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Need to write about a theme for a Great Gatsby assignment or just curious about what exactly a theme is? Not sure where to start? Learn here what a theme is, what the main themes in The Great Gatsby are, and what the best tips for writing about themes for your English/Language Arts class essays are.

We will also link to our specific articles on each theme so you can learn even more in-depth about themes central to Gatsby .

What Is a Theme? Why Should You Care?

First things first: what exactly is a theme? In literature, a theme is a central topic a book deals with. This central topic is revealed through plot events, the actions and dialogue of the characters, and even the narrator's tone. Themes can be very broad, like love, money, or death, or more specific, like people versus technology, racial discrimination, or the American Dream.

In short, a book's theme can usually answer the question, "what's the point of this book?". They're the "so what?" of literary analysis. Also, note that books can definitely have more than one major theme —in Gatsby we identify seven!

Knowing a book's major theme(s) is crucial to writing essays, since many assignments want you to connect your argument to a book's theme. For example, you might be asked to write an essay about a prompt like this: "How does the life of Jay Gatsby exemplify (or deconstruct) the idea of the American Dream?" This prompt has you connect specific details in Jay Gatsby's life to the larger theme of the American Dream. This is why many teachers love theme essays: because they encourage you to connect small details to big ideas!

Furthermore, the AP English Literature test always has an essay question that has you analyze some aspect of a book and then "compare it to the theme of the work as a whole." (If you want specific examples you can access the last 15 years of AP English Literature free response questions here , using your College Board account.) So this skill won't just help you in your English classes, it will also help you pass the AP English Literature test if you're taking it!

So keep reading to learn about the major themes in Gatsby and how they are revealed in the book, and also to get links to our in-depth articles about each theme.

Overview of Key Themes in The Great Gatsby

Before we introduce our seven main themes, we'll briefly describe how the story and characters suggest the major Great Gatsby themes. Remember that the story is set in the 1920s, a period when America's economy was booming, and takes place in New York: specifically the wealthy Long Island towns of West Egg and East Egg, as well as Manhattan and Queens.

As you should know from the book ( check out our summary if you're still hazy on the details!), The Great Gatsby tells the story of James Gatz , a poor farm boy who manages to reinvent himself as the fabulously rich Jay Gatsby, only to be killed after an attempt to win over his old love Daisy Buchanan . Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan , and they're both from old money, causing them to look down Gatsby's newly rich crowd (and for Tom to look down at Gatsby himself).

Meanwhile, Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson , the wife of mechanic George Wilson . Through the Wilsons, we see the struggles of the working class in dismal Queens , NY. As if they didn't already have it hard enough, Myrtle is killed in a hit-and-run accident (caused by Daisy Buchanan), and George, who's manipulated by Tom to believe that Jay Gatsby was both his wife's lover and her murderer, ends up shooting Gatsby and then himself.

The whole story is told by Nick Carraway , a second cousin of Daisy's and classmate of Tom's who moves in next to Gatsby's mansion and eventually befriends Jay -- and then comes to deeply admire him, despite or perhaps because of Jay's fervent desire to repeat his past with Daisy. The tragic chain of events at the novel's climax, along with the fact that both the Buchanans can easily retreat from the damage they caused, causes Nick to become disillusioned with life in New York and retreat back to his hometown in the Midwest.

Aside from having a very unhappy ending, the novel might just ruin swimming pools for you as well.

The fact that the major characters come from three distinct class backgrounds (working class, newly rich, and old money) suggests that class is a major theme. But the rampant materialism and the sheer amount of money spent by Gatsby himself is a huge issue and its own theme. Related to money and class, the fact that both Gatsby and the Wilsons strive to improve their positions in American society, only to end up dead, also suggests that the American Dream -- and specifically its hollowness -- is a key theme in the book as well.

But there are other themes at play here, too. Every major character is involved in at least one romantic relationship , revealing that they are all driven by love, sex, and desire -- a major theme. Also, the rampant bad behavior (crime, cheating, and finally murder) and lack of real justice makes ethics and morality a key theme. Death also looms large over the novel's plot, alongside the threat of failure.

And finally, a strong undercurrent to all of these themes is identity itself: can James Gatz really become Jay Gatsby, or was he doomed from the start? Can someone who is not from old money ever blend in with that crowd? Could Gatsby really aspire to repeat his past with Daisy, or is that past self gone forever?

