What Does Okonkwo Learn About Family in His Transition to Mbanta

The Great Gatsby is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Surface area of Written report 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response.

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Introduction

Call it the greatest American novel or ultimate story of unrequited romance—The Peachy Gatsby is undoubtedly a stunning snapshot of one of the most American decades that America has ever seen. The 1920s saw significant economical growth after WWI, and what'southward more American than fabric backlog, wealth, and prosperity? The stock market place was going off, businesses were booming, and people were having a swell time.

Well, non everybody—and on the flipside, what's more American than socio-economic inequality or the ever-quixotic American Dream?

In this weblog, we'll go through the novel in this context, examine some of its key themes, and as well have a think near the critiques it raises well-nigh American order. Nosotros'll also go through an essay prompt that ties some of these things together.

Life in the Roaring Twenties

This snapshot from the 2013 flick adaptation really tells united states of america a lot most the 1920s. On the i hand, social and cultural norms were shifting—men no longer sported beards, and women were dressing more androgynously and provocatively. On the other paw, the modern, American economic system was emerging—people began ownership costly consumer appurtenances (similar cars, appliances, telephones etc.) using credit rather than cash. This meant that average American families were able to get these things for the first fourth dimension, while more prosperous families were able to live in extreme backlog.

In Fitzgerald's novel, the Buchanans are ane such family unit. Tom and his wife Daisy accept belonged to the one% for generations, and the 1920s saw them cement their wealth and status. At the aforementioned time, the booming economic system meant that others (similar the narrator Nick) were relocating to cities in pursuit of wealth, and (similar Gatsby) making significant financial inroads themselves.

The Great Gatsby traces how the differences betwixt these characters can be destructive even if they're all wealthy. Add together a drib of Gatsby'southward unrequited love for Daisy, and you have a story that ultimately examines how far people get for romance, and what money only can't buy.

The answer to that isn't and so obvious though. Yes, money can't purchase dear, only it also tin't purchase a lot of other things associated with the lifestyle and the values of established wealth. We'll get into some of this now.

Wealth and course

Fitzgerald explores tensions between three socio-economic classes—the institution, the 'nouveau riche' and the working form.

Tom and Daisy belong to the 'former money' establishment, where wealth is generational and inherited. This means they were built-in into already wealthy families, which affects their upbringing and ultimately defines them, from the fashion they speak (Tom's "paternal contempt" and Daisy's voice, "total of money") to their major life decisions (including marriage, symbolised through the "string of pearls" he buys for her—which, fun fact, is estimated to exist worth millions of dollars today). It likewise affects their values, equally nosotros'll see in the following department.
For now, consider this image of their habitation (and those ponies on the left, which they also own), described as follows:

"The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for [400 metres], jumping over sunday-dials and brick walls and called-for gardens—finally when it reached the firm drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run."

Nick Carraway also comes from a similar (though not equally extravagant) background—his family had been rich past Midwestern standards for "three generations" before he came to New York.

Conversely, Gatsby belongs to the 'nouveau riche', or new money. Dissimilar the Buchanans, Gatsby was born into a poor family, simply coming to wealth in the 1920s boom. Specifically, he inherited coin from Dan Cody after running away from home at 17.

Although they are all rich, at that place are significant cultural differences between old and new money. Former coin have their own culture of feigned politeness which Gatsby doesn't quite get. When Tom and the Sloanes invite Nick and Gatsby to supper in affiliate six, Gatsby naively accepts, to which Tom would respond behind his back, "Doesn't he know [Mrs. Sloane] doesn't want him?" Even though Gatsby is financially their equal, his newfound wealth tin't buy his fashion into their (nasty, horrible) lifestyle.

Finally, this is contrasted with the working class, particularly George and Myrtle Wilson who we meet in affiliate ii. They live in a gray "valley of ashes", the detritus of a prosperous society whose wealth is limited to the ane%. Fitzgerald even calls it a "solemn dumping footing", suggesting that life is precarious and difficult here. Consider what separates George—"blond, spiritless… and faintly handsome"—from Tom (hint: $$).

Myrtle is described differently, however—she is a "faintly stout" woman with "perceptible vitality". This may be less of a description of her and more of a commentary on Tom's sexuality, and what attracts him to her such that he cheats on Daisy with her. Still, Myrtle's relative poverty is evident in her expressions of want throughout their coming together—"I want to get ane of those dogs," she says, and Tom merely hands her the money.

Ultimately, looking at the novel through the lens of form, we run across a society where upward social mobility and making a living for yourself is possible, merely non for everybody. Even when you get rich, information technology doesn't guarantee that you'll all of a sudden, seamlessly integrate into the lives of onetime money.

