Essay on The Corruption of the American Dream in The Great...

On April 10, 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby, a novel that would later become one of the best known pieces of classic literature in history. However, at the time of its publication, Gatsby was fairly unpopular ad the reviews were never consistent. As shocking as it may seem, I believe it is because Fitzgerald’s intelligence and creativity levels were way ahead of his time, which is evident when one pays close attention to the themes of the novel. Forgiveness, love, and memory of the past are just a few themes you will come across in this story. Aside from these, there is one other theme that is much more dominant and could possibly have been the cause of The Great Gatsby’s slight lack of initial†¦show more content†¦If you were, or are, one of those who feel this way you believe that if one does not own the fanciest clothes, the fastest cars, or the most extravagant house then they simply are not living the American dream. This materialistic aspect completely disregards happiness, family, and moral values. It is also the aspect that Fitzgerald seems to focus on the most with The Great Gatsby. In the novel, the main character, Jay Gatsby is most definitely living the American dream in the sense of materialism. He was never seen wearing less than the best of suits, and even seeing his shirts drove his love interest, Daisy to tears. â€Å"They’re such beautiful shirts†¦I’ve never seen such beautiful shirts† (Fitzgerald, p. 98). His mansion was described as looking like the World’s fair when he was throwing one of his thrilling parties. Although the only information Fitzgerald gives us about Gatsby’s car is that it was a Rolls Royce (pg. 35), that is enough to tell us he was not lacking in the â€Å"fastest cars† area. As for the fundamentally based ideas of the American dream, Jay Gatsby has only a few of them covered. He is certainly wealthy and prosperous. And if the fact t hat he can host a party, have the entire town attend, and repeat every weekend without ever showing his face does not scream â€Å"high social status†, I don’t know what does! The part of this fundamental aspect that Mr. Gatsby is lacking is a family and happiness.Show MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby : The Corruption Of The American Dream1771 Words   |  8 PagesThe Great Gatsby: The Corruption of the American Dream The Great Gatsby may appear as a novel containing dramatic, twisted relationships; however, the main theme has to do with the culture of the 1920s, and how it leads to the downfall of the American Dream. The 1920s were an age of change: politically and socially. The nation’s wealth nearly doubled, leading many Americans into a prosperous society, while others experienced extreme poverty (The Roaring). People began performing, women wore flapperRead MoreThe Corruption of the American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby1345 Words   |  6 PagesFitzgerald portrays the American Dream, originally a set of goals that included freedom, settlement, and an honest life with the possibility of upward social and economic mobility earned through hard work, as corrupted and debased by the egotistic materialism of the 1920s, an era which Fitzgerald characterizes chiefly by its greed and lavish hedonism, in his celebrated novel The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby, s eeks to discredit the supposed purity of the American Dream and belief that anyoneRead MoreThe Great Gatsby Displaying the Corruption of the American Dream742 Words   |  3 PagesThe Great Gatsby: The Corruption of the American Dream In the 1920’s many people left their countries to come to America seeking for the American dream. The American Dream meant being successful and happy. 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In the 1920s when The Great Gatsby was written the Jazz Age was taking hold and the American Dream became more about material possessionsRead MoreEssay on The Great Gatsby: The Corruption of the American Dream1010 Words   |  5 Pageswhich he popularized the concept of The American Dream. In this book he stated â€Å"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and once that phrase was written, The American Dream became what we truly know it as nowadays. It is the right of freedom, prosperity, equality and pursuit of happiness through hard work. However, The American Dream is an ironic concept seei ng as it neverRead MoreBroken Dreams and Fallen Themes: the Corruption of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby1477 Words   |  6 PagesBroken Dreams and Fallen Themes In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald employs the use of characters, themes, and symbolism to convey the idea of the American Dream and its corruption through the aspects of wealth, family, and status. In regards to wealth and success, Fitzgerald makes clear the growing corruption of the American Dream by using Gatsby himself as a symbol for the corrupted dream throughout the text. In addition, when portraying the family the characters in Great Gatsby are used to exposeRead More Corruption of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1438 Words   |  6 Pages Broken Dreams and Fallen Themes In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald employs the use of characters, themes, and symbolism to convey the idea of the American Dream and its corruption through the aspects of wealth, family, and status. In regards to wealth and success, Fitzgerald makes clear the growing corruption of the American Dream by using Gatsby himself as a symbol for the corrupted dream throughout the text. In addition, when portraying the family the characters in Great Gatsby are used to exposeRead MoreCorruption of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald855 Words   |  4 Pages In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald gives the reader a glimpse into the life of the high class during the 1920’s through the eyes of a man named Nick Carraway. Through the narrators dealings with high society, Fitzgerald demonstrates how modern values have transformed the American dreams ideas into a scheme for materialistic power and he reveals how the world of high society lacks any sense of morals or consequence. In order to support his message, Fitzgerald presents the originalRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Corruption of the American Dream1488 Words   |  6 PagesJay Gatsby is a man with a dream and will stop at nothing to attain it.   When he loses the love of his life to a wealthy, sophisticated and bigoted socialite, his mind is set.   Born a poor farm boy, he centers his life around achieving extraordinarily vast amounts of wealth and great social status.   The poor man never gets the girl; in fact, he never gets anything in Gatsbys eyes.   Gatsby is determined not only to be rich, but become the richest man who ever lived.   When he does become the richestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1707 Words   |  7 Pagesthe main principle and guideline of life. Labeled as the American Dream, Americans are pressed to work hard and honest under the idea that they will have an equal opportunity to obtain riches and glory . But is the pursuit of wealth really as pure and honest as it may seem? Holding this same idea and question, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, a young man by the name of Nick Carraway begins his pursuit towards the American Dream. The novel begins with Nick arriving at his new yet shabby

