The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Jay Gatsby, centerpiece of the story and model of the decay of the American Dream
Nick Carraway, Narrator and everyman thrown into moral dilemmas at a young age.
The Great Gatsby is built around strong themes. They are:
The American Dream (or its decline)
Gatsby has everything, but his reality can never live up to his dreams.
The Hollowness of the upper class
Young Money; vulgar, gaudy.
Established Aristocracy; tasteful, but superficial. Lacks the heart of the new generation of rich.
The Great Gatsby also has strong recurring symbols, such as:
The Green Light symbolizes hopes and dreams. Gatsby clings to it.
The Valley of Ashes signifies the degradation of American morals and society.
The Eyes of Dr. Eckleberg symbolize God looking down over the valley of ashes and the degradation that it stands for.
Yellow stands for corruption. Gatsby's car is an example.
White stands for purity; some of the characters dress in white to seem pure and hide their immoral nature.
Eggs have special significance.
East egg, where the old money families live, represents the false purity of the rich with the inner corruption (yellow) concealed in a white shell.
West egg is where the new money lives. They are more brash and the aura of purity is thinner.
I could go on for ages, but this covers the main literary elements that transcend the book. Once you understand these symbols and themes, the book becomes so much more than just a story about rich people. It is definitely one of the great works of American literature, with all its depth and complexity held within such a few pages.
My dear Brandon.. I fear that you are looking far too in depth into these stories. Why can't a good story just be a good story? Complicating it with hidden messages is just uneccessary. I also believe that none of these pictures above are Brandon Blewett original ideas. If you had read the book with out using the crutch of Google search engine would the above subliminal connections have been made? Doubtful. Not trying to be harsh, I just want to see your develope into your own being. Not a shallow representation of the World Wide Web. This book is not intended to be Inception in book form, it's intended to be a good relaxing read. Something that you truly enjoy. Hope you really take these words of advice to heart. Until next time...
ReplyDeleteJacob, I truly appreciate the advice. Your sentiment is truly felt, and although you came off as a bit arrogant; some might even say.. dense, I forgive you. I know you mean well. Just as Gatsby in the end, means well. But I'm looking too much into this aren't I? On the contrary, I'm afraid I'm not looking too much into it. You say, "This book is not intended to be Inception in book form, it's intended to be a good relaxing read." I agree with you for two reasons. One, because Fitzgerald wrote this book long before the movie Inception was even an idea; and two, because this book is a relaxing, enjoyable read. However, I'm afraid you're missing the point of Gatsby if you don't take the time to look deeper into the themes and symbols that Fitzgerald worked so hard to intricately weave into his masterpiece. While you argue that I have looked too far into this, and you urge me to take the book at face value, I simply cannot. That, sir, would be a crime against literature. While you may choose to bathe in your ignorance and drool as you read a dry story about rich people, I will see a story not to be taken literally, but to be digested for what it truly is. Fitzgerald's intent was not simply to tell a story. He wanted to display the themes and symbols that I talked about. And ignoring this deeper meaning will cause you to waste a truly invigorating reading experience. Take these words to heart, my friend. When you find yourself content with the shallow film of reality that is around you, take to heart the words Leo says in your favorite movie, Inception. "We have to go deeper."
ReplyDeletei applaud you for the comment above good sir. i feel that my mission is a success. i finally brought you into your own being. you did not need to copy and paste my comment into a search engine to analyze it, you did that on your own. i wish you would have taken this approach when reading the Great Gatsby.. although your opinion is valued, i believe it is still misguided. again looking too in depth in to my reference "it is not meant to be inception in book form" that is all it is.. a reference. not meant to thought of chronologically or any other way. then you go on to say that you refuse to "drool as you read a dry story about rich people." im here to sorrect that statement. i did read a dry story, but i abstained from drooling. i find your attempt to belittle my intelligence through the use of visuals a mockery, when in reality all you used to gain your knowledge on the novel was plot analysis on sparknotes. to be able to read someone else's ideas and pawn them off as your own is pure negligence. it is because of this reason that i take pity on you.
ReplyDeleteDear Jacob, again I must disagree with your statement. You make some good points, I must admit, and while I'm sure you didn't drool whilst reading Gatsby, you might as well have been if you didn't think about the themes and meaning of the book. What point is there to a text without the themes behind it? I have a question for you, Jacob. Did you pick up on any of the themes and symbols I listed in the blog post above on your own when you were reading The Great Gatsby? If so, then why couldn't I have done the same. And while I don't deny that I read an article about the themes and symbols of The Great Gatsby, I wouldn't put anything on my blog that didn't agree with my own personal opinion. Plus, if you read to the end of the book, the symbols become more and more apparent, especially in the last chapter. They're there whether you like it or not, and they can be found without any outside plot analysis. I encourage you once again to finish the book and think about the symbols, because there's no denying that they're there, and they undoubtedly make the book more enjoyable and interesting to read. But you don't have to agree with me there, because that's my original opinion.
ReplyDeleteYour Friend,
Brandon