Personal Values Of The Great Gatsby
Through the decades, the personal values of a person have been influenced by the time. Whether that person is 8 or 38, they are influenced by their surroundings dramatically. In the 1920’s, money and status were two things that influenced what one did. The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set in the 1920’s, during a time of prohibition. Many of Fitzgerald’s character are rebellious of the prohibition and they can get around the law a bit easier because they have money. The theme of the novel is revealed through the characters and their actions.
Some people saw the chance to get rich by selling alcohol, but because alcohol was illegal it was a big risk. One of Fitzgerald’s characters, Tom Buchanan stated “I found out what your ‘drug stores’ were. ... He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts.”(141). In this quote, Tom says that Jay Gatsby had a partner. Through reading the novel one finds out that his partner was jailed for selling alcohol, but Gatsby was not. This unveiled a new side of Gatsby to the reader. As of before, he was the love struck soldier that was heading for war, then this mysterious neighbor who throws parties almost everyday. But just because he was new money does not mean that he was not influenced by others of an elite status. …show more content…
In the 1920s you were a somebody if you had a lot of money, especial old money. One of Fitzgerald’s characters, Nick Carraway, grew up with old money but his father gave him this bit of advice. “___Never judge a man.... Remember not everyone has had the advantages you had growing up.____” (0). In telling his son, “ not everyone has had the advantages you have had”, he is reminding him to always stay humble, and as the story progresses Nick
Some people saw the chance to get rich by selling alcohol, but because alcohol was illegal it was a big risk. One of Fitzgerald’s characters, Tom Buchanan stated “I found out what your ‘drug stores’ were. ... He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts.”(141). In this quote, Tom says that Jay Gatsby had a partner. Through reading the novel one finds out that his partner was jailed for selling alcohol, but Gatsby was not. This unveiled a new side of Gatsby to the reader. As of before, he was the love struck soldier that was heading for war, then this mysterious neighbor who throws parties almost everyday. But just because he was new money does not mean that he was not influenced by others of an elite status. …show more content…
In the 1920s you were a somebody if you had a lot of money, especial old money. One of Fitzgerald’s characters, Nick Carraway, grew up with old money but his father gave him this bit of advice. “___Never judge a man.... Remember not everyone has had the advantages you had growing up.____” (0). In telling his son, “ not everyone has had the advantages you have had”, he is reminding him to always stay humble, and as the story progresses Nick