At the beginning of the book Nick says he lived in West Egg “…the less fashionable of the two…” (10). The East Egg is more fashionable and represents the elite social class at the top of the “ladder”. These people have always had money, as it was passed down through their families. Nick describes East Egg as, “Fashionable as it glittered along the water” (11). Tom and Daisy live in East Egg, and they represent shallowness, greed and superficiality.
Evan Cole March 6, 2012 English 101 Mr. Raines American Opportunities Dinesh D’Souza’s essay “Becoming American” notes three reasons why the American life style is sought after, better standard of living, social freedoms, and an egalitarian society. I agree, America is a land where people create their own destinies, a land where people make their own choices and have near limitless possibilities. D’Souza’s gives his views on how the Americans society is seen by other countries. D’Souza states that most American critics have an easy explanation for why the American idea of living is so captivating. It is simply the ability to make money.
Involuntarily I glanced seaward- and distinguished noting except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock” (pg. 25). Green is often used as the colour symbolising money. In this particular quote, Gatsby longs for daisy and her materialistic lifestyle. Gatsby wishes he belonged in this luxurious world, but unfortunately the idea in the American dream of everybody starting of the same is untrue and some people find it far harder than others to get ahead in life because of their background and
This is the first thing you get as soon as you become an American. That for me is considered a dream for the persecuted. Now beyond this lies desire, which is what society thrives from because it is what our economy is based off of. It is said that you only need food, shelter, and clothing. Dreaming is what America is all about; the beautiful houses, the wealth, the power to control things at your fingertips.
In the process, they could hold back a number of potential rebellions and create a consensus of popular support for the rule of a new, privileged leadership.When we look at the American Revolution this way, it was a work of genius, and the Founding Fathers deserve the awed tribute they have received over the centuries. They created the most effective system of national control devised in modern times, and showed future generations of leaders the advantages of combining paternalism with command. 2. According to Zinn, how did the creation of the United States benefit the upper class? They created a world where a few families owned most of the wealth.
Looking at how Orwell is writing, one can tell he usually writes more opinionated pieces. “All colonial empires are in reality founded on that fact.” How can one prove that colonial empires were founded on dehumanization? Orwell’s answer is fairly persuasive and obvious: the majority of colonies are poverty-stricken. However, if one is to look at the current political and economic situations of the colonial powers at the height of the colonization era, one can see that wars, lack of industrialization, and unstable economies are largely responsible for the poor treatment of colonies like Morocco. I disagree with Orwell; colonial empires weren’t founded on dehumanization, they were the effect of global powers having illusions of grandeur, but not being able to support their colonies.
The eastern seaboard symbolized by the "East Egg" comes to represent the affluence of the Jazz Age, its residents those who have succeeded in obtaining the wealth and power that the "American Dream" represented. Those that reside there have access to the inherited privileges the come with money, something which is revealed through the character of Daisy and the fact that she can "retreat back into [her] money and vast carelessness"(179), even after the death of Myrtle Wilson. The East epitomizes the desirable Nick moves to the East in order to make a name for himself, and Gatsby's dream is that he can earn enough material wealth to penetrate the seemingly untouchable world of Daisy and the East Egg. Those that live in West Egg are thought of as "new money". Nick describes it as being "the less fashionable of the two"(5).
However, Fitzgerald demonstrates that economic prosperity can be easily misunderstood by suggesting that money is a source of corruption. Tom Buchanan, who comes from wealthy family, shows that money has corrupted him. Tom’s wealth him to disrespect poor people such as Myrtle Wilson, his mistress. In the beginning of the
The American Dream is the idea that one is wealthy in all aspects of life including materials and relationships. In order to pursue this dream, one must be able to have a certain image and creating this image may require a manipulation of the truth. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott. Fitzgerald personifies the ideals of the American Dream (and dreams in general) while, at the same time, communicating ideas about the importance of wealth and offering a warning to the reader about the truth concerning one's past and how the manipulation of all three can lead to a tragic end. In The Great Gatsby, the theme about dreams was portrayed vividly through the character Jay Gatsby.
Jay Gatsby is also wealthy but would rather simply be affluent. By placing the characters in compromising situations, Fitzgerald expresses the pain and misery that can result from careless actions and heartless words. Throughout the novel, the 1920s are portrayed as a moral wasteland. The lives of the wealthy are a moral wasteland. However, this is not to be confused with the lives of the affluent.