Great Gatsby IA Draft

29 September 2013 Gatsby Reflection Rough Draft The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was a literary masterpiece that effortlessly captured the essence of the era in which it was written and the spirit of the man who wrote it. The different interpretations and analyses are endless, and due to Fitzgerald’s extensive editing and revising process, the novel seamlessly blends social and economic themes from the 1920’s. As always, the personal beliefs of a reader give their interpretations of the book certain nuances, but many metaphors that Fitzgerald employed were accurate and culturally relevant. All throughout the book, on important comparison was made between “old” and “new” money within the wealthy community. For instance, Tom and Daisy Buchanan were of “old” money, which, at that time, was considered the most prestigious because it had connotations of high status, high reputation, and little consideration for those outside of their circle. The people of “new” wealth, like Gatsby, however, were not as socially fortunate. Although they were indeed wealthy, they lacked the composure, the security, and the experiences that the “old” money provided. This contributed to how Jay Gatsby was a more relatable character to many readers, because even though he was delusional and obsessive in his pursuit of prestige and of Daisy, he still maintained the memories and demeanor of someone from the lower classes. The bay between the East and West Eggs represented the barrier that actually existed in society between the two factions. Another important cultural realization was that the attitudes of the affluent inhabitants of the Eggs directly mirrored the flippant attitudes with which the moneyed regarded members of the lower economic strata. In the final chapter when Nick was describing the Buchanan’s carelessness towards others, the metaphor he made between them and the well-off captured how, during