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest colonial writings. Briefly defined it is the belief, that every man, whatever his origins, may pursue and attain his chosen goals, be they political, monetary, or social. It is the literary expression of the concept of America: the land of opportunity. F. Scott Fitzgerald has come to be associated with the concept of the American dream more so than any other writer of the country.In fact, the American dream has been for Fitzgerald what the theme of the separate peace has been for Earnest Hemingway – the focal point or building block for much, if not all, of his work. However, Fitzgerald’s unique expression of the American dream lacks the optimism, the sense of fulfilment, so evident in the expressions of his predecessors. Cast in the framework of the metaphor, the aforementioned exponents of the American drea m were Old Testament prophets predicting the coming of the golden age, complete with a messiah who was to be epitome of the word â€Å"American. † Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s answer.To Fitzgerald the long prophesied American dream had its fulfillment in the â€Å"orgiastic† post World War I period was known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties. † He was the self-appointed spokesman for the â€Å"Jazz Age†, the term he takes credit for coining, and he gave it its arch-high priest and prophet, Jay Gatsby, in his novel The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is aptly suited for the role of arch-high priest because he is the persona and chief practitioner of the hedonism that marked this period. He is also its unwritting prophet, for his failure and destruction serve as a portent for the passing away of an era.The suggestion that The Great Gatsby may contain religious implications is not a new idea. Bernard Tanner sees it as a â€Å"Jazz Parody†, â€Å"The Gospel of Gats by†. Gatsby is characterized as an â€Å"inverted Christ† in this drama, and the rest of the dramatis personae are neatly fitted in, perhaps too neatly, to this allegorical framework. To wit: Nick Carraway is Nicodemus, the Pharisee; Dan Cody is St. John the Baptist with his femme fatale , Salome, in the guise of Ella Kaye; and Meyer Wolfsheim is St. Peter complete with three denials.These characters, plus others, act out their parts in the gospel, carrying out such events as the marriage feast at Cana, various parables, Judas' betrayal, and Christ's crucifixion. A. E. Dyson maintains, that Dr. T. J. Eckleburg â€Å"is the only religious reference† in this novel. Roger L. Pearson doesn’t agree with these two interpretations. He believes that Fitzgerlad is much like Hemingway in his symbolic technique in The Great Gatsby, in that he projects a series of variations in his imagery so as to achieve a cumulative effect.Fitzgerald becomes at times orthodox and f ormulistic to a degree in this novel. However, he achieves a totality of expression by introducing motifs that give the reader a slightly differing perspective of Gatsby, while always moving in a specific direction. Hence, Gatsby is no shallow stereotype. Instead, he has depth and complexity. There is a religious design in The Great Gatsby, and it has its basis in Jay Gatsby himself. Nick Carraway, the narrator and interpreter of the novel, describes Gatsby thus: The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself.He was a son of God-a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that-and he must be about His Father's business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. It should be noted that Gatsby is â€Å"a son of God,† the God of material love-Mammon. Rather than an â€Å"inverted Christ† or God, Gatsby is a perverted God; one who is dedicated to the physical rather than the spiritual world. Gatsby has come to espouse the gospel of the corrupted American dream. His existence is founded on a lie, a delusion, and he terms this monstrous lie â€Å"God's truth† in relating to Nick his past.It is evident, even to Nick, that Gatsby is a self-deluded fraud living in a world of shams. His lie especially reflects his materialism. He is Mammon resurrected by the hedonism of the 1920s. Fitzgerald introduces a supporting image for the Mammonism of Gatsby in the description of his house which serves, among other things, as the temple of his Philistinism. The description about Gatsby’s home has overtones of Babel with its tower when viewed in the content that it is inhabited by people â€Å"who never knew each other’s name. The beauty of this image of Gatsby's house is that it is a dual one. It seems that Fitzgerald has created a twentieth-century replica-â€Å"a factual imitation†-of Milton's Pandemonium. The image is further solidified in that Mammon was its c hief architect and builder. The lights that decorate the mansion, the expensiveness of its appointments, the opulence of its library, all contribute to this image. Fitzgerald appears deliberately to contribute to the God-like image of