The Great Gatsby Research Paper

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The Great Gatsby was written during the Roaring Twenties when prohibition, bootlegging, flappers, speakeasies and materialistic culture were the epitome of that era. Everything was over the top because America had a flourishing economy in the aftermath of WWI. The Great Gatsby is categorized under the Modernist literary movement during this time there was a separation from the conventional American ideals. The Modernist movement occurred around the 1910s to the 1960s when industrialization was starting up. The movement was characterized by a strong and deliberate break from tradition. For instance, Flappers in the Roaring Twenties such as the characters in The Great Gatsby like Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker broke away from tradition by drinking…show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald lived during the time of the Roaring Twenties, he had firsthand knowledge about the events that occurred during this time period. He was able to witness the prosperity of others and even take part in speakeasies. Fitzgerald wrote Gatsby as a representation of himself because most of the significant events that built up the foundation of the Great Gatsby was Fitzgerald’s background. The overall tone of The Great Gatsby was dark and cynical. All of the characters in the book were focused on the materialistic achievement, but in the end when you take away all of the money and prosperity, nothing is left. It was dismal that Gatsby acquired so much money just for Daisy’s love, yet none of it mattered in the end. The tone of The Great Gatsby perfectly exemplifies the Modernist movement. Furthermore, the tone impacts the style of the book because it gives the impression of how the book is…show more content…
The Great Gatsby is packed with symbolism. For example, the single green light is a symbol. Gatsby periodically stares at the single green light on Daisy's dock from his own house across the water. The symbol represents Gatsby’s aspirations for the future that he will eventually reunite with Daisy. Another symbol is the valley of ashes, that separates East Egg and West Egg, the valley depicts the hardships that the poor face, such as George Wilson, who survives amid the slovenly ashes working for anything he can get. The symbol can also be connected with the social and ethical deterioration of America. Moreover, the setting of the story itself is a symbol. East Egg signifies the longstanding aristocracy, on the other hand West Egg indicates the newly rich. Fitzgerald also includes allusion in this novel, he makes references to people such as King Midas, Henry Clay, and J.P Morgan. The use of rhetorical devices impacts the style of the book because it changes up the sentence structure and makes the reader infer

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