Preview

Differences And Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And 1920's

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
983 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Differences And Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And 1920's
The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald written in 1925, opens the reader in a fictional town of West Egg in New York in the summer of 1922. Fitzgerald described the novel in a Jazz Era, with lavishing parties. There were two versions of film produced, 1974 directed by Jack Clayton and 2013 directed by Baz Luhrmann, which follows the life and times of millionaire Jay Gatsby and his neighbor Nick, and shows the roaring twenties life style. The Great Gatsby indicates the American Dream as a bigger impact in Gatsby’s life, but in the 1920’s it reaches the exploration of the society being a turnover in the era as seen through the movie and novel.

The movie version of 1974 directed by Jack Clayton and screen written by Francis Ford
…show more content…
The book and movie represent the people from the wealthy side of America in the 1920’s’; this era was an anxious time in America. Gatsby’s dream was to have Daisy and to be rich. In order to get what he wanted he would have to change his identity and sell alcohol which was illegal. The film showed that the American Dream was nothing but a crashed dream at the end Gatsby didn’t get Daisy in his life and died. As shown in the quote "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us (Daisley).” The green light on this quote expresses the end of Tom and Daisy’s relationship, a way of hope for Gatsby of his dream to obtain what he wanted. In the end, Gatsby’s dream led to nothing but just a blank identity, which had no meaning to his statues. At the end of the movie Gatsby gets shot and his dream is over without him getting anywhere near …show more content…
After seeing both movie versions of 1974 and 2013, I prefer to watch newer version then the older one. Becomes the actors does better job. What I like about the film was the acting of Mia, she portrayed her character the same way as the novel. What I liked the least part of the movie was the sound effects, it didn’t seem like in the 1900’s. This film can be recommended to others, because it lets the audience know the setting of the story, also help to know the characters better. The film, hopefully would make a person read the novel because the movie left out many small details that makes the reader want to read the novel. In my opinion the novel is far better than the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The term ‘roaring 20's’ is an appropriate description of the 1920's in America. The popular image is of a gin-soaked, jazz-syncopated, frivolous time. During this time period, the country was going through several changes. These changes include positive and negative changes in the country. America during this time had great economic development, expanding cities, increasing luxuries, inventions; women had more rights, the entertainment industry grew and much more. People from coast to coast bought the same goods, listened to the same music, did the same dances and even used the same slang (History Channel). F. Scott Fitzgerald was an American writer and one of the main voices of the Lost Generation. Fitzgerald…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts Jay Gatsby as hopeful who throughout the novel always pursues one individual, his lover Daisy from five years ago. The green light exemplifies Gatsby’s single goal and dream. Considering Gatsby has spent the last five years being a very successful bootlegger, to get Daisy to be his would be Gatsby’s American Dream and his token to his success. The American Dream for Daisy however consists of having a materialistic lifestyle and wealth. Fitzgerald uses the motif of the green light to emphasize the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby in order to convey the unethical logic of how society views the American Dream as having wealth, yet many still cannot fulfill ones happiness after achieving it.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To begin, the haunting green light represents Gatsby's own American Dream and the struggle of trying to achieve it.. The green light at the…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby is a movie directed by Baz Luhrmann. The movie represents the novel ‘'The Great Gatsby'' written by Scott Fitzgerald. It is Scott's analysis on the American society during the Roaring Twenties. The characters represent the American Dream. The main-characters in this story are Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Daisy Buchanan.…

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Daisy symbolizes Gatsby’s ideals, while the “green light” represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams. Also Gatsby is in love with Daisy, and all he wants is Daisy to be with him so he can be happy. This novel also includes the American Dream. FItzgerald used a lot of symbolism, to represent the characters.…

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gatsby’s green light was his hope in Daisy leaving Tom for him. The reason for his massive parties and exuberant clothing was to impress Daisy. Even before he left for the war, him and Daisy had loved each other. He wrote a letter to Daisy explaining his love for her before she left. On her wedding day, she became intoxicated while she was reading the letter he has written for her. She then was so drunk that she wanted to not marry Tom and wanted to go back to Gatsby. But her friends sobered her up and had Jordan put the letter in the water and watch it dissolve, to show that she will not go back to Gatsby; she will marry Tom. Since then he has been trying to win her back. It wasn’t until Tom found out about their affair; she came out to Toms saying that she was in love with Gatsby. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter--- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…. And one fine morning---- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back carelessly into the past”. ( pg. 193) Gatsby believed that we have a million choices and a million chances. The older we get, the fewer chances we have to reach our goals. But no matter what, there is still hope that not even distance can come between you and what your dreams…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Then he meets Daisy, a rich young girl, who rejects him for being poor and wasn't willing to wait on him. Which is the main reasoning for Gatsby following the American Dream was so he could impress the people around him and therefore Daisy. In fact, the author symbolises the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock as a sort of “light at the end of the tunnel” that Gatsby is trying to reach. As a reaction to wanting Gatsby redefines himself, changing his name, the way he lives, and his background, following a path of self-definition and self-conception which are both a major part of the American Dream. In essence, Gatsby changes his whole life in order to change the way people look at…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As a result of Gatsby’s work for his money in illegal ways we are able to see he has high goals and aspirations. However his goals are to win over his one true love Daisy yet she has found someone else whom she is not happy with but stays with anyways. Gatsby happiness was lead by the symbolism of the green light which…

