j19
Feb 1, 2011
Book Reports / "Double Vision in The Great Gatsby" essay - how can I summarize this essay better? [2]
Essay instructions: Everything in The Great Gatsby is seen in two ways: on the one hand as glamorous, romantic, and exciting, and on the other as crude, corrupt or even disgusting. This double vision applies to people, places and events. In a unified essay of from 750 to 1000 words, show how this is true, and explain its significance, using specific references to the novel to support your ideas.
This is the body paragraphs only (not the intro and conclusion.) I need to summarize this better as right now I'm at 1345 words.
P2: The colorful characters of The Great Gatsby can all be viewed in two opposing ways. On one hand, they have a personality and aura about them that nobody would ever question. On the other hand, in an era of unprecedented wealth and personal freedom, there is so much more to these characters than first meets the eye. There is no better example of this than the protagonist, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby, a member of the new rich, holds lavish parties every weekend at his ornate mansion on the shore of West Egg, New York. At first glance, Gatsby appears to simply be a man who has achieved everything he set out to do, something that the American Dream embodies. However, Gatsby is shrouded by a cloud of mystery. It becomes quite clear that Gatsby is not the person he appears to be at first glance; in fact, Jay Gatsby isn't even his real name - his real name is Jay Gatz. The fact that this man would lie about his name reveals that there is much more to Jay Gatz than first meets the eye. The truth is that Jay Gatz's newfound wealth and arrival at West Egg is in fact part of a mission, a mission to win back Daisy Buchannan, a woman whom he fell in love with in Louisville before he was sent off to fight in the war but lost after she married Tom Buchannan. The extent to which Gatsby lies to win back Daisy is pointed out by Nick Carraway, the narrator and neighbour of Gatsby.
" ... he invented 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 95).
Nick caught an early glimpse of Gatsby's mission as he watched Gatsby one night.
"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. Involuntarily I glanced seaward - and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock." (Fitzgerald 24).
The green light that Gatsby reaches out to is the light at the end of Daisy's dock. Green is the color of promise and renewal, and is a symbol of Gatsby's dream and hope for the future, to win back Daisy. Unfortunately for Gatsby, his dream eventually dies, not because he did not achieve it, but that the dream itself was destroyed the material world that Gatsby, Daisy and her husband Tom become corrupted by. Gatsby became corrupted by his desire to rekindle the past he had with Daisy, resorting to crime to make enough money to appease her materialistic desires. Gatsby clearly represents the double vision that exists within Fitzgerald's novel - on one hand he represents the glamor and romanticism of the 1920s, on the other hand, he is part of a larger cast of characters that represent the corruption of the American dream, a major theme of the novel.
P3: Similar to Gatsby, Daisy Buchannan also represents the double vision found in The Great Gatsby. Daisy lives in East Egg where the established aristocracy lives. At first glance, Daisy appears to be the epitome of perfection, like a princess from a fairy tale. Back in Louisville, she was always the center of attention. Nick comments on her enchanting demeanor during his first visit to Daisy and Tom's mansion.
"Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion "Listen," a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour." (Fitzgerald 14).
Clearly, at first glance Daisy is nothing short of impeccable. Nobody idealizes this more than Gatsby in his quest for her adoration. The truth, however, is that Daisy is not magical or divine, she is human just like the other characters, and has she has some serious flaws. She is always acting, she is selfish, she lacks morals, and she is not a romanticist but a materialist, something that even Gatsby himself notes.
""Her voice is full of money"" (Fitzgerald 115).
Daisy's life revolves around materialism. Ultimately, the double vision that is Daisy's personality is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things; she is simply a symbol for Gatsby's dream. Daisy represents the extravagant wealth and perfection that Gatsby has always yearned for. He loses Daisy for the same reason he is obsessed with her: her aristocratic arrogance and obsession with money. Therefore, Daisy is clearly an archetypal character that embodies Fitzgerald's double vision. She is more than just an extraordinarily wealthy individual that Gatsby yearns for; she is a symbol for the unattainability of Gatsby's dream and of the rampant materialism that has corrupted the American Dream. Similarly, this double vision is also seen through the physical places Gatsby, Daisy and Nick live in.
P4: East Egg and West Egg each have their own distinct character with many differences, but ultimately, many similarities as well. West Egg is home to the "new rich," who have only recently attained a high social status, often through illicit and corrupt ways such as bootlegging. Though life in West Egg is fun and full of parties, Fitzgerald describes them as lacking taste and without social grace. Gatsby's gaudy mansion is a perfect example of this.
" ... it was 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 ..." (Fitzgerald 11).
His mansion is a hallmark of the new and unsophisticated nature of West Egg. In contrast to the ostentatious nature of West Egg, fashionable East Egg represents the original aristocracy, where the "old money" lives. The people of East Egg, such as Daisy and Tom, live in grand yet sophisticated houses. They feel superior to others who are not from East Egg. Nick highlights this by pointing out the aloofness of the East-Egger's at Gatsby's West Egg parties.
"... this party had preserved a dignified homogeneity, and assumed to itself the function of representing the staid nobility of the countryside - East Egg condescending to West Egg and carefully on guard against its spectroscopic gaiety." (Fitzgerald 46).
No matter what, East Eggers always feel superior to those from West Egg. Despite their differences, both West Egg and East Egg have the same things in common: corruption, greed, and selfishness. In conclusion, it is clear that both West Egg and East Egg represent Fitzgerald's symbol of a decaying American dream in a world of rampant materialism and unrealistic dreams.
This is a high school essay, so I don't think it will be too damaging if I'm a little over 1000 words, but I still need to summarize better. What parts should I get rid of or summarize better? Thanks for any feedback.
