The Great Gatsby Essay(Comparing Gatsby, Nick, and the Buchanan)
11/4/12
The Great Gatsby Essay Lavishness, extravagance and indulgence; these words represent the lifestyles of many families living in the 1920’s. They used their status and money to raise their position in society. In the novel The Great Gatsby, different socials statuses are explored through three main families/characters; the Buchanan family, Nick Carraway, and Jay Gatsby. The first house we will explore is the Buchanan household. There are three people in this household; Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, and a baby girl whose name is unclear. Tom is an ex-football player who has “reached an acute level of excellence, everything afterward is an anticlimax” (FitzGerald 6). Personality wise, he is confident, arrogant, and a snob overall. Tom represents what the book calls “old money”. He has always been rich so he has never had to earn his money, and in other words, Tom was born rich. Daisy is the cousin of Nick Carraway. She is quirky, a little naïve, and very vivacious. In contrast however, she can be cynical and act superficially to mask the pain of her husband’s infidelity. The Buchanan’s live in a “Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay” (FitzGerald 6). The fact they live in this home corresponds to their social position because it shows that they are prominent figures in their neighborhood. The second house I will talk about the house of Nick Carraway. Throughout the story, Nick is shown to be an “average Joe”. As a person, he prides himself in being “the most honest person he knows”. Nick Carraway is loyal, dependable, and honest. He lives in the West Egg and is the neighbor of Jay Gatsby. Since he lives in the West Egg, he does not live as luxuriously as the Buchanan’s. His house is described as being “a small eyesore that could be easily overlooked” (FitzGerald 5). I think the fact that he lives so close to Gatsby represents his fascination with the extravagant lifestyles of the rich. It also shows that he has a secret desire to live and be
The Great Gatsby Essay Lavishness, extravagance and indulgence; these words represent the lifestyles of many families living in the 1920’s. They used their status and money to raise their position in society. In the novel The Great Gatsby, different socials statuses are explored through three main families/characters; the Buchanan family, Nick Carraway, and Jay Gatsby. The first house we will explore is the Buchanan household. There are three people in this household; Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, and a baby girl whose name is unclear. Tom is an ex-football player who has “reached an acute level of excellence, everything afterward is an anticlimax” (FitzGerald 6). Personality wise, he is confident, arrogant, and a snob overall. Tom represents what the book calls “old money”. He has always been rich so he has never had to earn his money, and in other words, Tom was born rich. Daisy is the cousin of Nick Carraway. She is quirky, a little naïve, and very vivacious. In contrast however, she can be cynical and act superficially to mask the pain of her husband’s infidelity. The Buchanan’s live in a “Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay” (FitzGerald 6). The fact they live in this home corresponds to their social position because it shows that they are prominent figures in their neighborhood. The second house I will talk about the house of Nick Carraway. Throughout the story, Nick is shown to be an “average Joe”. As a person, he prides himself in being “the most honest person he knows”. Nick Carraway is loyal, dependable, and honest. He lives in the West Egg and is the neighbor of Jay Gatsby. Since he lives in the West Egg, he does not live as luxuriously as the Buchanan’s. His house is described as being “a small eyesore that could be easily overlooked” (FitzGerald 5). I think the fact that he lives so close to Gatsby represents his fascination with the extravagant lifestyles of the rich. It also shows that he has a secret desire to live and be