How Does Capote Describe the Clutter Family Is Killed

The Keen Gatsby is normally studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, bank check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response.

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Introduction

Call it the greatest American novel or ultimate story of unrequited romance—The Smashing Gatsby is undoubtedly a stunning snapshot of 1 of the most American decades that America has ever seen. The 1920s saw meaning economic growth later on WWI, and what'due south more than American than material backlog, wealth, and prosperity? The stock market was going off, businesses were booming, and people were having a great time.

Well, not everybody—and on the flipside, what'south more than American than socio-economical inequality or the always-quixotic American Dream?

In this web log, nosotros'll go through the novel in this context, examine some of its key themes, and too have a call back nigh the critiques it raises about American society. We'll also go through an essay prompt that ties some of these things together.

Life in the Roaring Twenties

This snapshot from the 2013 film accommodation actually tells us a lot about the 1920s. On the ane hand, social and cultural norms were shifting—men no longer sported beards, and women were dressing more androgynously and provocatively. On the other paw, the modern, American economic system was emerging—people began buying plush consumer goods (like cars, appliances, telephones etc.) using credit rather than cash. This meant that average American families were able to get these things for the first fourth dimension, while more than prosperous families were able to live in extreme excess.

In Fitzgerald'south novel, the Buchanans are one such family unit. Tom and his married woman Daisy have belonged to the 1% for generations, and the 1920s saw them cement their wealth and status. At the same fourth dimension, the booming economy meant that others (like the narrator Nick) were relocating to cities in pursuit of wealth, and (like Gatsby) making significant financial inroads themselves.

The Nifty Gatsby traces how the differences between these characters tin exist subversive even if they're all wealthy. Add a drop of Gatsby's unrequited love for Daisy, and yous accept a story that ultimately examines how far people get for romance, and what money simply tin can't purchase.

The answer to that isn't so obvious though. Yes, money can't buy love, but it likewise can't buy a lot of other things associated with the lifestyle and the values of established wealth. Nosotros'll get into some of this at present.

Wealth and class

Fitzgerald explores tensions between 3 socio-economic classes—the establishment, the 'nouveau riche' and the working course.

Tom and Daisy belong to the 'old money' institution, where wealth is generational and inherited. This means they were built-in into already wealthy families, which affects their upbringing and ultimately defines them, from the way they speak (Tom'south "paternal contempt" and Daisy's vox, "total of money") to their major life decisions (including marriage, symbolised through the "string of pearls" he buys for her—which, fun fact, is estimated to exist worth millions of dollars today). It also affects their values, as nosotros'll run across in the following department.
For at present, consider this paradigm of their home (and those ponies on the left, which they likewise own), described as follows:

"The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front end door for [400 metres], jumping over sunday-dials and brick walls and burning gardens—finally when it reached the firm drifting up the side in bright vines every bit though from the momentum of its run."

Nick Carraway also comes from a like (though not equally extravagant) background—his family had been rich by Midwestern standards for "3 generations" earlier he came to New York.

Conversely, Gatsby belongs to the 'nouveau riche', or new money. Unlike the Buchanans, Gatsby was born into a poor family, only coming to wealth in the 1920s boom. Specifically, he inherited money from Dan Cody after running away from home at 17.

Although they are all rich, in that location are significant cultural differences between old and new money. Quondam money take their own civilization of feigned politeness which Gatsby doesn't quite become. When Tom and the Sloanes invite Nick and Gatsby to supper in chapter half-dozen, Gatsby naively accepts, to which Tom would reply behind his dorsum, "Doesn't he know [Mrs. Sloane] doesn't desire him?" Even though Gatsby is financially their equal, his newfound wealth can't purchase his way into their (nasty, horrible) lifestyle.

Finally, this is contrasted with the working form, peculiarly George and Myrtle Wilson who nosotros meet in chapter two. They alive in a grey "valley of ashes", the detritus of a prosperous society whose wealth is limited to the ane%. Fitzgerald even calls it a "solemn dumping footing", suggesting that life is precarious and difficult here. Consider what separates George—"blond, spiritless… and faintly handsome"—from Tom (hint: $$).

Myrtle is described differently, however—she is a "faintly stout" adult female with "perceptible vitality". This may be less of a clarification of her and more of a commentary on Tom's sexuality, and what attracts him to her such that he cheats on Daisy with her. Still, Myrtle's relative poverty is evident in her expressions of want throughout their meeting—"I want to get one of those dogs," she says, and Tom just easily her the money.

Ultimately, looking at the novel through the lens of class, nosotros see a society where upward social mobility and making a living for yourself is possible, just not for everybody. Even when you get rich, it doesn't guarantee that yous'll suddenly, seamlessly integrate into the lives of onetime money.