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jay Gatsby embodies the idea of the American Dream in the sense that he has spent his whole life trying to achieve it. What Gatsby longs for is not wealth, as he has already achieved prosperity, but love. In the novel, Fitzgerald depicts Gatsby standing alone on the dock, reaching out toward a green light that can never be reached. Nick says, “. . . [Gatsby] he stretched out his arm toward the dark water in a curious way, and . . . involuntarily, I glanced seaward and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away” (Fitzgerald 20-21). The green light is a symbol of hope, representing Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy…

    • 950 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the time, the gift of wealth compels people for an act of change with Gatsby. The lack of acceptance for their responbilities is created as the green light represented money, in which Gatsby felt was what will win Daisy's undesired love. Gatsby's realization and dream of good health and fortune sadly faded as Nick realized: "Gatsby wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was." (Page 117) Gatsby's vision of the American Dream was brittle from the start, as jealousy overran Gatsby's mixed feelings about Daisy as Nick describes: "He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say [...] They could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken." This relates back to Gatsby's attempt of reliving the past with…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby is a classic novel that represents the “American Dream” from the 1920’s. Everything from that time period in the book has a symbol. The main character, Gatsby, symbolizes the typical American and his love for Daisy is the obsession with reaching a nearly impossible goal. The “American Dream” is seen when Gatsby breaks down and finally tells everyone about his affair with Daisy and how long he has been chasing her. Additionally, it is also recognized when Jay Gatsby waits outside of Daisy’s house for reassurance that she is alright after the death of Myrtle Wilson but is turned down for the last, and final, time.…

    • 934 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Great Gatsby Essay

    • 1292 Words
    • 6 Pages

    This quarter I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is a fiction novel published in 1925. It takes place in New York, 1922 and follows the story of a great man named Gatsby. Although Gatsby is the main character, the book is in perspective and supposedly written by Nick Carraway, a friend of Gatsby. This novel has a very developing story line that hits all kinds of moods, happy, sad, and mysterious.…

    • 1292 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald expresses the un-achievability of the American Dream through the shifts in class and vast characterization of Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald portrays the diminishing effects of the American dream which is achieving the love of Daisy in the eyes of Gatsby. Each character in this novel has an American dream and while some characters somewhat reach it, other such as Gatsby end having their dreams touch their fingertips only for it to slip away. Jay Gatsby, a self-made man, who had been pawning over Daisy for the past five years, had continuously “stretched out his arms towards the dark water… [reaching for] a single green light, minute and far away” ( Fitzgerald 20-21). The green light is the representation of Daisy Buchanan, also known as Daisy Fay, who lives across from Gatsby’s house and is the love of Gatsby’s past life.…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    James’ Alter ego somehow exemplifies the American dream, by illustrating eternal faith. Throughout the novel Gatsby’s desire to have Daisy for himself is his idea of the traditional American dream. He never let go of his goals and aspirations and followed them through to the end. This admiration is shown when Nick first notices Gatsby “out to determine what share was his of our local heavens.” (Pg. 21) As the novel progresses so does the relationship between Nick and Gatsby, soon enough Nick begins to notice Jay’s desires “involuntarily I glanced seaward- and distinguished nothing except a single green light.” (Pg. 22) The green light represents the longing for desires in Gatsby’s life from money, to Daisy to just having a sense of belonging. Fitzgerald reveals the green light is in fact symbolism of the American dream; he uncovers the truth that the green light is to the equivalence of your goals if you want something enough its always-in hindsight. He was a man of such resilience working through his hardships in life and never gave up on his dream, even up until the last few hours of his life Jay Gatsby still bared hope that one day Daisy would be his. He revealed all the personas of the old American dream however in the and he got lost in the egotistical jungle of…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Though, not only the change was represented in producing art in another way. Francis Scott Fitzgerald created an accurate portrait of the “roaring twenties” with his novel “The Great Gatsby”, which was published in 1925. In his novel Fitzgerald discussed the decadence, the excesses and the social changes of the time. It shows the life of the millionaire Jay Gatsby through the memories of his former neighbour Nick Carraway. The plot takes place during the summer of 1922 before Gatsby’s death. Through the story Nick gets to know Gatsby and becomes an important part of his life. Although Gatsby hosts the biggest parties in town, no one seems to know him and Nick is his only friend.…

    • 651 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays