Selfish People

The novel The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald had alot of very meaningful life lessons and gave us an example of what not to be like. The novel has themes such as jealous, greed, and unrequited love. Another theme of the novel is Selfish people. Each character does certain things to help themselves succeed. They are willing to do anything to get ahead and be the best of the best.

One of the first character we seeing doing selfish things is Tom Buchanan. Tom has an affair with a lower class woman, Myrtle Wilson while he is happily married to his wife, Daisy. Tom has a beautiful family, a loving wife, and a happy marriage, but he decides to go for a lower class woman for his own selfish reasons. Daisy, also has some selfish traits as well. Throught the novel the real reason she marries Tom unravels. She only married Tom for his money, even though she was still in love with Jay. But Jay did not have the money to support her, so she married Tom. Another character that displays selfish character is Myrtle Wilson. Mrytle like Tom also has a loving spouse. Her husband realizes that she is unhappy with their living conditions and tries his best to provide for her. He knows she wants to live the lavish lifestyle and be showered with gifts, but as much as he would like to do that, he can't. To get what she wants, Myrtle decideds to have an affair with a rich man, Tom Buchanan so he can satisfy her wants. These characters portray selfish traits throughout the novel and are perfect examples of what we should not act like.

Gangsters

1n the 1920's, gangsters weren't people involved in gangs and shootings. People were considered to be gangsters if they went against Prohibition and bought alcohol to consume. Jay Gatsby was involved in this in the book. He is therefore considered a gangster. This is ironic, however, because he doesnt seem like a typical gangster. He is well put together and has a good image. Many wealthy people were involved in this because they could afford the crazy prices of alcohol.

"Jay Gatsby effectively overturned the dated assumption that gangsters were lowlifes from the Bowery and replaced it with an upscale figure who was enviably wealthy and fashionably stylish. Significantly, this portrayal was an outgrowth of actual changes in existing criminal conditions. Fitzgerald understood better than Asbury that since the advent of Prohibition, gangsters were, in fact, on the rise; not only were they gaining more wealth and power, but they were presuming to status and respectability as well. If Fitzgerald's Gatsby was solidly grounded in these historical developments, he too came perilously close to being an implausible gangster and a distortion of fact. Though readers still find Gatsby too romantic, too idealistic, and too naive to be a criminal success, Fitzgerald counteracted this impression by cloaking his gangster in mystery, then frustrating Nick's efforts to penetrate it, and finally suggesting that Gatsby, like Asbury's dandy, may be more dangerous than Nick realizes. If this elusive figure involved a significant modification of the actual gangsters on which Fitzgerald was drawing, he was not the specious fabrication that Asbury was decrying. To characterize Gatsby as a "dandy" might seem inappropriate since clothing is rather incidental to his depiction. This quality is communicated to Nick more by his other possessions than by his white suit, silver shirt, and gold tie-his palatial house, his grand parties, his fancy automobile, his hydroplane, and his library of real books. His flourish of expensive shirts late in the novel merely embellishes this image. This Gatsby is an ideal consumer in his expenditure of so much on the nonessential. He is a dandy who buys expensive merchandise to take on its desirability and to convince Daisy of his worthiness. These traits confirm the potency of a consumer culture and illuminate the social instability generated by the age's myriad products and aggressive advertising. The new credit economy of the 1920s accelerated social mobility and empowered a new ethos whereby merchandise rivaled background, profession, and merit as a determinant of status." (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-14769861.html)

Unrequited Love

Unrequited love is defined as love that in not reciprocated or returned. Each couple in the novel expresses unrequited love in almost every situation they are in. Each relationship is not stable. There are affairs involved, and unfaithfulness as well. For example, there's Daisy and Tom Buchanan, a happliy married couple, from what we see. But, underneath their smiles they are both hiding something from eachother. Tom has a mistress in New York, Myrtle Wilson. Mrs. Wilson is also married, but they both love to continue their affair. Myrtle is only with Tom, because of his wealth. So, they are not actually in love, but rather in it for selfish purposes.

Daisy, Tom's wife is also very flirtatious. She is constantly flirting with Jay Gatsby, her former lover. And although Gatsby is madly in love with her, she does nto love him back. she is in love with her husband Tom. Daisy first rejected Tom because he was not weathly enough to support her. When Tom assumes that they are having an affair he casues great conflict, and Jay convinces Daisy that their love is real. Eventually Daisy picks Tom, because she is madly in love with him, and has been. Each relationship explained is very disfunctional and each person loves someone who is already in a relationship. Which is why the married couples realtionship is unrequited.