Morality and values

Added to this story of social stratification is a moral dimension, where Fitzgerald tin can be a little more disquisitional.

Firstly, onetime money is portrayed as shallow. Daisy's matrimony to Tom and the Sloanes' insincerity are elements of this, but some other good example is Gatsby'south party guests. Many aren't actually invited—they invite themselves, and "they came and went without having met Gatsby at all." Their vacuous relationship to Gatsby is exposed when he dies, and they completely abandon him. Klipspringer, "the boarder", basically lived in Gatsby's house, and even so he yet wouldn't come to the funeral, only calling up to get a "pair of shoes" back.

The rich are as well depicted as brutal and inconsiderate, insulated from repercussions past their wealth. Nick's clarification of Tom'due south "vicious body" is repeatedly realised, as he breaks Myrtle's nose in chapter two and condescends Gatsby with "magnanimous scorn" in chapter seven. Subsequently Myrtle dies, Nick spots the Buchanans "conspiring" and describes them as "smash[ing] upward things and creatures so retreat[ing] dorsum into their money or their vast carelessness"—he sees them as fundamentally selfish.

Gatsby is portrayed more sympathetically though, which may come from his humble upbringing and his desire to exist liked. This is probably the cardinal question of the novel—is he a hero, or a villain? The moral of the story, or a alarm? Consumed past beloved, or corrupted by wealth?

I'm going to exit most of those for the side by side section, but I'll finish here with one last snippet: Lucille, a invitee at his parties, tears her dress and Gatsby immediately sends her a "new evening gown". Weird flex, only at least he'due south being selfless…

Honesty

That said, a major part of Gatsby's character is his dishonesty, which complicates his moral identity.

For starters, he fabricates a new identity and deals in shady business just to reignite his five-year-old romance with Daisy. We see this through the emergence of Meyer Wolfsheim, with whom he has unclear business organization "gonnegtions", and the resultant wealth he now enjoys.

In chapter three, Owl Eyes describes Gatsby every bit a "regular Belasco", comparison him to a film managing director who was well-known for the realism of his sets. This is a actually lucid analysis of Gatsby, who is in many means just like a film managing director constructing a whole fantasy world.

Information technology'southward too unclear if he loves Daisy for who she is, or simply the idea of Daisy and the wealth she represents. Indeed, he doesn't seem to care for her as a person, merely more than like something that he tin pursue (like wealth). This is a skilful read, so I won't really become into it here—just consider how much things take inverse since Gatsby kickoff met Daisy (similar her marriage and her children), and how Gatsby ignores the manner her life has changed in favour of his even so, stationary retentivity of who she used to be.

Love, desire and hope

All of this makes it tricky to distil what the novel's message actually is.

Is it that Gatsby is a good person, especially cast against the decadent old money?

This analysis isn't incorrect, and it actually works well with a lot of textual evidence. Where Nick resents the Buchanans, he feels sympathy for Gatsby. He explicitly says, "they're a rotten crowd…you're worth the whole damn bunch put together." Perhaps honey was an honourable goal compared to coin, which ostensibly makes y'all "cruel" and "devil-may-care".

I wouldn't say he was cruel, but this reading is complicated by how he tin exist careless, choosing not to care near Daisy's agency, and letting his desires overtake these considerations.

Is it that Gatsby and his desire for Daisy were corrupted by wealth despite his good intentions?

There'due south too prove to advise wealth corrupts—Nick describes it every bit "foul dust" that "preyed" on Gatsby, eroding his good grapheme and leaving behind someone who resembles the vacuous elite. Although love might've been an honourable goal, it got diluted past money.

Gatsby'southward paradigm for understanding the earth becomes driven by materialism, and he objectifies Daisy. He starts trying to buy something that he originally didn't need to buy—Daisy's dearest. She certainly didn't fall in love with this man who endemic a mansion and a closet total of "beautiful shirts." Thus, Gatsby is a sympathetic product of a organisation that was e'er stacked against him (a poor boy from North Dakota). Commercialism, right?

Is information technology that capitalist America provides zip for people to pursue except for wealth, and therefore little reason for people to feel hope?

Well…

Past the basics: structural economical tension and the doomed American Dream

Now we desire to start thinking beyond the characters (e.chiliad. if Gatsby is a good person or non) and also factor in their social, historical, political and economical context (east.m. if he was doomed to begin with past a society driven past money). This subheading does audio a chip much, but we'll interruption it downward here.

A key office of this novel is the American Dream, the thought that America is a land of freedom and equal opportunity, that anyone tin 'brand it' if they truly try. Value is placed on upward social mobility (moving up from a working-class groundwork) and economic prosperity (making $$), which defined much of the Roaring 20s…

…for some.

