Whether their money is inherited or earned, its inhabitant are morally decadent, living life in quest of cheap thrills and with no seeming moral purposes to their lives. Any person who attempts to move up through the social classes becomes corrupt in the process. * Fitzgerald explores much more than the failure of the American dream- he is more deeply concerned with its total corruption. * In the final pages of the novel, the sweep of American history is alluded to in the landscape itself, as Nick is about to leave the Long Island. The fresh, virginal country that “Dutch sailors” first saw is evoked, reinforcing the magic of American promise.
Father Bombo and Satirical Failure The sloppy burlesque painted in Father Bombo’s Pilgrimage to Mecca would have best served humanity if it had burned with the Nassau Hall at the College of New Jersey in 1802. The mock epic displayed in the story attempts to burlesque the “gap between academic pretense and actual ignorance,”(1iv preface to novel) and presents a sophomoric and immature handling of the subject matter. The story pitifully strives to mimic the satire of Candide by Voltaire and falls short of this margin exponentially. Considering the development of academia during the 1770’s and specifically the climate in which the students lived, the story conveys a sense of “transition that had been spawned by the American Revolution.”2 (p. ix preface to novel) Father Bombo’s journey is spawned when he is plagiarizes the classical Syrian satirist Lucian. Thus, Bombo bumbles through a quest to seek penance for his erroneous behavior.
The concern here is with the corruption of values and the decline of spiritual life - a condition which is ultimately related to the American Dream. For the novel recalls the early idealism of the first settlers. Fitzgerald himself relates Gatsby's dream to that of the early Americans for, at the end of the novel, Nick recalls the former Dutch sailors and compares their sense of wonder with Gatsby's hope. The book also seems to investigate how Americans lost their spiritual purpose as material success wiped out spiritual goals. The lives of the Buchanans, therefore, filled with material comforts and luxuries, and empty of purpose, represents this condition.
Mentioning where an individual sleeps conveys their innocence when an individual sleeps they are no longer in control and their mind takes over, they are innocent of their actions. Shakespeare demonstrates that when an individual destroys family ties they also damage innocence, the Secret Life of Bees mirrors the sense of familiar betrayal. Bythewood demonstrates the human need of an individual to have a connection beyond memory, this is conveyed through Lily speaking to her mother in heaven, "bet my hair must have annoyed you when it went off in 11 different directions." The use of speaking to her mother through her religion demonstrate her purity and innocence. T-Ray, Lily's father betrays her through lies, "god damn woman didn't give a shit about you".
Throughout chapter 9 FitzGerald tells this story utilising the aspect of voice and time to signify the decline of Gatsby in memory and harsh nature of 1920’s American society and culture. The old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailor’s eyes—a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby’s house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate for wonder…I thought of Gatsby wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock ” This passage presents FitzGerald’s view of the corruption of the ideology surrounding the American dream and what it stands for. The American dream is one based on freedom and prosperity a chance for people to achieve a better life for the original Dutch this meant a chance for fertile lands a place to call their own, this is directly contrasted with the green light which represent the allure of money and 1920’s flaw of greed which leads to many going to wild extents to achieve it. This is idea of the American dreams corruption is embodied by Gatsby he died but the green light on the dock still remained suggesting that the greed for money and material desires can never fulfilled and that the American dream has no meaning but as a reminder of what was.
While in Steers appropriation Igby rejects the ‘American Dream’ in which his godfather, D.H has achieved and Igby’s brother Oliver is corrupted by. Steers uses Igby’s godfather D.H to show the materialistic world, and also uses Igby’s older brother Oliver to show how that the American Dream is everyone’s dream. Throughout Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye it is evident that innocence is corrupted by society. The Catcher in the Rye – the title of this book is based on and old poem from Robert Burns in 1796. Holden misinterprets what this poem actually means and thinks its about someone who catches children from falling off a cliff.
Key Quotes: Gatsby Quote | Analysis | ‘Foul dust that floated in the wake of his dreams’ Ch1 (pg4) | Gatsby has been destroyed/ruined because of the foul dust that followed his American dream. Possibly referring to people who took advantage of his money or used their power to try and destroy him. Achieving the American Dream doesn’t always result in happiness. | ‘He stretched out his arms towards the dark water’ Ch1 (pg16) | Gatsby truly loved Daisy. This happens when Gatsby thinks no one is watching him therefore we are able to assume it is not part of his image.
To put it simply, even today the devil can tempt us, disguised in his various forms. In Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” The short story begins as coming of age story and a reflection of life in the middle of the twentieth century, but it quickly evolves into a harsh tale that portrays the ignorance of young girls and the evils of men. The evils of men is demonstrates through Arnold Friend, who is the epitome of a satanic figure. Connie surrenders herself to Arnold Friend at the end. Connie fails to resist the temptation of Arnold Friend which leads to self-ruin.
When Gatsby attempts to regain the past by persuading Daisy to tell Tom she doesn't love him, Tom destroys Gatsby's dream. By having the more recent past, Tom reminds Daisy of the good times they have had together and causes her to no longer think of leaving him. He also has knowledge of Gatsby's illegal dealings, something that he knows will upset Daisy, and he knows will strengthen his cause against Gatsby. 'The Great Gatsby' is effectively based on the past, and memories. In the last page of the novel, Nick contemplates human nature, and we learn a little of why Fitzgerald has written the book in this way, and why, in his opinion, we struggle so in life.
Then author tells us Charlie didn’t love him at all, to prove it Graham Greene uses comparison: he was unreal to him, a wraith, pale. thin, and indefinite – all this is the enumeration. To show us the relation between boy’s parents author uses epithet: for his mother “he felt a passionate demonstrative love”, “her…boisterous presence”, “noisy chanty” filled the world for