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Eva WU The Great Gatsbt Transcript

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F Scott Fitzgerald coined the term "Jazz Age" to refer to the period more commonly known a

s the Roaring Twenties reflecting the turbulence of the times. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgeral
d explores the darker side of the Roaring Twenties, highlighting corruption and decadence, d
espite the economic boom and renewed sense of possibility after World War I. The Great Ga
tsby portrays three different social classes and The American Dream.
Gatsby is a typical representative of this period symbolising both the corrupted Dream and t
he original uncorrupted dream. Gatsby is a self-made man who achieved the American Drea
m of rising up from the lower classes to the top of society Fitzgerald uses Gatsby's downfall t
o critique the reckless indulgence of Roaring Twenties America and as a symbol of the Amer
ican Dream's corruption.

At first glance, The first time we see Gatsby himself is when Nick observes him at night, stan
ding on his wide lawn.“he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way and
far as I was from him, I could have some sworn he was trembling “ .Fitzgerald uses imagery
described as insubstantial, Nick describes the action as “curious” and dilutes its certainty wit
h the phrase “could have sworn”—as opposed to simply saying “he was trembling.” Suddenl
y Gatsby is not an arrogant rich man surveying his share of the sky. He is wistful, grasping fo
r something that he cannot have. Whatever it is, he wants it so badly that he trembles, foresh
adowing he is reaching out of his romantic dream to Daisy
‘ “Involuntarily I glanced seaward and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minu
te and far away, that might have been the end of the clock “The phrase “that might have bee
n” to describe the location of the light plays a mystifying role. In this way, he suggests that G
atsby’s quest is toward something ephemeral. The “green light” is undoubtedly the most fam
ous symbol from Fitzgerald’s novel from an indication of his love for Daisy to a model for the
roaring twenties aspirations of Americans also symbolizes that more generalized ideal and h
ope. Gatsby associates it with Daisy, he reaches toward it in the darkness as a guiding light t
o lead him to his goal.

Nick helps Gatsby to invite Daisy to his house, and Gatsby and Daisy reunite."Gatsby, his ha
nds still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perf
ect ease, even of boredom."The description of Gatsby's posture “and demeanour, particular
ly the phrase "strained counterfeit of perfect ease," uses imagery to depict Gatsby's effo
rt to appear calm and unaffected that he is concealing his nervousness and excitement
upon Daisy's arrival. Meanwhile, the word "counterfeit" uses irony to highlight the dispa
rity between his external facade and internal emotions.“He hadn’t once ceased looki
ng at Daisy and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of r
esponse it drew from her well-loved eyes “The metaphorical language of "revalued eve
rything in his house" suggests Gatsby's lavish lifestyle is fueled by his romantic fantasies
about Daisy, which is reflected in his reassessment of his material possessions highlight
s his struggle to connect with her in the present。 Gatsby's character is revealed throug
hout his meeting with Daisy revealing his love and obsession with the American Dream.
He maintains a lavish lifestyle to impress Daisy and upper-class society. When reunited with
Daisy, Gatsby becomes emotionally hopeless and disconnected from reality. His pursuit of th
e American Dream and belief in the past led him to live in memory and fantasy. This is also
Fitzgerald's comment, Indulgence in wealth and materialism results in a loss of connection r
eal ideal of the dream.

"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald critiques the American Dream, revealing the corru
ption of wealth, and the contrast between illusion and reality. Jay Gatsby's transformation fro
m a hopeful man to a struggling to connect to reality symbolises both corrupted and uncorru
pted Dreams, with his corrupt dream of wealth driven by his undying love for Daisy. His failur
e demonstrates the folly of short-cutting the American Dream which is a false promise by allo
wing corruption and materialism to prevail

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