Gatsby by withholding him from the novel, while surrounding him with an aura of myth.Some believe him to have been a double spy during the war, others that he once killed a man, while some see him as a criminal lord of the underworld, dealing in bootleg liquor, among other things. A principal image in The Great Gatsby is the valley of ashes, presided over by the ubiquitous Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. This wasteland lies between West Egg and New York City. Several interpretations have been offered as explanations of this scene. There are similarities between the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg and Fitzgerald’s description of the anonymous Owl Eyes. It is Owl Eyes who murmurs the eulogy of â€Å"The poor son-of-a-bitch† at Gatsby’s grave.William Gold hurst believes that Dr. Eckleburg’s presence in the novel is to â€Å"symbolize some implacable deity†. This has credence, for George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, refers to Dr. Eckleburg as the eyes of God. â€Å"God sees everything† But what of the valley of ashes itself? One critic has noted that Fitzgerald may have had the Valley of Hinnon in mind when he created the valley of ashes. Hinnon is the Old Testament name for the city dump outside the walls of Jerusalem. Since fertile, it was defiled by the worship of false god ant turned into ashes by God in his wrath. This analysis resolves the relationship between Dr.Eckleburg, the valley of ashes and Gatsby. The valley of ashes is the result of Jay Gatsby’s testament, the dust of a perverted American dream; and like its biblical counterpart, it has its association with the worshiping of a false god, Mammon, incarnate in his son, Gatsby. A contributing factor in this assessment of the role of Gatsby i s provided by Meyer Wolfsheim. It is an often stated premise that it takes evil to recognize evil. We have just such an instance here. Wolfsheim claims to have â€Å"made† Gatsby, and refers to him as a â€Å"man of fine breeding†. Gatsby also has a perverted or mistaken sense of what constitutes character.He refers to Meyer Wolfsheim as a â€Å"smart man† and he also lauds Jordan Baker as a woman who â€Å"wouldn’t do anything that wasn’t all right†. Gatsby’s gospel of hedonism is reflected in his house, wild parties, clothing, roadster, and particularly in his blatant wooing of another man’s wife. Daisy, a rather soiled and cheapened figure, is Gatsby’s ultimate goal in his concept of the American dream. However, he falls victim to his own preachings. He comes to believe himself omniscient – above the restriction of society and morality. He will win back Daisy by recapturing the past.Gatsby is going to achieve h is ends through sheer materialistic means, through the power that he thinks he commands from his wealth. It is at the death of Gatsby that Fitzgerald becomes formulistic and orthodox in his symbolism. The rejected and soon to be betrayed Gatsby stands alone under Daisy’s window, keeping a vain vigil over his shattered dream. The following afternoon, Gatsby, with the help of his chauffeur, fills his pneumatic mattress and starts for his swimming-pool. Shortly thereafter, the chauffeur hears the shots, fired by an â€Å"ashen fantastic figure† and Gatsby lies dead, a victim of his own absurd aspirations.The passion and crucifixion imagery is perhaps too unmistakable here; however, it does have its desired effect, because it casts Gatsby in the role of a rejected messianic figure through its Biblical illusion. He had come alive to us, â€Å"delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendour,† only to fail in his mission. Jay Gatsby’s eulogy is spo ken by Owl Eyes. Gatsby was the bastard of a hedonistic age, spawned by it and killed by it. Nick, at one point, surmised: â€Å" his imagination had never really accepted†¦his parents at all. The sole monument to the world of Gatsby’s ministry is â€Å"that huge incoherent failure of a house† that he left behind. And his epitaph on this monument is an obscene word, scribbled in chalk, by some neighbourhood boy. As a prophet of the American dream, Gatsby fails – miserably – a victim of his own warped idealism and false set of values. The American dream is not to be reality, in that it no longer exists, except in the minds of men like Gatsby, whom it destroys in their espousal and relentless pursuit of it. The American dream is, in reality, a nightmare. Great Gatsby Great Gatsby great gatsby Character |Behavior |Consequences | | Jay Gatsby |  He had a overzealous need for|  He lost daisy because of his eagerness for money | | |money and would sacrifice | | | |anything to get it | | |Daisy Buchanan |  Never attached her self to |  Lost Gatsby’s love | | |anyone or anything | | |Tom Buchanan |  Very rude and bossy.Expects |  Marriage issues/ Selfish | | |people to â€Å"jump through hoops†| | | |for him | | |Jordan Baker |  Falls for another guy |  Nick leaves and never returns | |   | | | |Myrtle Wilson |  distressed in wanting