This Side of Paradise and The Great Gatsby Essay - 1960 Words

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writings largely focus on the American aristocracy during the 1920s. The ‘20s became alternatively known as â€Å"the Jazz Age,† a term coined by Fitzgerald with connotations encompassing the prosperity, frivolity, and decadence of the upper class. The atmosphere and mindset of lavish excess are preserved in the plots and characters of Fitzgerald’s writings. Although Fitzgerald’s protagonists are wealthy, there is a noticeable distinction between those who come from â€Å"old money† and those who are considered â€Å"new money†. Amory Blaine, of This Side of Paradise, and Jay Gatsby, of The Great Gatsby, exemplify this difference. Fitzgerald’s novels explore the opulent lifestyle of the upper class, and the†¦show more content†¦With striking similarity in both appearance and personality, it seems that Amory has â€Å"inherited from his mother every trait, except the stray inexpressible few, that made him worthwhile† (3). Fitzgerald is pointing out the meaningless of the trappings of the upper class. Although Amory and Beatrice are rich and beautiful, these traits do not make them worthwhile. It is the characteristics that Amory develops on his own, without Beatrice’s influence, that redeem him. Gatsby, on the other hand, develops into the person he is by recognizing the kind of person he does not want to be- a bourgeois, like his parents. He rejects them as â€Å"shiftless and unsuccessful farm people† (The Great Gatsby 104) and yearns to move up from the middle class he is born into. After seeing millionaire Dan Cody’s yacht, Gatsby strive to achieve â€Å"all the beauty and glamour in the world† (106) that the yacht represents to him. Gatsby’s desire to attain the wealth and glamour of the upper class leads him to create the personage Jay Gatsby, his Platonic conception of himself. He goes about transforming himself methodically, practicing things such as â€Å"elocution, poise, and how to attain it† (GG 181) and learning from Dan Cody until â€Å"the vague contour of Jay Gatsby had filled out to the substantiality of a man† (107). As an outsider, Gatsby’s perception of the upper class is romanticized andShow MoreRelatedTh e American Dream in The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise1382 Words   |  6 PagesArmy. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote mostly short stories but became famous because of his novel This Side of Paradise and became even more famous because of The Great Gatsby which was released in 1925. The time period in which Fitzgerald lived played an extensive role in his work. Fitzgerald is one of the all time greatest American authors solely of the fact that his works displayed â€Å"The American Dream.† This brings up an excellent question: What was or what is â€Å"The American Dream†? The American DreamRead MoreThe Pursuit Of The American Dream By F. Scott Fitzgerald1653 Words   |  7 PagesKristin Liu Research Paper Date due: June 10, 2015 Date turned in: June 15, 2015 Self Demise in the Pursuit of the American Dream The 1920s was a time when parties and prosperity were abundant. This created the view that everything was possible and eventually led to the idea of the American Dream. The American Dream was the thought that if one lives in America, then they are living in a land of opportunity. The perception was that an individual, through hard work, can be successful when in AmericaRead MoreThe Roaring Twenties By F. Scott Fitzgerald1263 Words   |  6 Pagesmedia and events surrounding this time period greatly impacted the carefree, extravagant lifestyle. This era was one of the most dramatic and energetic times in American history. To many, the symbols of the roaring Twenties were F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, due to their tales of the young and the wealthy (Hanson 96). 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Fitzgerald demonstrates his unique voiceRead More Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald and His Work Essay735 Words   |  3 PagesWork      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By the time F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby in 1925, he had already amassed an impressive literary resume. From his first commercial publication of the short story, Babes in the Woods at age 23 to The Sensible Thing at age 28, Fitzgerald published fourteen short stories, one play, two collections of short stories, and two novels. His first novel, This Side of Paradise, made Fitzgerald a celebrity. The second, The Beautiful and theRead MoreThe Life and Times of a Philosopher of Flappers Essay696 Words   |  3 PagesThe Roaring Twenties was a time renowned for partying, drinking, and a time without war. F. Scott Fitzgerald is just one of the many writers during this time to write about such times. Fitzgerald, however, is an author that defined this era also known as the Jazz Age. 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This quote symbolizes the simple fact that the American Dream is impossible for someone to ever attain because people are to busy dreaming about what others have, that they fail to recognize what they themselves already have attained. The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald has had an unprecedented impact on America. His novels contain recurring themes that establish the facets of modern American society with which he avidly disagrees. His characters Jay Gatsby and Armory Blaine