In short, just by looking at the novel's plot, characters, and ending, we can already get a strong sense of Gatsby's major themes. Let's now look at each of those themes one by one (and be sure to check out the links to our full theme breakdowns!).

The 7 Major Great Gatsby Themes

Money and Materialism : Everyone in the novel is money-obsessed, whether they were born with money (Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick to a lesser extent), whether they made a fortune (Gatsby), or whether they're eager for more (Myrtle and George). So why are the characters so materialistic? How does their materialism affect their choices? Get a guide to each of the characters' material motivations and how they shape the novel.

Society and Class: Building on the money and materialism theme, the novel draws clear distinctions between the kind of money you have: old money (inherited) or new money (earned). And there is also a clear difference between the lifestyles of the wealthy, who live on Long Island and commute freely to Manhattan, and the working class people stuck in between, mired in Queens. By the end of the novel, our main characters who are not old money (Gatsby, Myrtle, and George) are all dead, while the inherited-money club is still alive. What does this say about class in Gatsby? Why is their society so rigidly classist? Learn more about the various social classes in Gatsby and how they affect the novel's outcome.

The American Dream : The American Dream is the idea anyone can make it in America (e.g. gain fame, fortune, and success) through enough hard work and determination. So is Jay Gatsby an example of the dream? Or does his involvement in crime suggest the Dream isn't actually real? And where does this leave the Wilsons, who are also eager to improve their lot in life but don't make it out of the novel alive? Finally, do the closing pages of the novel endorse the American Dream or write it off as a fantasy? Learn what the American Dream is and how the novel sometimes believes in it, and sometimes sees it as a reckless fantasy.

Love, Desire, and Relationships : All of the major characters are driven by love, desire, or both, but only Tom and Daisy's marriage lasts out of the novel's five major relationships and affairs. So is love an inherently unstable force? Or do the characters just experience it in the wrong way? Get an in-depth guide to each of Gatsby's major relationships.

Death and Failure: Nick narrates Gatsby two years after the events in question, and since he's obviously aware of the tragedy awaiting not only Gatsby but Myrtle and George as well, the novel has a sad, reflective, even mournful tone. Is the novel saying that ambition is inherently dangerous (especially in a classist society like 1920s America), or is it more concerned with the danger of Gatsby's intense desire to reclaim the past? Explore those questions here.

Morality and Ethics: The novel is full of bad behavior: lying, cheating, physical abuse, crime, and finally murder. Yet none of the characters ever answer to the law, and God is only mentioned as an exclamation, or briefly projected onto an advertisement . Does the novel push for the need to fix this lack of morality, or does it accept it as the normal state of affairs in the "wild, wild East"?

The Mutability of Identity: Mutability just means "subject to change," so this theme is about how changeable (or not!) personal identity is. Do people really change? Or are our past selves always with us? And how would this shape our desire to reclaim parts of our past? Gatsby wants to have it both ways: to change himself from James Gatz into the sophisticated, wealthy Jay Gatsby, but also to preserve his past with Daisy. Does he fail because it's impossible to change? Because it's impossible to repeat the past? Or both?

How to Write About The Great Gatsby Themes

So now that you know about the major themes of The Great Gatsby , how can you go about writing about them? First up: look closely at your prompt.

Sometimes an essay prompt will come right out and ask you to write about a theme , for example "is The American Dream in Gatsby alive or dead?" or "Write about the relationships in Gatsby. What is the novel saying about the nature of love and desire?" For those essays, you will obviously be writing about one of the novel's major themes. But even though those prompts have big-picture questions, make sure to find small supporting details to help make your argument.

For example, if you're discussing the American Dream and arguing it's dead in the novel, don't just make that claim and be done with it. Instead, you can explore Gatsby's past as James Gatz, George Wilson's exhausted complacency, and Myrtle's treatment at the hands of Tom as examples of how the American Dream is treated in the novel. Obviously those examples are far from exhaustive, but hopefully you get the idea: find smaller details to support the larger argument.

On the other hand, many essay prompts about Gatsby will look like a question about something specific, like a character or symbol:

• Explore Tom and Daisy as people who 'retreat into their money.'
• What does the green light at the end of Daisy's dock represent? How does its meaning change throughout the novel?
• Show how Fitzgerald uses clothing (and the changing of costumes) to tell the reader more about the characters and/or express theme(s).