source: The Great Gatsby

Old vs. New Money

"F. Scott Fitzgerald uses his novel The Great Gatsby as a way to compare old and new money and to illustrate the lack of morals in those with old money. The main character, Jay Gatsby, representing Fitzgerald's personification of new money, makes his living selling alcohol illegally. He earns his money quickly and is now showing it off with fabulous parties in his oversized mansion in West Egg. Another character, Tom Buchanan, represents old money being the "scion of those ruthless generations who raised up the great American fortunes." Both act out their dreams. Gatsby's is to get Daisy while Tom's is to completely possess Daisy as well as to appear as a well-rounded intellectual. Tom and others in his class inherited their money and live elegantly in East Egg."(http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2004/5/15/141559/670)

This shows how old money makes people used to it. It's not out of the ordinary and its a comfortable place to be. Tom isnt completely "happy" however, he feels he must also commit adultery to satisfy himself. That is, until Myrtle gets killed. Gatsby is new to money and he wants to show it off. This also makes people suspicious on how he got his money so fast. He too is not completely satisfied with his life. This is where Daisy comes in. She seems to make both sides happy in different ways. Tom loves Daisy but feels he needs Myrtle too and Gatsby wants Daisy all for himself. It seems that no matter which side you come from, you're always wanting more.

The Men of Gatsby

The Great Gatsby has 3 main male leads in the story. Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Tom Buchanan. Each character has a different personality, and contributes to the storys plot in many ways.

The first character introduced is Nick Carraway. Nick Carraway moved from Minnesota to New York in the beginning of the novel. Nick moved next door to the infamous, James Gatsby. He becomes very close to Mr. Gatsby. Nick is also often associated with his cousin, Daisy Buchanan. They never used to be that close, but after they started spending more time together, they grew closer. Nick was the one to bring together Daisy and Gatsby after a long 5 years without being reaquianted. Nick did this in hopes of becoming lcoser with one of Daisy's friends, Jordan Baker.Nick is also the narrator for The Great Gatsby.

The next character mentioned it Jay Gatsby, formally known as James Gatz. James Gatsby is very well known in the city of West Egg for his outrageous parties. Gatsby very rarely attends his parties, for he is not onr to be very social. Gatsby is a very fortunate man, who attains his money from his chain of drug stores. Gatsby went to college at Oxford, he attended Oxford for a mere 5 months. Gatsby is also madly in love with Daisy Buchanan. Daisy and Jay had a relationship about 5 years prior to her meeting her current husband Tom. Daisy left Jay because at the time he was not wealty enoug for her. Thsi rejection inspired Gatsby to work hard and earn alot more money. Gastby is quite delusional because he believes that although Daisy is happily married to Tom, that he still has a chance with her.

The next character is Tom Buchanan, Daisy's husband. Tom is very fortunate in that he has alot of money. Tom is not very respectful of Daisy, he is not loyal to her, and has an affair with a lower class woman, Myrtle. Tom is also very hypocrytical, when he believes Gatsby and Daisy are havign an affair he is outraged, even though in actuallity he is the one having an affair. Although Tom and Daisy do not have a stable relationahip, they are in love.

The Green Light

The Green Light is mentioned a few times in The Great Gatsby but it symbolizes many things. Gatsby enjoys going outside at night and watching the green light that belongs to the home of Daisy and Tom Buchanan. This green light symbolizes the jealousy that Gatsby feels towards Tom. Tom was able to marry Daisy while Gatsby wasnt liked by her parents. Green is a color of envy and jealousy. The fact that the light was green further emphasizes how Gatsby wishes he was living at that house with Daisy as his wife.


This green light also is symbolized for Daisy herself. For five years, Jay Gatsby waited for Daisy to come to one of his parties and this never happened. Seeing the light on from across the bay helped Gatsby know she was still there and there was still hope they would meet once again. Once they reunite, the importance of the green light looses its original wonder. Gatsby had used this light to show mystery and how he didnt know what would happen between him and Daisy.

Dan Cody

We are first introduced to Dan Cody in chapter 6 of The Great Gatsby. Dan Cody is described as a "gay, florid man with a hard, empty face." pg. 100. Jay Gatsby, formally known as James Gatz, first met Cody on a yacht dock on Lake Superior. Gatz admired Cody the first day he had met him. Dan Cody was a very wealthy man, he made his millions through the transactions in copper. He made most of his money through metal trades and productions. Dan was very well admired by the women of the city, they mostly tried to separate him from his money and take advantage of his wealth.

Jay Gatsby admired Cody and thought of him as a member of his family, since he had none of his
own. Jay was like Dan Cody's assistant, and followed his every move. When Jay first saw his yacht he thought it "represented all the beauty and glamour in the world." pg. 100. Dan Cody was the person that inspired Gatsby to become wealth. After Cody's death, Gatsby inherited over 25,000 dollars from him. He however was never able to access the money because of Cody's mistress, Ella Kaye. He was left with his knowledge of Cody and how he would approach a situtaion. Gatsby has a portait of Dan Cody in his bedroom to honor him and the work he has done for him.