F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay -- English Literature Ame

The Great Gatsby The main theme of the novel â€Å"The Great Gatsby† focuses on the American Dream and it is portrayed through the life of Jay Gatsby. Through Gatsby’s life we see the withering of the American Dream, a tragedy that struck Jay’s near finished dream. The American Dream is what many have hoped of achieving, it has existed in the past and is in the present. The American Dream gives people a goal that they can work towards, it also gives them a purpose in life. The American Dream represents luxury and wealth it believes the goodness of the quality of life. For Jay Gatsby, he was so close to achieving the American Dream. He had the wealth and the class, all he needed was his long lost love, Daisy. Gatsby truly believed that he could once again be together with Daisy we see this when he says "Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. "Why of course you can" (P. 116). However what made the story such a tragedy was that Gatsby came so close to wining Daisy however h e was killed by Mr. Wilson which he was just inches away from successfully completing the American Dream. In the past, only a small amount of the American Dream turned out to be successful, most have failed. Many people who did not achieve the American Dream ended up committing suicide or other means of giving up on life because they believe there was no other purpose in life. Gatsby represent the American Dream in many ways, in order to accomplish his Dream he knew exactly what he desired, when Jay met Dan Cody at the shore of Lake Superior, Dan shown him a vision of success a vision of what wealth would offer, the excitement of being rich. Jay Gatsby has an ambitious nature, there for he would do anything just to live the American Dream. He started by building a past, he changed his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby in an attempt to construct a foundation for his dream. He then composed an image for Jay Gatsby, a well gentleman who was born in the west, educated at oxford and fought in World War I. Gatsby was then able to attain a great deal of money working with Meyer Wolfsheim. He then bought a huge mansion in the â€Å"West Egg†, however he would throw extravagant parties in hoping of attracting his long lost love Daisy, the one who he had an affair with before he went to the war. Nick describes Gatsby’s feelings about Daisy: "He hadn't once ceased looking at Daisy and I think t... ...d him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night" (P. 167) He believed that god would justify his actions since god is watching through the eyes of Dr. Eckleberg. So he shot Jay Gatsby whom he thought Myrtle was having an affair with, then he shot himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All things said, I think the hope of the American Dream is more than hard to achieve. Not everyone can find that perfect soul mate and not everyone can stay wealthy for a long period. Especially during this revolutionary century, money is easily earned but also easily lost. I think for many people the American Dream is a purpose for life, a difficult goal for ambitious people like Gatsby to reach. Personally, I do not believe this, I believe that we should live a mediocre life, so that our whole life is even. Unlike how some people work three quarters of their life to enjoy that one quarter life of the American Dream. In the end you will lose all your friends and perhaps even your life if you don’t succeed. To me the moral of the book meant enjoy your life while it lasts, you only have so much time to enjoy it.

What is the narrators and others attitude to `jazz?` How is that attitude modified in the course of the study?