These prompts are actually a chance for you to take that detailed analysis and connect it to one of the larger themes—in other words, even though the prompt doesn't state it explicitly, you should still be connecting those more focused topics to one of the big-picture themes.

For example, if you talk about Tom and Daisy Buchanan, you will definitely end up talking about society and class. If you talk about the green light, you will end up talking about dreams and goals, specifically the American Dream. And if you discuss clothing to talk about the characters, you will definitely touch on money and materialism, as well as society and class (like how Gatsby's pink suit makes him stand out as new money to Tom Buchanan, or how Myrtle adopts a different dress to play at being wealthy and sophisticated).

In short, for these more specific prompts, you start from the ground (small details and observations) and build up to discussing the larger themes, even if the prompt doesn't say to do so explicitly!

What's Next?

Now you're an expert on themes, but what about symbols? If you need to write about the important symbols in The Great Gatsby, check out our symbols overview for a complete guide.

Want a full analysis of Jay Gatsby and his backstory? Not sure how his story connects with the American Dream? Get the details here .

Want to go back to square one? Get started with Chapter 1 of our Great Gatsby plot summary.

Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process.

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'The Great Gatsby' Themes

Wealth, class, and society, love and romance, the loss of idealism, the failure of the american dream.

• M.F.A, Dramatic Writing, Arizona State University
• B.A., English Literature, Arizona State University
• B.A., Political Science, Arizona State University

The Great Gatsby , by F. Scott Fitzgerald, presents a critical portrait of the American dream through its portrayal of the 1920s New York elite. By exploring themes of wealth, class, love and idealism, The Great Gatsby raises powerful questions about American ideas and society.

The Great Gatsby 's characters represent the wealthiest members of 1920s New York society . Despite their money, however, they are not portrayed as particularly aspirational. Instead, the rich characters' negative qualities are put on display: wastefulness, hedonism, and carelessness.

The novel also suggests that wealth is not equivalent to social class. Tom Buchanan comes from the old money elite, while Jay Gatsby is a self-made millionaire. Gatsby, self-conscious about his "new money" social status, throws unbelievably lavish parties in hopes of catching Daisy Buchanan's attention. However, at the novel's conclusion, Daisy chooses to stay with Tom despite the fact that she genuinely loves Gatsby; her reasoning is that she could not bear to lose the social status that her marriage to Tom affords her. With this conclusion, Fitzgerald suggests that wealth alone does not guarantee entrance into the upper echelons of elite society.

In The Great Gatsby , love is intrinsically tied to class. As a young military officer, Gatsby fell quickly for debutante Daisy, who promised to wait for him after the war. However, any chance at a real relationship was precluded by Gatsby's lower social status. Instead of waiting for Gatsby, Daisy married Tom Buchanan, an old-money East Coast elite. It is an unhappy marriage of convenience: Tom has affairs and seems just as romantically uninterested in Daisy as she is in him.

The idea of unhappy marriages of convenience isn’t limited to the upper class. Tom’s mistress, Myrtle Wilson, is a spirited woman in a seriously mismatched marriage to a suspicious, dull man. The novel suggests that she married him in hopes of being upwardly mobile, but instead the marriage is simply miserable, and Myrtle herself ends up dead. Indeed, the only unhappy couple to survive "unscathed" is Daisy and Tom, who eventually decide to retreat into the cocoon of wealth despite their marital problems.

In general, the novel takes a fairly cynical view of love. Even the central romance between Daisy and Gatsby is less a true love story and more a depiction of Gatsby's obsessive desire to relive—or even redo —his own past. He loves the image of Daisy more than the woman in front of him . Romantic love is not a powerful force in the world of The Great Gatsby .

Jay Gatsby is perhaps one of the most idealistic characters in literature. Nothing can deter him from his belief in the possibility of dreams and romance. In fact, his entire pursuit of wealth and influence is carried out in hopes of making his dreams come true. However, Gatsby's single-minded pursuit of those dreams—particularly his pursuit of the idealized Daisy—is the quality that ultimately destroys him. After Gatsby's death, his funeral is attended by just three guests; the cynical "real world" moves on as though he'd never lived at all.

