This document is an in depth summary of The Great Gatsby. Direct quotes are taken from the novel and are analysed. The quotes are coloured coded to each person and relate to specific characters in the novel. Moreover, the notes are divided into chapters and quotes have specific page numbers making ...
THE GREAT GATSBY
(BOOK)
F Scott Fitzgerald
BACKGROUND
Roaring 20s is the time that the story takes place. This is after a pandemic
lockdown. Everyone is fixated on having a good time and that includes the use
of alcohol and drugs while attending parties. Roaring 20s is one of the
economic factors that caused the Great Depression.
THEMES
1. The Decline of the American Dream in the 1920s
The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a
whole, in particular the disintegration of the American dream in an era
of unprecedented prosperity and material excess.
Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s as an era of decayed social and moral
values, evidenced in its overarching cynicism, greed, and empty pursuit
of pleasure. The reckless jubilance that led to decadent parties and wild
jazz music—epitomized in The Great Gatsby by the opulent parties that
Gatsby throws every Saturday night—resulted ultimately in the
corruption of the American dream, as the unrestrained desire for money
and pleasure surpassed more noble goals.
The American Dream is a lie and empty promise and everyone is primary
motivation is agreed and everyone is fixated on money. The comparison
of old money to new money. Old money is more accepted in the society
at the time whereas new money is frowned open because no one likes
the stigma that comes with working hard.
2. Colour Symbolism
used various colors to make this literary work extremely visual.
GREEN
Green has been mentioned nearly 18 times in the novel. Traditionally,
green is associated with wealth, growth, Spring etc. It is also used to
convey envy. Gatsby is thus shown to be an envious character as he is
jealous of the fact that Daisy belongs to another man (Tom). Green is
also used to represents the power of money which Gatsby has plenty of.
Until the end Gatsby is hopeful that he can win Daisy with this power of
Money. Another area depicting Green color symbolism in The Great
Gatsbyis the green car which is called the “death car’. Michaelis
,Shira Woolf 2021- The Great Gatsby
describes the car that kills Myrtle as light green, though it’s yellow. The
witness of the tragic accident towards the end of the novel is actually
not even sure whether the ‘death car is indeed green or yellow in color’
–so experts believe this to be representative of the fact that only money
brings death.
the greatest and most important representation of Green color in The
Great Gatsby is the green light mentioned at the end of the novel which
is used to depict that Gatsby remains a dreamer throughout
WHITE
white (used 49 times) to show fairness and innocence of her character.
In fact, Fitzgerald has used white color symbolism very effectively to
portray Daisy character. Experts who have studied the novel in depth
often use the example of an egg (which is white on the outside but
yellow inside to show Daisy) to explain this character. She seems pure
and innocent outside but inside she is yellow and corrupt- just like an
egg. White is also vital to the novel as it has been used for portraying
beauty, cleanliness, wealth, innocence, purity and also laziness and
virginity.
CHARACTERS
NICK CARAWAY
• Pities himself as he has to hear other people’s stories
• He is neither old money nor new money (during that time people felt a
scorn towards new money)
• He likes Gatsby even though everything he represents Nick actually
hates.( this shows nick hates himself)
• Nick thinks that Gatsby’s is unique. ‘I have never found in any other
person and which is not likely I will ever find again’. He uses that tone to
describe Gatsby throughout the novel
• His great uncle was an American dream. This means that he turned hard
work money through a business he has made. This has allowed nick to
go to Yale to study. He is old money as he is benefiting from this but he
tells a story that he depends from a Duke. He is also new money because
he has to work on the stock market. He does not admit this as he wants
to be accepted in a society that still hold a prejudice against hard
workers.
, Shira Woolf 2021- The Great Gatsby
• He is a follower
• Lives in West Egg
• He suits his own agenda. He changes his personality depending on who
he is with.
• Less caring than he likes to lead on whereas Jordan Baker is more caring
than she leads on
JAY GATSBY (JAMES GATZ)
• He is a very wealthy man.
• Lives in West egg
• Views women as dumb irritants who are unable to make their own
decisions
DAISY BUCHANAN
• She laughed an ‘absurd, charming little laugh’. This shows how she has
no meaning in what she actually finds amusing.
• The author has made Daisy in body meant of the empty promises of the
American dream. She is very valuable and people want to ‘achieve’ her
just how the American dream-ers want to achieve money and status but
in actual fact she is a lie and not worth it.
TOM BUCHANAN
• He comes from a family of Aristocats. This means he comes from old
money
• He peaked early and pursued sports for the image not for the love of it
• Not perfect at all: dominant, harsh, abusive towards his mistress and
superior
CHAPTER ONE
Quotes Speaker PG Analysis Relation
Num
‘In consequence I’m Nick 1 This shows the high standard nick is Nick’s
enclosed to reserve Carraway setting for him self. He is saying that personality
all judgments’ he is naturally inclined to decline all
forms of judgement. Next sentence
is very ironic as he does indeed
judge people. ‘Abnormal minds’ is
what he calls other people. When
you pertain to this personality trait
you do not see the fault in yourself.
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