The narrator's attitude toward jazz is one of ambivalence, but the attentive reader will understand that it is a form of wilful ambivalence in that the narrator has seemingly made a quiet but definite break with anything that might be considered â€Å"pop† culture and more specifically, black culture or African American culture. The theme of music is a very important theme in the story because it, loosely, represents the human soul.Sonny, the musician and drug-addict, eventually expresses a deep and personal odyssey through the idiom of jazz and the narrator, during the story's climax is able to embrace this â€Å"new† form of expression, and in doing so, embraces not only the aspects of suffering which his brother painfully reminded him of and from which he tried to hide, but to these same aspects of wounding and â€Å"blues† which exist in the narrator himself.The parallel between the story's theme and the central symbol of music that shapes the story is that t he narrator's awareness that the same racial and cultural aspects of American society that have contributed to Sonny's blues have also inspired, within himself, a blues. This realization becomes clear subtly over the course of the story the same way that a musical theme develops over the course of a song, especially an improvised (or partially improvised) song. The closing lines of the story state the story's theme in nearly explicit terms: Sonny's fingers filled the air with life, his life.But that life contained so many others[†¦ ] beautiful because it wasn't hurried and it was no longer a lament† (Sonny's Blues). By embracing jazz, the narrator embraces his brother's soul and his own heritage and finds not only a blues but a repressed joy as well. 2. What role do social mobility and class play in the struggle between the narrator and Sonny? A key role due primarily to the narrator, who teaches math, viewing himself as â€Å"normal† as well-adjusted while all the while experiencing and inner-turmoil of how to relate to his troublesome brother. Social mobility plays the central role of irony in the story.it is a relatively simple premise: that the character who has embraced â€Å"normal† society views the character who has not as â€Å"fringe† as â€Å"affected† and as a troublemaker, but in actuality, it is the â€Å"normal† character who has become troubled and affected. The entire ironic premise of the story is predicated on the idea that the narrator may be an â€Å"Uncle Tom† whereas his brother, Sonny, is an outsider, but it is actually the case that the narrator is not an Uncle Tom, but is simply pursuing his soul just as his brother is not an outsider, by design, but an outsider because he is a true artist.3. What in the family's history act as an ominous prophesy in the futures of the characters? The narrator's father failed to protect his own brother from dying. Because of this, the narrator's mot her instills within the narrator a deep sense of obligation to his younger brother. The idea is that the narrator, even at his most estranged from Sonny, still feels an obligation to him, and to his mother due to the events of his father's past.In this way, the story shows how family history adn oral history can play as large a role in the culturization of African Americans as the so-called establishment. In the long run, the narrator's ties to the establishment give out long before his sense of obligation to his family. 4. How does Harlem-its streets, its people-act as background for this story? Harlem is a microcosm of African American culture and it is portrayed positively in the story although this positivism may not be obvious to some readers on their first reading of the story.The use of the Harlem setting as a counterpoint â€Å"white† society is way of showing the reader that the same divisions between one type of culture and the other exist within the narrator himsel f; that is his crisis. By setting the story in Harlem, it is tantamount to setting the narrator in a direct confrontation with his own culture, a culture which he seemingly does not value or truly understand and one which is in many ways set against the culture he tries to be a part of on a daily basis. 5. The climax of this story involves music and listening to music.How well does Baldwin convey in words what is essentially an aural and non-intellectual experience? Baldwin succeeds with great ability because of his method of venturing into an internal monologue during the climax. By using this technique, he allows the reader to follow thought by thought with the narrator's developing understanding of his brother's â€Å"soul† as it speaks to him through the music. Consequently, the reader reaches the fruition of that understanding and that moment of connection at the same time as the narrator, so the harmony of realization is, in itself, like music.6. In the Bible, Cain asks the Lord, `Am I my brothers keeper? ` How does this story imply an answer? â€Å"Sonny's Blues† makes an ironic turn on this Biblical phrase. In other words, though the narrator believes that he must function as Sonny's â€Å"keeper† because Sonny is troubled and also because of his mother's geas, in actuality, the narrator is no less troubled than Sonny and, in fact, may be less gifted and therefore more prone to losing his own self-identity.Both Sonny's drug and legal problems and the narrator's identity crises present real-world and profound obstacles which have arisen at least partially due to cultural factors of race and social standing. In the final analysis, the story demonstrates that each person is each person's â€Å"keeper† on an equal footing although sometimes immediate circumstances and prejudices allow one person to put himself â€Å"above† another in relation to altruism or helping out one's â€Å"brother. â€Å"