Nick Carraway also represents the failures of idealism through his journey from naïve Everyman observer to burgeoning cynic. At first, Nick buys into the plan reunite Daisy and Gatsby, as he believes in the power of love to conquer class differences. The more involved he becomes in the social world of Gatsby and the Buchanans, however, the more his idealism falters. He begins to see the elite social circle as careless and hurtful. By the end of the novel, when he finds out the role Tom cheerfully played in Gatsby’s death, he loses any remaining trace of idealization of elite society.

The American dream posits that anyone, no matter their origins, can work hard and achieve upward mobility in the United States. The Great Gatsby questions this idea through the rise and fall of Jay Gatsby. From the outside, Gatsby appears to be proof of the American dream: he is a man of humble origins who accumulated vast wealth. However, Gatsby is miserable. His life is devoid of meaningful connection. And because of his humble background, he remains an outsider in the eyes of elite society. Monetary gain is possible, Fitzgerald suggests, but class mobility is not so simple, and wealth accumulation does not guarantee a good life.

Fitzgerald specifically critiques the American dream within the context of the Roaring Twenties , a time when growing affluence and changing morals led to a culture of materialism. Consequently, the characters of The Great Gatsby equate the American dream with material goods, despite the fact that the original idea did not have such an explicitly materialistic intent. The novel suggests that rampant consumerism and the desire to consume has corroded the American social landscape and corrupted one of the country's foundational ideas.

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Themes and Analysis

The great gatsby, by f. scott fitzgerald.

Within ‘The Great Gatsby,’ F. Scott Fitzgerald taps into several important themes. These include the American dream, and its decline, as well as wealth, class, and love.

Article written by Emma Baldwin

B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.

‘ The Great Gatsby’ follows Nick Carraway , who meets the mysterious multimillionaire Jay Gatsby after moving to New York. He gets wrapped up in Gatsby’s dreams and his cousin’s difficult marriage, all while learning about the pitfalls of wealth and the truth of the American dream.

The Great Gatsby Themes 

Wealth .

Wealth is one of the most important themes Fitzgerald’s characters contend with within The Great Gatsby . Specifically, he draws a contrast between the aristocracy, those with old money like Daisy and Tom, and those with new money, like Gatsby. They live different lives and consider one another in different lights. But, both types of wealth corrupt in the same way. As the money amasses, their consideration of other people decreases.

Fitzgerald provides a great example of this at the end of the novel when Daisy and Tom move away to a new home rather than attend Gatsby’s funeral or deal with the consequences. Instead, they use their money to keep other people at a distance and get whatever they want out of life. 

The American Dream 

This theme is central to Gatsby’s understanding of the world and the judgments Nick makes about the future at the end of the novel. It is a set of ideas that suggest that anyone who works hard can find success in the United States. Gatsby rose from poverty up to the level of a multi-millionaire. But, when it came to what he really wanted in life, he failed. He spent his whole life thinking that if he just made enough money, he’d be able to convince Daisy to love him, and he’d have everything he wanted. But, he couldn’t retrieve his relationship with Daisy, and his pursuit of it led to his death. 

Love/ Relationships

There are a few different depictions of love and relationships in The Great Gatsby, and none of them are ideal. There is Gatsby’s unending love for Daisy, George’s love for his wife, Myrtle, Tom and Daisy’s relationship, and Nick’s relationship with Jordan. Gatsby’s goal to bring Daisy back into his life is one that’s built on an idealized image of the latter, one that fails to fulfill itself in reality.

Gatsby loves the idea of Daisy and thought of possessing her more than he does the person. The same can be said of Tom’s consideration for his wife. He wants to keep her as a commodity and as a symbol of his own status. But he doesn’t love her. He continually cheats on her and doesn’t attempt to hide it. Nick’s fleeting relationship with Jordan is emotionally distant. There isn’t enough emotion on either’s side for it to be anything other than a passing distraction. 

Analysis of Key Moments in The Great Gatsby

• Nick moves to West Egg. 
• Nick meets Gatsby and learns about his love for Daisy. 
• Nick helps reunite the two. 
• Daisy learns about Gatsby’s criminal dealings from Tom.
• Daisy returns to Tom. 
• Daisy hits Tom’s mistress Myrtle with her car. 
• Gatsby decides to say he was the one driving the car. 
• Tom tells Myrtle’s husband George that it was Gatsby’s car that hit his wife. 
• George shoots Gatsby and then shoots himself. 
• Nick attends Gatsby’s small funeral. 
• Daisy and Tom move away. 
• Nick returns to Minnesota disgusted with what he’s seen of the upper classes. 