Morality and values

Added to this story of social stratification is a moral dimension, where Fitzgerald can be a little more critical.

Firstly, old coin is portrayed equally shallow. Daisy's wedlock to Tom and the Sloanes' insincerity are elements of this, simply another expert case is Gatsby's political party guests. Many aren't really invited—they invite themselves, and "they came and went without having met Gatsby at all." Their vacuous relationship to Gatsby is exposed when he dies, and they completely carelessness him. Klipspringer, "the boarder", basically lived in Gatsby'southward firm, and fifty-fifty then he however wouldn't come up to the funeral, just calling upwardly to become a "pair of shoes" back.

The rich are too depicted as cruel and inconsiderate, insulated from repercussions by their wealth. Nick's clarification of Tom's "cruel body" is repeatedly realised, as he breaks Myrtle's nose in chapter two and condescends Gatsby with "magnanimous scorn" in affiliate seven. After Myrtle dies, Nick spots the Buchanans "conspiring" and describes them equally "smash[ing] up things and creatures then retreat[ing] dorsum into their coin or their vast carelessness"—he sees them equally fundamentally selfish.

Gatsby is portrayed more sympathetically though, which may come up from his humble upbringing and his want to be liked. This is probably the key question of the novel—is he a hero, or a villain? The moral of the story, or a alert? Consumed by beloved, or corrupted by wealth?

I'grand going to leave most of those for the next section, just I'll finish here with one last snippet: Lucille, a guest at his parties, tears her wearing apparel and Gatsby immediately sends her a "new evening gown". Weird flex, but at to the lowest degree he'due south beingness selfless…

Honesty

That said, a major part of Gatsby'south character is his dishonesty, which complicates his moral identity.

For starters, he fabricates a new identity and deals in shady business organisation just to reignite his v-year-old romance with Daisy. Nosotros see this through the emergence of Meyer Wolfsheim, with whom he has unclear business "gonnegtions", and the resultant wealth he now enjoys.

In chapter 3, Owl Optics describes Gatsby as a "regular Belasco", comparing him to a pic director who was well-known for the realism of his sets. This is a really lucid analysis of Gatsby, who is in many ways just like a film managing director constructing a whole fantasy earth.

It's also unclear if he loves Daisy for who she is, or just the thought of Daisy and the wealth she represents. Indeed, he doesn't seem to treat her as a person, but more like something that he can pursue (like wealth). This is a good read, so I won't really get into information technology hither—just consider how much things take changed since Gatsby first met Daisy (like her marriage and her children), and how Gatsby ignores the manner her life has changed in favour of his still, stationary memory of who she used to exist.

Love, desire and hope

All of this makes it catchy to distil what the novel'due south message actually is.

Is it that Gatsby is a good person, peculiarly bandage against the corrupt old coin?

This analysis isn't wrong, and it actually works well with a lot of textual prove. Where Nick resents the Buchanans, he feels sympathy for Gatsby. He explicitly says, "they're a rotten crowd…y'all're worth the whole damn bunch put together." Maybe love was an honourable goal compared to money, which ostensibly makes you "roughshod" and "careless".

I wouldn't say he was fell, but this reading is complicated past how he can be careless, choosing not to care about Daisy's agency, and letting his desires overtake these considerations.

Is it that Gatsby and his desire for Daisy were corrupted by wealth despite his good intentions?

There'due south also evidence to suggest wealth corrupts—Nick describes it as "foul dust" that "preyed" on Gatsby, eroding his skilful character and leaving behind someone who resembles the vacuous aristocracy. Although honey might've been an honourable goal, it got diluted by money.

Gatsby's paradigm for understanding the globe becomes driven by materialism, and he objectifies Daisy. He starts trying to buy something that he originally didn't need to buy—Daisy'south dearest. She certainly didn't fall in love with this human who owned a mansion and a closet total of "beautiful shirts." Thus, Gatsby is a sympathetic product of a system that was always stacked against him (a poor boy from North Dakota). Capitalism, right?

Is information technology that backer America provides naught for people to pursue except for wealth, and therefore little reason for people to experience hope?

Well…

Past the basics: structural economical tension and the doomed American Dream

Now nosotros want to start thinking beyond the characters (eastward.thousand. if Gatsby is a good person or not) and besides factor in their social, historical, political and economic context (e.g. if he was doomed to begin with past a society driven past money). This subheading does sound a bit much, but nosotros'll break it down here.

A cardinal part of this novel is the American Dream, the idea that America is a land of freedom and equal opportunity, that anyone can 'make it' if they truly try. Value is placed on upward social mobility (moving up from a working-grade background) and economic prosperity (making $$), which defined much of the Roaring 20s…

…for some.

