He brings Daisy and Gatsby into disrepute when he confronts them regarding their affair in front of everyone else. His double standard here is very evident because he is happy to unfairly accuse them when he is currently in the midst of having his own affair with his mistress, Myrtle Wilson. He is a very hypocritical man and is not afraid to do anything necessary to remain in control of the situation. Mr Buchanan is also used by Fitzgerald to play the “Brute” character that is present in just about all classic novels (e.g. Roo in “The Summer of The Seventeenth Doll.”) Fitzgerald makes it very clear to us that Tom is “A hulking man” by how the other characters in the book refer to him.
One of the most significant changes was one in the sociology of wealth, particularly, the differences between the established aristocracy and the parvenu rich. F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates these differences between the wealthy in The Great Gatsby. Tom and Daisy Buchanan, who both have families with long lines of wealth, live in East Egg; while Gatsby, who has made his way up the social ladder with no family background of money, lives across the bay in West Egg. F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates the social distinctions of East Egg, bad, and West Egg, good, (“old money” and “new money”), respectively, throughout the novel, while tying in the associations of good and bad implicitly. During the 1920s, average, middle-class Americans had the prospect to acquire status and wealth in new ways.
Basil’s staff, also a focal point of the show, are just about as outlandish as the messes that Basil finds himself in. The staff, which includes Basil’s wife Sybil, Polly the waitress, and Manuel the waiter, contribute immensely to the farcical element within each story line. Each character as well as the interactions among each character distinguish Fawlty Towers as a pure farce. Basil Fawlty is a rather arrogant, yet seemingly desperate person whose unwavering pride always seems to lead to his eventual downfall. Although Basil ascribes to a sense of authority, he is often undermined by his wife Sybil who really runs the hotel.
Tenements- residential housing for multiple people, popular in cities during the industrial revolution. Were often cramped, poorly lit and lacked indoor plumbing and proper ventilation Louis Sullivan- He was an American architect and is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper. Gilded Age- the time when the poor and under educated thought they were being helped out but were really being bamboozled by the rich. As Mark Twain would describe it, “It’s golden and looks great on the outside, but inside its rotted John Dewey- American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Vaudeville: was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment popular in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s.
Bailey Florek Mr. M MYP English II- Gold 2 February 6, 2014 Geography vs. Social Values In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the Buchanan’s and Gatsby’s house to show the relationship between geography and social values. East Egg becomes centered around the Buchanan’s house; representing the distrust and shallowness of the rich. West Egg becomes associated with Gatsby’s mansion and the mystery behind his wealth. The comparison between the two magnificent mansions begins when Nick first arrives in New York. He goes to visit the Buchanan’s and when he first sees their house he is taken aback; “Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay” (Fitzgerald, 6).
Fitzgerald's social insight in The Great Gatsby focuses on a select group: priviliged young people between the ages of 20 and 30. In doing so, Fitzgerald provides a vision of the "youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves" (157). Throughout the novel Nick finds himself surrounded by lavish mansions, fancy cars, and an endless supply of material possessions. A drawback to the seemingly limitless excess Nick sees in the Buchanans, for instance, is a throwaway mentality extending past material goods. Nick explains, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy -- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made" (188).
Theme Keyword(s): JAZZ AGE SUMMARY: The Roaring Twenties was a time of opulent lifestyles following the return of soldiers from World War One. A time when the younger generation rejected the values of the older generation. The lifestyle of the East particularly New York City, a place of wealth, was alluring and often, wild and debaucherous (immorality). People with wealthy heritages (Old Money = East Egg) began to resent those with recently acquired wealth (New Money= West Egg), especially if that money was made in dubious ways. The Jazz Age bought with it an economic boom which saw the birth of materialism and consumerism.
Some say that the root of all evil comes from money. This is so true in Mathilde’s case. She is so self-centered that she ignores, or just doesn’t realize how she hurts others. With us it’s the same problem. We are so greedy with trying to get the things that we want or dream about that we don’t realize that we are harming the ones that
Lord Henry’s obsession with Dorian leads Dorian to a life full of immoral activities such as drugs, meaningless sex, and the murder of famed artist and friend, Basil Hallward. Dorian explores these sensations as he looks to feel something real, but his entire life now revolves around his appearance and his state of self-denial. “Lord Henry Wotton is perfectly right. Youth is the only thing worth having. When I find that I am growing old, I shall kill myself,” (Wilde Chapter II) throughout the novel, Lord Henry influences Dorian’s decisions to be a pleasure seeker, to date only the elite, and to act in an high class manner.
Gatsby shows his need for wealth when he quits his job as a janitor because of his humiliation and goes into organized crime. Both these characters share another similarity when it comes to wanting Daisy to be only theirs. Gatsby is willing to go by criminal means to make him desirable and to gain Daisy’s affection. Gatsby loves Daisy so much that he doesn’t mind taking the blame for her when she kills Myrtle Wilson with his car. While Tom uses his great wealth and loud personality to draw Daisy’s attention.