Style, Tone and Figurative Language 

The tone throughout The Great Gatsby is in part sympathetic, scornful, and judgmental, depending on the moment. The former is the primary tone when the novel comes to a close, and Nick considers the tragedy of Gatsby’s death and what he did and didn’t accomplish. The details of Gatsby’s parties, the relationship between the men and women there, and Nick’s own cousin, Daisy, and her husband, are all addressed with a more scornful/judgemental tone. Nick is amazed by much of what he sees, but he’s also appalled by how these men and women treat one another. 

Fitzgerald’s style of writing is often wry, filled with figurative language and interesting imagery. Fitzgerald often uses long sentences, starting with one topic and ending with another. He uses sophisticated language and doesn’t back away from more lyrical passages, such as the final lines of the novel: 

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

This final line is also a good example of how Fitzgerald uses figurative language. It’s an example of a metaphor comparing humankind’s desire to reach into the future and find a better life to a boat being beaten back by the current. Some of the other examples of figurative language in this novel include similes, symbolism, and personification. For example, in Chapter 2 when Fitzgerald uses the following lines: 

But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic — their irises are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose. 

This quote from The Great Gatsby is an example of personification. The eyes are described as looking down over everyone even though they’re on a sign. 

Analysis of Symbols 

The green light .

The green light is perhaps the most important symbol in The Great Gatsby. It sits at the end of Daisy’s dock, and Nick catches Gatsby staring at it towards the beginning of the novel. It represents the life Gatsby is trying to create for himself and the role Daisy plays in it. The light is guiding him into the darkness as the end of the novel reveals. 

The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg

Doctor T. J. Eckleburg’s eyes are another prominent symbol in the novel. They are a pair of eyes on a faint billboard over the valley of ashes. Fitzgerald personifies them (see above quote), turning them into God’s eyes. They watch the terrible events playing out below without intervening. They’re watching but remain empty. 

What does Jay Gatsby symbolize? 

He represents the American dream and its dissolution in the 1920s. 

What the three main themes in The Great Gatsby? 

The three main themes are the American dream, wealth, and love/relationships. 

Why did nobody go to Gatsby’s funeral? 

No one went because no one had a true connection to the man. The only people around him were those who were using him for his wealth. Once he died, he had no value to them. 

What is the main message of The Great Gatsby? 

The main message of the novel is that the American dream is a fantasy. No one can have everything. One might also consider the fact that wealth corrupts all those who obtain it as the main message. 

How did Gatsby get rich?

He got rich through illegal means, including bootlegging and other deals with organized criminals.

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About Emma Baldwin

Emma Baldwin, a graduate of East Carolina University, has a deep-rooted passion for literature. She serves as a key contributor to the Book Analysis team with years of experience.

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The Great Gatsby

F. scott fitzgerald, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

The American Dream—that hard work can lead one from rags to riches—has been a core facet of American identity since its inception. Settlers came west to America from Europe seeking wealth and freedom. The pioneers headed west for the same reason. The Great Gatsby shows the tide turning east, as hordes flock to New York City seeking stock market fortunes. The Great Gatsby portrays this shift as a symbol of the American Dream's corruption. It's no longer a vision of building a life; it's just about getting rich.

Gatsby symbolizes both the corrupted Dream and the original uncorrupted Dream. He sees wealth as the solution to his problems, pursues money via shady schemes, and reinvents himself so much that he becomes hollow, disconnected from his past. Yet Gatsby's corrupt dream of wealth is motivated by an incorruptible love for Daisy . Gatsby's failure does not prove the folly of the American Dream—rather it proves the folly of short-cutting that dream by allowing corruption and materialism to prevail over hard work, integrity, and real love. And the dream of love that remains at Gatsby's core condemns nearly every other character in the novel, all of whom are empty beyond just their lust for money.

