The Price of the American Dream
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4 word format
document in English
literature
book review
published 22/05/2008
review : Completed
level : General public
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SummaryThe Great Gatsby relates Nick Carraway's experiences with a disillusioned assortment of wealthy individuals following his move to West Egg, the "less fashionable" counterpart to East egg, the home of antiquated affluence (5). In this harsh region of unlikely opposites, the 1915 Yale graduate encounters Tom Buchanan, a rich W.A.S.P who contently lives with a prideful lack of conscience; Daisy, his flighty wife; Jordan Baker, a low-down golfing champion; and, most importantly, the mysterious Jay Gatsby, who possesses a talented "gift for hope," which ultimately leads to his destruction. Through these characters, Fitzgerald criticizes the American Dream, which is founded on the material principle of wealth instead of inner success. The disastrous effects of such an aspiration in life are shown to come at a heavy cost to the individual, demanding for remuneration the loss of essence, worth, and substance- all the distinctive features which make us unique, significant, and human.
Table of Contents
- Often criticized in this novel is the inhibition of honest expression.
- Her luster comes from a life imbued in carelessness.
- The unbelievable extent to which materialism is pursued is astounding.
- The American Dream, swallowed wholeheartedly, also leads to spiritual decay.
- Gatsby's purpose is ultimately empty and he could have seen this if he took time to look ahead.
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