For many others, there was meaning tension between these lofty values and their lived reality of life on the footing. Equally much equally society around them was prospering, they just couldn't get a piece of the pie, and this is what makes it structural—as hard as George Wilson might work, he only tin't get himself out of the Valley of Ashes and into wealth. Indeed, yous can't achieve the Dream without adulterous (as Gatsby did).

So, there'south this tension, this irreconcilable gap between economic goals and actual ways. Through this lens, the tragedy of The Great Gatsby multiplies. It's no longer but about someone who can't buy beloved with money—it's most how nobody'southward dreams are really attainable. Non anybody tin go money, and coin can only get y'all so far. Anybody is stuck, and the American Dream is basically just a myth.

Thus, the novel could be interpreted as a takedown of capitalist America, which convinced people similar Gatsby that the respond to everything was money, and he bolted after the "dark-green light" attraction of cold, hard cash but to find out that information technology wasn't enough, that it wasn't the answer in the terminate.  (.

Consider what kind of message that sends to people like the Wilsons—if coin can't actually buy happiness, what good is information technology really to hunt it? And remember that Gatsby had to cheat to get rich in the commencement place.

Is [the novel's message] that backer America provides goose egg for people to pursue except for wealth, and therefore trivial reason for people to feel hope?

You tell me.

Prompt: what does Fitzgerald suggest about social stratification in the 1920s?

Whenever you get a new essay topic, you can utilise LSG's Recollect and EXECUTE strategy, a technique to help yous write better VCE essays. If you're unfamiliar with this strategy, then check it out in How To Write A Killer Text Response.

Allow's endeavor applying this to a prompt. I'll italicise the central points that accept been brought up throughout this post.

Firstly, social stratification clearly divided society along economical lines. This could exist paragraph one, exploring how class separated the Buchanans and Wilsons of the globe, and how their lifestyles were so completely different even though they all lived in the prosperity of the Roaring 20s. George Wilson was "worn-out" from work, but he still couldn't generate upward social mobility for his family, stuck in the Valley of Ashes. Conversely, Tom Buchanan is born into a rich family with his beach-facing mansion and polo ponies. Colour is an important symbol hither—the Valley is grey, while East Egg is filled with color (a light-green light here, a "blue coupe" in that location…).

The adjacent paragraph might look at the cultural dimension, exploring how you lot just can't buy a way of life. This might involve analysing Gatsby's wealth as deluding him into thinking he can "echo the past" by buying into the life(way) of former money. This is where Fitzgerald disillusions us about the American Dream—he presents a reality where it isn't possible for anyone to 'make information technology', where the Buchanans still treat you lot with scorn even if you're just as wealthy. Gatsby's dishonesty is ultimately a shallow one—try as he might, he just cannot fit in and win Daisy back.

Finally, we should consider the moral dimension—fifty-fifty though the wealthier socioeconomic classes enjoyed more lavish, luxurious lifestyles, Fitzgerald too argued that they were the most morally broke. Coin corrupted the wealthy to the point where they only did not care about the lives of the poor, as seen in the Buchanans' response to Myrtle's death. Even Gatsby had to compromise his integrity and deal in shady business in order to get rich—he isn't perfect either. Social stratification may look ostentatious and shiny on the outside, but the rich are really portrayed as shallow and corrupt.

A good essay on this novel will typically combine some of these dimensions and build a multilayered analysis. Stratification, honey, wealth, morality—all of these big ideas tin can be broken down in terms of social, economic, cultural circumstances, and then brand sure to consider all angles when you lot write.

Have a get at these prompts!

1. Nick is biased in his cess of Gatsby—both of them are no better than the corrupt, wealthy Buchanans. Do you lot agree?

2. In The Nifty Gatsby, money is a stronger motivating factor than dear. Do you lot hold?

3. Daisy Buchanan is more than innocent than guilty—explore this statement with reference to at least 2 other characters.

4. What does Fitzgerald say almost happiness in The Great Gatsby?

5. Is money the true antagonist of The Great Gatsby?

six. The women of The Great Gatsby are all victims of a patriarchal society. To what extent practice you lot agree? (Hint: are they all equally victimised?)

Challenge: According to Fitzgerald, what really lays underneath the façade of the Roaring 20s? Brand reference to at to the lowest degree 2 symbols in The Neat Gatsby. (Hint: façade = "an outward appearance that conceals a less pleasant reality" – recollect about things like colours, wearing apparel, buildings etc.)

Resources

The Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response

How To Write A Killer Text Response Study Guide

How to embed quotes in your essay similar a boss

How to turn your Text Response essays from average to A+

v Tips for a mic drop worthy essay conclusion

The Importance of the Introduction

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