The American Dream ThemeTracker

The American Dream Quotes in The Great Gatsby

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"The Great Gatsby": Theme and Symbols

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The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples

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• The Ethicality of an Action Jay Gatsby Genre : Assessment paper Words : 833 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson
• The American Dream in The Great Gatsby: Essay Genre : Essay Words : 619 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson
• Babylon Revisited & The Great Gatsby: Motifs & Themes Genre : Essay Words : 1216 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan
• Time as a Theme in The Great Gatsby: Essay Genre : Essay Words : 896 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson
• Daisy Buchanan: Quotes Analysis Essay Genre : Essay Words : 1077 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker
• Female Characters in The Streetcar Named Desire & The Great Gatsby: Comparative Essay Genre : Essay Words : 1639 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• Why Is Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby a Satire? Genre : Essay Words : 680 Focused on : The Great Gatsby genre Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Mr. McKee
• Jay Gatsby & Tom Buchanan: Compare & Contrast Genre : Essay Words : 812 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• Francis Scott Fitzgerald & His American Dream Genre : Essay Words : 1815 Focused on : F.S. Fitzgerald’s biography Characters mentioned : Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• Jay Gatsby & Eponine from Les Miserables: Compare & Contrast Essay Genre : Essay Words : 812 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• Jay Gatsby and Valjean in ‘Les Miserables’: Comparative Essay Genre : Essay Words : 769 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway
• Love in The Great Gatsby & The Catcher in The Rye: Comparative Essay Genre : Analytical essay Words : 1059 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan
• The Great Gatsby: Analysis and Feminist Critique Genre : Essay Words : 1365 Focused on : The Great Gatsby analysis Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson
• Fairy Tale Traits in The Great Gatsby Genre : Essay Words : 1146 Focused on : The Great Gatsby analysis & context Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• The Great Gatsby: Book Review Genre : Book review Words : 701 Focused on : The Great Gatsby context Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• The Great Gatsby: Book Review & Reflection Genre : Essay Words : 587 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson, Jordan Baker
• Fitzgerald’s American Dream in The Great Gatsby & Winter Dreams Genre : Argumentative essay Words : 1119 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan
• Silver & Gold: Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Genre : Essay Words : 889 Focused on : The Great Gatsby color symbolism Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker
• Nick as the Narrator in The Great Gatsby Genre : Essay Words : 2473 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway
• The Dilemmas of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby Genre : Essay Words : 687 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby
• Political Satire in American Literature Genre : Essay Words : 788 Focused on : The Great Gatsby genre Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby
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Study Guide Menu

• Short Summary
• Summary (Chapter 1)
• Summary (Chapter 2)
• Summary (Chapter 3)
• Summary (Chapter 4)
• Summary (Chapter 5)
• Summary (Chapter 6)
• Summary (Chapter 7)
• Summary (Chapter 8)
• Summary (Chapter 9)
• Symbolism & Style
• Quotes Explained
• Essay Topics
• Essay Samples
• Questions & Answers
• F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Biography
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, August 13). The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/

"The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples." IvyPanda , 13 Aug. 2023, ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples'. 13 August.

IvyPanda . 2023. "The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples." August 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples." August 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples." August 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/.

Analyzing the Historical Context and Creation of ‘The Great Gatsby’

This essay about “The Great Gatsby” outlines the socio-historical context of its creation in 1925 and explores its thematic concerns. It discusses how the Roaring Twenties, characterized by stark social contrasts and cultural shifts, influenced F. Scott Fitzgerald during his writing process. Fitzgerald crafted a narrative steeped in the era’s opulence and moral questioning, set against the backdrop of Long Island. The essay examines key elements of the novel, including the symbolic use of the green light and the portrayal of the American Dream. Additionally, it considers the novel’s initial reception and its posthumous recognition as a cornerstone of American literature. The essay concludes by reflecting on the enduring relevance of Fitzgerald’s themes, such as identity, aspiration, and disillusionment.

How it works

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, “The Great Gatsby,” not only encapsulates the jazz-infused, tumultuous post-World War I era but also stands as a quintessential pillar of American literary tradition. Written in 1925, the novel offers a scintillating glimpse into the decadence, idealism, and social upheavals of the 1920s—often referred to as the Roaring Twenties. Understanding the context and the time during which Fitzgerald penned this masterpiece can enrich our appreciation of its themes and cultural commentary.

“The Great Gatsby” was conceived during a period of significant change and upheaval in American society.