Separation And Education Of Young First Nations Children

The ambition of the Canadian government in regard to First Nations People was to assimilate them into European culture and erase their culture from the country. Separation and education of young First Nations children was the major means to achieve their objective. With substantial involvement from the Christian churches, the residential school system was created and schools were built throughout the entire country. The Kamloops Indian Residential School was attended by students from the nations surrounding Kamloops including children from the Secwepemc Nation who occupied the much of the southern-interior of British Columbia. The school was ran by the Roman Catholic Church. The Secwepemc children were no exception to the abominable conditions in the residential school systems facilities and the effects of these schools can last a lifetime. The students who attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School were cut off from their communities and families; stripped of their langua ge and culture; and subjected to abuse and severe labour, hunger, and abuse. The Secwepemc People are indigenous to the south central region of British Columbia. The Secwepemc Nation is also called the Shuswap Nation, more so by non-indigenous people, which is an English version of Secwepemc. Currently, the Nation is comprised of seventeen separate bands; however, prior to a smallpox epidemic in 1862 which drastically reduced the population, there were thirty-two bands (Secwepemc Nation,Show MoreRelatedThe Civil Right Movement Of The United States1712 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout late childhood, education touches upon the subject of segregation, a separation between whites and blacks during mid-20th century America, and children across the country learn the harsh reality of our nation’s history. 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How Successful Is Exposure as a Transformation of Othello free essay sample

Mal Peet I believe has successfully transformed Othello into a modern day tragedy, Exposure. He uses many similar characters, with many of the same personalities/motives. The two texts also explore many of the same themes, such as the outsider, racism and reputation. Mal Peet puts a modern spin on the tale. The two texts portray and explore the main themes through different structures and language features. Othello by William Shakespeare, written in the 17th century when the main focus of plays were their rich language. Peet uses colloquial language which grabs the modern day readers attention and sets it apart from Othello It sucks man. The narrative of Othello doesnt venture from the main plot, whereas in Exposure there are many distractions and less significant sub-plots. Mal Peet uses things such as emails and newspaper articles to tell the story. He emphasises the influence media has on the western society. This text is also narrated in third person which allows the reader to better connect with the characters and understand their thoughts and motivations. Both Texts also use dramatic irony, mainly used to reveal to the audience Iago/Diegos plans to be suspected, framed to make women false. The different language features in the texts help to set the context of the story. In both texts Othello/Otello is seen as an outsider. In Othello Desdemona comes from a rich family, and when she falls in love with Othello, the outsider, her racist father is far from happy. Although he is seen as a Valiant Moor Brabantio doesnt believe he is good enough for his daughter Our house is not a grange. After being sent from Venice the civilised sophisticated city, to the border of barbaric land of Cyprus, Othello becomes vulnerable this gives Iago an even bigger advantage. The metaphor that green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on, foreshadows the events to come from Othello putting all his trust in Iago. These ideas carry on to Exposure, where Otello moves from the northern football team to join Rialto in the south. His enormously costly move, funded mainly by Nestor Brabanta. Brabanta is quite satisfied with his decision until his daughter marries the football star. This reveals Brabanta racism, thinking Otello is not good enough for his daughter. In the new city and circumstances, Otello puts all his trust in his manager Diego, which is the beginning of his down fall. One of the sub-plots used by Mal Peet is that of Bush, Bianca and Felicia. This is highlighting the gruesome actions of the government to get rid of street kids Hed cut another one and said there was another one inside that one to. This makes the audience think about how different life is in the slums for Bush compared to the life rich celebrity Desmerelda lives. The ideas of hunger and corruption are revealed. The description Flat, slow, drops creates foreshadowing for Biancas death, which is framed on Otello. In Othello, Iago has a range of motives to tear apart Othello, he hears rumours that Othello had slept with his wife, whilst they werent true he continues with his plans creating his web of lies. Iago is also jealous of Othello and wants to feel powerful. Iago uses the idea of sexual jealousy against Othello, poisoning his mind by convincing him his wife was having an affair with Cassio She did deceive her father, marrying you. In Exposure Diego talks about how he believes Otello doesnt deserve to be a hero and that people shouldnt look up to him, he is jealous of Otello and threatened by him. Diego thinks he deserves more It reduces all of us; it reduces me. Love is one of the most prominent idea explored in both texts. Othello and Desdemona defy people and society. Desdemona even goes against her father She is abused, stoln from me, and corrupted by spells, medicines Brabantio believes Othello has used black magic to gain his daughters love. It seemed from the start that their loved was doomed. The idea of defying society and following their hearts is used to in Exposure, with the love between Otello and Desmerelda. Although they do not die like in Othello, it does end with them separated, ending as a tragedy. Reputation also becomes a large theme in both texts. Othello and Otello both slowly lose their good reputations as the narrative plays out. Othello starts out as a noble glorious and trustworthy man. Once he has moved to the barbaric land of Cyprus he too slowly becomes more and more barbaric, simply because he had believed everything that Iago had told him. Throughout the play Othello becomes more like Iago in how he acts and speaks. In Exposure Otello start out as a hero a fantastic sports star, but is cleverly manipulated by his manager. As the media gets hold of more and more stories about the star, set up by Diego, he begins to lose his good reputation. In the end being framed for looking at child pornography and the murder of Bianca, his good reputation is all but gone. which leads to the separation of the two lovers. In conclusion the texts are quite similar with the main plot, Exposure being a modern twist on the 17th century play by William Shakespeare. Exposure was a successful transformation as it changes the context if the play and includes todays struggles and problems, such as poverty, media and organised crime. This helps the modern day audience to connect to the story and characters.