Essay instructions: Everything in The Great Gatsby is seen in two ways: on the one hand as glamorous, romantic, and exciting, and on the other as crude, corrupt or even disgusting. This double vision applies to people, places and events. In a unified essay of from 750 to 1000 words, show how this is true, and explain its significance, using specific references to the novel to support your ideas.
This is the body paragraphs only (not the intro and conclusion.) I need to summarize this better as right now I'm at 1345 words.
P2: The colorful characters of The Great Gatsby can all be viewed in two opposing ways. On one hand, they have a personality and aura about them that nobody would ever question. On the other hand, in an era of unprecedented wealth and personal freedom, there is so much more to these characters than first meets the eye. There is no better example of this than the protagonist, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby, a member of the new rich, holds lavish parties every weekend at his ornate mansion on the shore of West Egg, New York. At first glance, Gatsby appears to simply be a man who has achieved everything he set out to do, something that the American Dream embodies. However, Gatsby is shrouded by a cloud of mystery. It becomes quite clear that Gatsby is not the person he appears to be at first glance; in fact, Jay Gatsby isn't even his real name - his real name is Jay Gatz. The fact that this man would lie about his name reveals that there is much more to Jay Gatz than first meets the eye. The truth is that Jay Gatz's newfound wealth and arrival at West Egg is in fact part of a mission, a mission to win back Daisy Buchannan, a woman whom he fell in love with in Louisville before he was sent off to fight in the war but lost after she married Tom Buchannan. The extent to which Gatsby lies to win back Daisy is pointed out by Nick Carraway, the narrator and neighbour of Gatsby.
" ... he invented 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 95).
Nick caught an early glimpse of Gatsby's mission as he watched Gatsby one night.
"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. Involuntarily I glanced seaward - and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock." (Fitzgerald 24).
The green light that Gatsby reaches out to is the light at the end of Daisy's dock. Green is the color of promise and renewal, and is a symbol of Gatsby's dream and hope for the future, to win back Daisy. Unfortunately for Gatsby, his dream eventually dies, not because he did not achieve it, but that the dream itself was destroyed the material world that Gatsby, Daisy and her husband Tom become corrupted by. Gatsby became corrupted by his desire to rekindle the past he had with Daisy, resorting to crime to make enough money to appease her materialistic desires. Gatsby clearly represents the double vision that exists within Fitzgerald's novel - on one hand he represents the glamor and romanticism of the 1920s, on the other hand, he is part of a larger cast of characters that represent the corruption of the American dream, a major theme of the novel.
P3: Similar to Gatsby, Daisy Buchannan also represents the double vision found in The Great Gatsby. Daisy lives in East Egg where the established aristocracy lives. At first glance, Daisy appears to be the epitome of perfection, like a princess from a fairy tale. Back in Louisville, she was always the center of attention. Nick comments on her enchanting demeanor during his first visit to Daisy and Tom's mansion.
"Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion "Listen," a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour." (Fitzgerald 14).
Clearly, at first glance Daisy is nothing short of impeccable. Nobody idealizes this more than Gatsby in his quest for her adoration. The truth, however, is that Daisy is not magical or divine, she is human just like the other characters, and has she has some serious flaws. She is always acting, she is selfish, she lacks morals, and she is not a romanticist but a materialist, something that even Gatsby himself notes.
""Her voice is full of money"" (Fitzgerald 115).
Daisy's life revolves around materialism. Ultimately, the double vision that is Daisy's personality is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things; she is simply a symbol for Gatsby's dream. Daisy represents the extravagant wealth and perfection that Gatsby has always yearned for. He loses Daisy for the same reason he is obsessed with her: her aristocratic arrogance and obsession with money. Therefore, Daisy is clearly an archetypal character that embodies Fitzgerald's double vision. She is more than just an extraordinarily wealthy individual that Gatsby yearns for; she is a symbol for the unattainability of Gatsby's dream and of the rampant materialism that has corrupted the American Dream. Similarly, this double vision is also seen through the physical places Gatsby, Daisy and Nick live in.
P4: East Egg and West Egg each have their own distinct character with many differences, but ultimately, many similarities as well. West Egg is home to the "new rich," who have only recently attained a high social status, often through illicit and corrupt ways such as bootlegging. Though life in West Egg is fun and full of parties, Fitzgerald describes them as lacking taste and without social grace. Gatsby's gaudy mansion is a perfect example of this.
" ... it was 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 ..." (Fitzgerald 11).
His mansion is a hallmark of the new and unsophisticated nature of West Egg. In contrast to the ostentatious nature of West Egg, fashionable East Egg represents the original aristocracy, where the "old money" lives. The people of East Egg, such as Daisy and Tom, live in grand yet sophisticated houses. They feel superior to others who are not from East Egg. Nick highlights this by pointing out the aloofness of the East-Egger's at Gatsby's West Egg parties.
"... this party had preserved a dignified homogeneity, and assumed to itself the function of representing the staid nobility of the countryside - East Egg condescending to West Egg and carefully on guard against its spectroscopic gaiety." (Fitzgerald 46).
No matter what, East Eggers always feel superior to those from West Egg. Despite their differences, both West Egg and East Egg have the same things in common: corruption, greed, and selfishness. In conclusion, it is clear that both West Egg and East Egg represent Fitzgerald's symbol of a decaying American dream in a world of rampant materialism and unrealistic dreams.
This is a high school essay, so I don't think it will be too damaging if I'm a little over 1000 words, but I still need to summarize better. What parts should I get rid of or summarize better? Thanks for any feedback.