to |  She uses adultery to try and enhance her life | | |improve her dull life | | |George Wilson |  Lifeless and not in any way |  Kills Gatsby and then himself | | |motivated | | |Part II: The Great Gatsby: The American Dream | |In your opinion, what is â€Å"The American Dream†? I think that the American Dream is to be successful in life.Everyone has goals | |that they set for themselve s and some get achieved and some don’t. In my opinion being successful is having a family, working in| |a career that you love, and just living life to the fullest. | |According to the media, advertisements, salaries, and society in general, what is â€Å"The American Dream†? How does this compare to| |your definition of â€Å"The American Dream†? | |List at least five elements that make up Jay Gatsby's American Dream. On the chart | |For each of the five elements you listed in question 3, consider what is wrong with either Gatsby's concept of the dream or the | |way he attempts to attain it.On the chart | |As you read the novel, copy down a specific quotation or quotations that most relate to the concept of the American Dream as it | |is presented in the novel. â€Å"That’s my Middle West . . . the street lamps and sleigh bells in the frosty dark. . . . I see now | |that this has been a story of the West, after all—Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jord an and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we | |possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly inadaptable to Eastern life. â€Å" | |â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no | |matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . And then one fine morning— | |So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. † | | | | | | | |Elements That Make Up Jay Gatsby's American Dream |What is Wrong With Gatsby's Concept of the Dream or The| | |Way He Attempts to Attain It | |1.Daisy loving him |There is a huge difference in their social classes, so | | |when he tries to win her over he starts doing illegal | | |stuff to make money to impress her and keep up with her| | |materialistic lifestyle   | |2. Popularity |  In order to gain popularity he thought that he needed | | |to be wealthy. He had the wrong idea as to how to | | |become popular. | |3. Wealth/ Money |  He became a criminal because of his greed for money. | |He illegally trafficked drugs/ alcohol | |4. Doesn’t want to face reality |  In Gatsby’s eyes Daisy had no flaws but in reality she| | |had many but he didn’t want to face the facts about her| |5. His loyalty to Daisy |  He lied to Daisy about many things, so she didn’t see | | |him for who he truly was | |Part III: Understanding the Historical Context and Setting of the Novel | |F.Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby is a specific portrait of American society during the Roaring Twenties. In | |this part of the assignment you will explore the connection between history and literature. | |Begin your exploration by visiting the following resources: | |Kingwood College Library | |The Media History Project Timeline | | | |Review the major people, places, and events in The Arts, News & Politics, Science, Business, Society and Sports. | | |As you review these resources, think about how they illuminate your understanding of The Great Gatsby. | |After researching the 1920s, respond to the following statement in an essay, either agreeing or disagreeing. Your essay | |should be at least four paragraphs in length (minimum of six sentences in each paragraph). | | | |†The beauty and splendor of Gatsby's parties masked the innate corruption within the heart of the Roaring Twenties. | |Jazz-Age society was a bankrupt world, devoid of morality, and plagued by a crisis of character. | |If you agree with this statement, you must find specific support from both the novel and from history to support your view. | | | |If you disagree with this statement, you must find specific support from both the novel and from history to support your | |view. | |Paragraph 1: Find a quotation from the novel or pose a question to begin your essay. Introduce your thesis statement. Do | |you agree or disagree with the statement? Why? | | Paragraph 2: Discuss at least five references to people, places, and events in the 1920s as specific support for your | |thesis.For example, you might include a discussion of Prohibition, Gangsters, the Stock Market, and Fads if you agree with| |the statement. If you disagree, you might discuss Technological or Scientific Advances, Social Reforms, Literature, Music, | |and Inventors or Inventions. | |Paragraph 3: How do the characters, plot, and theme of The Great Gatsby support or refute the statement that â€Å"the Jazz-Age | |society was a bankrupt world, devoid of morality, and plagued by a crisis of character†? Use specific details and lines | |from the novel to support your view. | |Paragraph 4: Develop a conclusion that reflects on the evidence from history and the novel that supports your thesis. |