For many others, there was meaning tension between these lofty values and their lived reality of life on the footing. As much equally society around them was prospering, they just couldn't get a piece of the pie, and this is what makes information technology structural—equally hard as George Wilson might work, he simply can't get himself out of the Valley of Ashes and into wealth. Indeed, you can't reach the Dream without adulterous (equally Gatsby did).

So, there's this tension, this irreconcilable gap betwixt economic goals and bodily means. Through this lens, the tragedy of The Great Gatsby multiplies. It'south no longer just about someone who can't buy love with money—it's about how nobody's dreams are actually attainable. Not everyone tin can go money, and money can just become you so far. Everyone is stuck, and the American Dream is basically only a myth.

Thus, the novel could be interpreted as a takedown of capitalist America, which convinced people like Gatsby that the reply to everything was coin, and he bolted later the "green light" allure of cold, hard cash just to find out that information technology wasn't plenty, that it wasn't the answer in the finish.  (.

Consider what kind of message that sends to people similar the Wilsons—if coin tin't actually buy happiness, what good is it really to hunt it? And recall that Gatsby had to cheat to get rich in the first place.

Is [the novel's message] that capitalist America provides zippo for people to pursue except for wealth, and therefore little reason for people to feel hope?

Yous tell me.

Prompt: what does Fitzgerald suggest about social stratification in the 1920s?

Whenever y'all get a new essay topic, y'all tin utilise LSG's THINK and EXECUTE strategy, a technique to help you write ameliorate VCE essays. If you're unfamiliar with this strategy, then check it out in How To Write A Killer Text Response.

Let'south try applying this to a prompt. I'll italicise the key points that accept been brought up throughout this postal service.

Firstly, social stratification conspicuously divided society along economic lines. This could be paragraph one, exploring how grade separated the Buchanans and Wilsons of the world, and how their lifestyles were so completely different fifty-fifty though they all lived in the prosperity of the Roaring 20s. George Wilson was "worn-out" from work, but he still couldn't generate upwardly social mobility for his family, stuck in the Valley of Ashes. Conversely, Tom Buchanan is born into a rich family with his beach-facing mansion and polo ponies. Color is an important symbol hither—the Valley is greyness, while Due east Egg is filled with color (a greenish light here, a "blue coupe" there…).

The next paragraph might look at the cultural dimension, exploring how you lot just can't buy a way of life. This might involve analysing Gatsby'south wealth as deluding him into thinking he can "echo the by" by buying into the life(style) of former coin. This is where Fitzgerald disillusions us about the American Dream—he presents a reality where it isn't possible for anyone to 'make it', where the Buchanans withal treat you with scorn fifty-fifty if y'all're just as wealthy. Gatsby'due south dishonesty is ultimately a shallow one—try as he might, he just cannot fit in and win Daisy back.

Finally, nosotros should consider the moral dimension—even though the wealthier socioeconomic classes enjoyed more lavish, luxurious lifestyles, Fitzgerald also argued that they were the virtually morally bankrupt. Money corrupted the wealthy to the point where they just did non care most the lives of the poor, every bit seen in the Buchanans' response to Myrtle'due south death. Even Gatsby had to compromise his integrity and deal in shady business concern in gild to become rich—he isn't perfect either. Social stratification may look ostentatious and shiny on the outside, but the rich are really portrayed as shallow and corrupt.

A good essay on this novel will typically combine some of these dimensions and build a multilayered analysis. Stratification, love, wealth, morality—all of these big ideas can be broken down in terms of social, economic, cultural circumstances, then brand certain to consider all angles when you write.

Have a go at these prompts!

1. Nick is biased in his cess of Gatsby—both of them are no better than the corrupt, wealthy Buchanans. Do y'all agree?

two. In The Great Gatsby, money is a stronger motivating factor than beloved. Do you lot agree?

three. Daisy Buchanan is more innocent than guilty—explore this statement with reference to at to the lowest degree ii other characters.

4. What does Fitzgerald say about happiness in The Not bad Gatsby?

5. Is money the true antagonist of The Great Gatsby?

6. The women of The Great Gatsby are all victims of a patriarchal lodge. To what extent practise you agree? (Hint: are they all equally victimised?)

Challenge: According to Fitzgerald, what really lays underneath the façade of the Roaring 20s? Make reference to at least 2 symbols in The Smashing Gatsby. (Hint: façade = "an outward appearance that conceals a less pleasant reality" – recall most things like colours, clothes, buildings etc.)

Resources

The Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response

How To Write A Killer Text Response Written report Guide

How to embed quotes in your essay like a dominate

How to turn your Text Response essays from average to A+

5 Tips for a mic drib worthy essay conclusion

The Importance of the Introduction

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