The 1920s were marked by a distinctive shift towards mass consumerism, the rise of a new social elite, and a palpable disillusionment with the American Dream. Fitzgerald started the novel in 1923 after relocating to France, seeking a change of scenery to drive his inspiration. However, the bulk of his work on this novel took place in 1924, primarily at the Villa Marie in Cap d’Antibes on the French Riviera, a location that provided the necessary seclusion and ambiance for his creative processes.

The story’s setting in the fictional towns of West Egg and East Egg on Long Island paints a stark contrast between the newly rich and the aristocratic old money elites. Fitzgerald meticulously crafted his characters to reflect the varied nature of the American spirit at the time, from Gatsby’s ostentatious wealth—newly acquired and shrouded in mystery—to Daisy Buchanan’s insouciant charm and Tom Buchanan’s brutish arrogance. The novel’s narrative is driven by Nick Carraway, a character often considered Fitzgerald’s alter ego, who observes and narrates with a mix of fascination and repulsion.

The writing process of “The Great Gatsby” was, for Fitzgerald, fraught with personal challenges including a turbulent marriage and financial instability. Yet, it was these personal battles that infused the novel with its depth and complexity. The themes of love, betrayal, and the pursuit of happiness through material wealth reflect not just the societal norms of his time but also Fitzgerald’s personal conundrums.

Fitzgerald’s stylistic choices in the novel—marked by lyrical prose, vivid symbolism, and a keen eye for detail—help to construct a narrative arc that is both intimate and expansive. The symbol of the green light, which Gatsby gazes at across the bay, encapsulates the elusiveness of dreams and the perpetual human quest for what lies just out of reach. This symbol, alongside the tragic arc of Gatsby’s life, critiques the very foundation of the American Dream, highlighting the disparities between reality and aspiration.

When “The Great Gatsby” was first published in April of 1925, it received mixed reviews and was relatively overlooked compared to Fitzgerald’s earlier successes. It was only posthumously that the novel was recognized as a seminal work of American literature, with its sharp critique of American life in the 1920s and its complex portrayal of human desires and follies.

Today, the novel not only serves as a historical snapshot of a bygone era but also as a timeless meditation on the complexities of human emotion and the inherent flaws in chasing superficial dreams. Fitzgerald’s work remains relevant as it addresses themes of identity, class struggle, and the disillusionment that often comes with the blind pursuit of wealth and status.

In conclusion, “The Great Gatsby” remains a profound narrative achievement that offers insight into the American psyche of the 1920s and the personal intricacies of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life. Written during a time of personal and societal turmoil, Fitzgerald’s masterful composition invites readers to reflect on the costs of the American Dream and the eternal nature of human aspiration and disillusionment. Understanding the historical backdrop and the personal experiences that shaped Fitzgerald’s creation of “The Great Gatsby” not only enriches our understanding of the novel but also deepens our engagement with it as a critique of our own times.

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Analyzing the Historical Context and Creation of 'The Great Gatsby'. (2024, May 12). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/analyzing-the-historical-context-and-creation-of-the-great-gatsby/

"Analyzing the Historical Context and Creation of 'The Great Gatsby'." PapersOwl.com , 12 May 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/analyzing-the-historical-context-and-creation-of-the-great-gatsby/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Analyzing the Historical Context and Creation of 'The Great Gatsby' . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/analyzing-the-historical-context-and-creation-of-the-great-gatsby/ [Accessed: 13 May. 2024]

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"Analyzing the Historical Context and Creation of 'The Great Gatsby'," PapersOwl.com , 12-May-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/analyzing-the-historical-context-and-creation-of-the-great-gatsby/. [Accessed: 13-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Analyzing the Historical Context and Creation of 'The Great Gatsby' . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/analyzing-the-historical-context-and-creation-of-the-great-gatsby/ [Accessed: 13-May-2024]

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A* Comparative Essay: The Great Gatsby and The Age of Innocence

Subject: English

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Assessment and revision

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Full mark (30/30) essay for OCR A Level English Literature Paper 2 (American Literature unit for the Comparative&Contextual Study) -Essay title: “The ideals of freedom and opportunity are central to American Literature.” By comparing at least two texts, discuss how far you have found this to be the case. -Lots of context and critics (AO3 and AO5) to help you revise Fitzgerald and/or Wharton. -Interweaved AOs -Strong comparative points that can be applicable to a range of key themes

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