Stereotypes In The Great Gatsby

The Wealth, Womanhood, and Wedlock of Daisy Buchanan When F. Scott Fitzgerald published his most famous novel, The Great Gatsby, in 1925, he introduced the public to a memorable cast of nuanced characters, each with their own unique lives and deep-rooted biases. This sentiment is especially evident in the character of Daisy Buchanan. Daisy Buchanan is a woman who has always known a life of luxury, exemplifying the status of “old money”, despite the fact that she has never worked herself. This is because, as a woman living in the culture of 1920’s America, Daisy spends her life dependent on the men in her life, whether that be her father, or her very wealthy husband, Tom Buchanan.

In contrast to other classic novels, The Great Gatsby does not feature central characters that are especially unique. Instead, they are stereotypes that serve to fulfill the purpose of the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald. The actions and attributes of these characters represent those of typical Americans from prominent social groups of the 1920s. For example, Tom and Daisy Buchanan represent the rich Americans who inherited their wealth from their blue blood families.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925. The 1920s were known as the Jazz Age and even the Roaring Twenties. The girls of this time wore their hair differently and wore clothes often much shorter than had been seen. They tended to expose their legs and knees which shocked the older generation. The growth of jazz lead to new dances being created which further angered the older generation.

In media, people often find themselves engulfed in stereotypes. In fact, many stories are written about breaking stereotypes or giving a stereotype more depth. In the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many stereotypes are explored as the author attempts to capture a moment in the culture during the Roaring 20s. Fitzgerald uses stereotypes in his novel to create a relatable first-person narrator, and to depict how certain hardships can transcend wealth.

The young Gatsby admired her lifestyle, he felt that “her voice was full of money” (Fitzgerald 120). Gatsby demonstrates his appeal to Daisy, he loves her social position, popularity, and wealth, which he aspires to have. Daisy’s financial strength is something that pushes Gatsby to obtain his own luxurious lifestyle; his determination and success created by Daisy promote his greatness Gatsby’s swift reach to success is an impressive feat, as he climbed the social ladder in a few years. His wealth, which is said to be a product of family inheritance, is a lie uncovered by Tom. It is instead generated from over-the-counter bootlegging of alcohol, along with illegal gambling.

Fitzgerald’s synthesis of Gatsby’s true origins indirectly characterize Gatsby as one who views money as a resource with the utmost power. Fitzgerald goes as far to state that the facade of Jay Gatsby “sprang from his Platonic conception of himself” and that his secrecy was only hidden so that the world would view him differently (76). The use of direct characterization in this quote evinces the true nature of why Gatsby acts so humble as opposed to arrogant, which is displayed in Tom’s character. The fact that the material change Gatsby, or rather Gatz, went through only affected his outward presence as opposed to his true turmoil he feels on the inside that fights his outward expression further develops the idea that even if money has no true power in the world, it will continue to be treated as if it does. Fitzgerald purposely directly characterizes Gatsby to inform the reader that he is not who he is on the inside, while also indirectly characterizes Gatsby’s and his relationship with money.

(Fitzgerald 141). This revelation, made by Tom, demonstrates that Gatsby has participated in illegal activity to gain his riches, further proving that he is not truly great. Becoming rich through these means shows that Gatsby did not work for his wealth, and instead cheated the system. Others may argue that Gatsby’s illegal accumulation of wealth does not disprove the claim of his greatness, since his actions are not harmful to others. While this may seem true, Gatsby’s participation in bootlegging is an unfair way of obtaining his riches, which further degrades the efforts of others who have made money through honorable

Gatsby developed an admiration for Cody while working for him up until Cody's passing. As a result, he committed himself to becoming a prosperous and successful businessman. Gatsby established drug stores where he sold illicit over-the-counter booze during the Prohibition era. After his sudden wealth he bought a mansion in the west egg of New York and held huge, glamorous parties. Across the bay from his mansion was Tom Buchanan’s mansion, this sudden appearance of Gatsby led Tom to suspect him as ”some big bootlegger” (Fitzgerald chapter 6).

Lindsey Klotthor Overlord Whitt STEM English 24 March 2023 The Great Gatsby Literary Criticism The Great Gatsby is an unparalleled story of the 1920s told through the eyes of Nick Carraway. Though the novel is complex and significant, it is important to delve further and understand why it is an influential part of American Literature. To do this, we must look at it from three important viewpoints: in a historical context, through archetypal criticism, and in a moral and philosophical focus.

Sterotypes of the 1920’s VS The Great Gatsby The 1920s were the most influential, yet stereotyped of USA years. The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald was written about the 1920’s. Fitzgerald’s upbringing heavily effects his beliefs, which are reflected in the books contriversal ideas and sterotypes. For example his ideas as shown in the story were women were co-dependant, men were elite, wealthy people could do whatever they want, new money is irresponsible, etc.

A woman’s main goal in life is to find a husband of great wealth and power that can help support their emotional instability. F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays this goal for women based on the plethora of detailed imagery he uses when describing them. Women are constantly seen, and heard, seeking wealth and wishing they had more; otherwise, they are likely shown crying or acting on impulse. Specifically, Fitzgerald's use of lavish imagery in The Great Gatsby when describing Gatsby's shirts, as well as Daisy’s reaction, reinforces Fitzgerald’s sexist stereotypes about women and their fixation on material wealth and status as well as their inability to control their emotions.

This demonstrates how Jay Gatsby never married Daisy but instead married Tom Buchanan, who is old money. Jay Gatsby had to create his wealth, which Daisy never waited for since he did not have that wealth at first. Ultimately showing how Jay Gatsby’s greediness leads to wanting Daisy all to himself. Furthermore, Tom Buchanan's wealth is seen through as old money, he has inherited all his money instead of working for it. Daisy takes a liking to Tom Buchanan for his wealth while Tom Buchanan is shown to cheat on her with Myrtle, “And what’s more, I love Daisy too.

It is unclear how the alcohol was supplied, pushing the idea of Gatsby being a bootlegger"; the suspicion of his occupation also stemmed from the fact that he has never clarified how he came into such wealth so quickly and young. Tom Buchanan has always been suspicious of Gatsby's occupation but makes several accusations of his suspicions throughout the book. "He and Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. I picked him up as a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I was not far from wrong". Tom's accusation was correct of Gatsby being a bootlegger.

Caroline Chaney Mrs. Metz ENG III 3 April 2023 Prejudice in The Great Gatsby No one is a stranger to prejudice. A magnitude of prejudices can change the way people are supposed to solve commutative problems, especially when the urgent conflict involves minorities. The way in which prejudice can be used to wrongly justify or give reason to do something harmful is presented throughout this novel. The Great Gatsby has a number of characters from different backgrounds that come together to try to solve multiple conflicts.

Towards the novel's end, Tom exposes Gatsby for having, "'...bought up a lot of side-street drugstores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That [being] one of his little stunts….picked him for a bootlegger the first time [seeing] him….'" (Fitzgerald 103). This passage is important because it showcases a way that Gatsby earned money in an unfaithful way. Breaking the law and lying about how he achieved this money with no remorse is morally corrupt.