8/17/2019 Do You Think Fitzgerald Approves of the World He is Documenting for the Reader in ‘the Great Gatsby

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8/17/2019 Do You Think Fitzgerald Approves of the World He is Documenting for the Reader in ‘the Great Gatsby

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n"t ha'e described anythin! that m"re )erfect#y c"ntrasted with thedecadent yet )assi'e w"r#d "f the rich dem"nstrated )erfect#y in the#ife "f the 7uchanan8s, wh" had 3 s)ent a year in +rance, f"r n")articu#ar reas"n, and then drifted here and there unrestfu##y*4 The'a##ey "f ashes is )ers"nied in the character "f Ge"r!e Wi#s"n wh",

beaten d"wn by years "f t"i# in the 'a##ey "r by his "wn )"'ertya))ears 3s)irit#ess’ and 3anaemic4 with "n#y his a))earance as3faint#y hands"me4 su!!estin! he was e'er anythin! e#se* /et T"m7uchan"n, wh" rea#istica##y ne'er w"rked a day in his #ife, is !i'en a)hysica# descri)ti"n d"minated by 3the en"rm"us )"wer "f his:b"dy4* n the twenties th"se cate!"rized as ‘"#d m"ney’ meanin!they had been b"rn int" an u))er%c#ass #ifesty#e rare#y had any needt" actua##y make m"ney f"r themse#'es and instead sim)#y enj"yedthe #u(uri"us #ifesty#e )r"'ided by their )arents, and thr"u!h thecharacters "f T"m and Ge"r!e +itz!era#d c#ear#y dis)#ays injustice "fthis de'ide * +urtherm"re des)ite a## that T"m has and a## thatGe"r!e #acks, +itz!era#d has T"m take ;yrt#e fr"m him . an acti"nwhich dees e'ery )rinci)#e "f the merican dream, )resentin! theimm"ra#ity and crue#ty "f the rich, and the h")e#ess situati"n facedby the w"rkin! c#ass* +itz!era#ds ch"ice t" ha'e T"m take the "n#ythin! "f 'a#ue in Ge"r!es #ife, t" me, makes it im)"ssib#e t" su!!esthe a))r"'ed "f the w"r#d he )resented "r "f the harsh s"cia# de'ide)resent within it*

n"ther as)ect "f s"ciety which fee# +itz!era#d c#ear#y disa))r"'ed"f was the beha'i"urs "f w"men at this time* The end "f WW1

marked a chan!e in the r"#e "f w"men in s"ciety as they t""k u) j"bs )re'i"us#y "n#y undertaken by men ‘)r"'in!’ their 'a#ue t"s"ciety and earnin! the ri!ht t" '"te in the 1920’s* W"men hadincreased freed"m and it was a time "f feminine em)"werment*

8/17/2019 Do You Think Fitzgerald Approves of the World He is Documenting for the Reader in ‘the Great Gatsby

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)resentin! fema#es as chi#d#ike with n"thin! m"re t" add t"c"n'ersati"n than e(a!!erated reacti"ns which act "n#y as anirritatin! distracti"n* +itz!era#d c"ntinues t" dis)#ay w"men asirritatin! and n"nsensica# as the )arty c"ntinues, 3)uttin! theirheads "n men’s sh"u#ders in a )u))yish, c"n'i'ia# way4 and

3sw""nin! backward )#ayfu##y int" men’s arms*4 These 6u"tes areused t" reinf"rce the )resentati"n "f w"men as chi#d#ike and the)atr"nisin! 6ua#ity remains* We a#s" see w"men as des)erate f"rthe attenti"n "f men and their immaturity in their meth"ds "fwinnin! this* The r""ts "f these s#i!ht#y stran!e interacti"nsbetween men and w"men may #ie in the fact this was a new c"nce)t. ne'er bef"re had w"men been s" free t" be ar"und menuncha)er"ned s" they had n" s"cia# !uide#ines t" f"##"w* "we'er, ita#s" )resents the newf"und freed"m w"men f"und in the twenties6uite ne!ati'e#y and )erha)s e'en ar!ues a!ainst w"men h"#din!the #iberty t" )artake in the s"cia# scene in this way* 5'era##,+itz!era#d8s )resentati"n "f w"men is ne!ati'e> they c"ntinu"us#ya))ear as chi#d#ike and are ne'er sh"wn t" be achie'in! anythin! "fmerit "r substance* This a!ain su!!ests +itz!era#d dis)r"'es "f thew"r#d he )resents t" the readers*

 The 1920’s was a#s" an era "f c"nsumerism* Techn"#"!ies andmeth"ds de'e#")ed f"r wartime )r"ducti"n were n"w bein! a))#iedt" #u(ury !""ds and mass )r"ducti"n made these #u(uriesaccessib#e t" the masses* This c"nsumerism is c#ear#y dem"nstratedin +itz!era#d8s n"'e# and his dis)r"'a# is a!ain e'ident* This

disa))r"'a# materia#izes in his )resentati"n "f the c"nse6uences "fc"nsumerism . the 'a##ey "f ashes* $ew #u(uries such as cars ande#ectric, and their )r"ducti"n #ed t" the waste )resent in the 'a##eyand whi#e the rich enj"yed their )r"ducts, the )""r, unab#e t")artake in any enj"yment, were #eft t" #i'e in the s6ua#"r these#u(uries )r"duced* This is a )ure#y ne!ati'e )resentati"n "fc"nsumerism and the injustice that surr"unds it, makin! it c#ear+itz!era#d disa!rees with its r"#e in the w"r#d he )resents t" thereaders* n"ther as)ect "f c"nsumerism which +itz!era#d )resents isits #inks t" imm"ra#ity* When ;yrt#e rst reaches $ew /"rk, sheimmediate#y e(ercises her new f"und ec"n"mic freed"m buyin! 3a

m"'in! )icture ma!azine?, s"me c"#d cream and a sma## @ask "f)erfume*4 Thr"u!h this immediate )resentati"n "f c"nsumerism,+itz!era#ds su!!ests ;yrt#es #"ya#ty t" her husband and t" hermarria!e has been b"u!ht by a few inc"nse6uentia# items> thedesire t" )urchase str"n!er than her m"ra#s* Thr"u!h this incident,the dan!ers "f c"nsumerism are made )resent and it is made c#earthat the auth"r dis)r"'es "f this e#ement "f the w"r#d he isd"cumentin!*