Analysis Of Martin Luther King s I Have A Dream

On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King was joined with 250,000 people for his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech in Washington. It was one of the greatest assembling of people in human history and Dr. King executed it perfectly. With only words in his hands, he convinced all of angry African-Americans to think critically. It is like he had a superpower to convince anyone with only his words. Even if it was someone who disagreed with him, he always managed to find a common ground and that was sometimes our human emotions. Something that always separated us from other creatures on this planet. By using pathos, Martin Luther King could appealing to people’s emotions and convince anyone to his way of thought. In his speech, he did this by first making them furious about how the government did not follow through with their promise. Then, he showed affection to the crowd by speaking about his cherish for his people. Finally, he convinced people to show affection to others with how t heir unifying will unify their future with and their children. In the end it his method worked like a charm and he accomplished his goal for the good. In the beginning of his speech, Martin Luther King was rather supporting the crowd’s anger by pointing out the wrong doings of the government. He approached it this way because he knew that they would not listen to him if he were to start with how their potential actions are not ethical. He knew he couldn’t beat them, so he joined them. Dr. King said, â€Å"But oneShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Martin Luther King ´s Speech: I Have a Dream1309 Words   |  6 Pagesthe late 1950’s through the 1960’s, however; Tricia Andryszewski informs her readers that Black Americans had been working for change since before the civil war, but mainly beyond. Some of the most prominent civil rights leaders include Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Philip Randolph, and Bayard Rustin. The two main goals of the civil rights activists being, equal rights and treatment for all races. As a result, the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech was written by Martin Luther K ing, Jr., a manRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s I Have A Dream 900 Words   |  4 Pages The title of Martin Luther King’s speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† begins by portraying the voiced hope for the oppressed black community who has lived under oppression. In the first sentence of King’s speech â€Å"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends,† he speaks to the people in a tone of encouragement, to not drown and lose faith, and by calling them â€Å"my friends†. King opens the speech stating a close relationship between him and the thousands of people whom he spoke inRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s I Have A Dream 903 Words   |  4 PagesI Have a Dream: Pathos On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his speech at the Lincoln Memorial, which included a minimum of 20,000 people that gathered after the march of Washington. In his â€Å"I Have A Dream† speech, Martin Luther king utilizes pathos to build a relationship with his black and white audience. His references to black and white children and allusions to times of slavery which appealed to both parents and older generation. The use of pathos in his speech assisted Dr. KingsRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s I Have A Dream Speech Essay1756 Words   |  8 PagesA Primitive Action In Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream Speech, he states â€Å"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character†, this appeal to the emotions that judging based on a person’s race is wrong. For this reason altering affirmative action in higher education admission will be discussed since it creates a perpetual racial preference in admission. Affirmative action is controversial due to its issue of whether today’s generationRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. And King s I Have A Dream Speeches1335 Words   |  6 PagesIndividuals that could be described as icons in their respective countries have delivered speeches meant to change their thinking pattern and inspire change. In the course of doing this, these icons have employed rhetoric devices and figurative language unbeknown to some of their listeners. Tommy Douglas and Martin Luther King Jr. did these to much effect. The general idea is that application of rhetoric devices always serves a purpose. Some may argue that application of more rhetoric devices orRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s I Have A Dream 1132 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. was the man who wrote the speech entitled â€Å"I have a dream† and presented it to nearly 250,000 people on August 23, 1963. In that speech, MLK Jr. used several different types of figurative language/rhetorical devices in order to convey his message to the people on a deeper level. These devices include personification, allusion, symbolism, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, and anaphora. Personification is a form of figurative language in which something has nonhuman human qualitiesRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s I Have A Dream Speech1480 Words   |  6 PagesRights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr s I Have A Dream speech was broadcasted across the nation and heard by millions of Americans on August 28, 1963. Throughout the decades, many have promoted the importance of racial equality in America. Leaders such as William J. Clinton, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush have contributed to modern social movements by, doing as Dr. King himself, giving speeches to varying audiences concerning the issue of racial inequality. Above all, Martin Luther King Jr made theRead MoreAnalysis of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s I Have A Dream Speech619 Words   |  3 Pages28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most famous speeches of all time to an audience of more than 200,000 civil rights supporters on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In his, â€Å"I have a dream† speech, King addressed his encouragement of white and black people working together to achieve racial peace and harmony. He especially wanted to teach the young blacks that equality could be gained through the use of non-violence. The main reason King used nonviolenceRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. s I Have A Dream 1448 Words   |  6 Pagesmore influential words have been spoken than those uttered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s, â€Å"I have a dream,† speech. Perhaps one of the most famous and paradigm shifting speeches in all of history, Dr. King’s was spoken with candor, authenticity, fervor, and an enormous amount of tact. With his incredible intelligence and eloquence as a doctorate in Theological Studies, his establishment as such a respected leader, and his fervor and charisma in delivering the speech, Dr. King effectively establishedRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s I Have A Dream Speech915 Words   |  4 Pages Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his I Have a Dream speech to the thousands of African Americans who had marched on Washington, D.C. at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The date of the speech was August 28, 1963, but it is one that will live for generations. Of course his purpose was to convince his audience on several fronts: he sought to persuade the black community to stand up for the rights afforded them under the Constitution, and he also sought to Analysis Of Martin Luther King s I Have A Dream I Have a Dream: Pathos On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his speech at the Lincoln Memorial, which included a minimum of 20,000 people that gathered after the march of Washington. In his â€Å"I Have A Dream† speech, Martin Luther king utilizes pathos to build a relationship with his black and white audience. His references to black and white children and allusions to times of slavery which appealed to both parents and older generation. The use of pathos in his speech assisted Dr. Kings influencing in his audience by appealing to their emotions, fears, feelings, and desires. During his speech, in the first statement Martin Luther king says â€Å"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation† In this statement he said what he was there to do. His main point was to speak out for freedom. His feelings are quite joyful as explained in the quotation. At the rally in Washington D.C his main goal was to let the world know what was still being done to African Americans was in just. He wanted to get as many people as possible to agree with him through powerful means of persuasion. In his speech when he says â€Å"One hundred years later, the Negros is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land†. This statement shows sympathy to Negros who have experienced racial inequality. Not only does that phrase show his empathy to Negros and their unfairShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Martin Luther King ´s Speech: I Have a Dream1309 Words   |  6 Pagesthe late 1950’s through the 1960’s, however; Tricia Andryszewski informs her readers that Black Americans had been working for change since before the civil war, but mainly beyond. Some of the most prominent civil rights leaders include Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Philip Randolph, and Bayard Rustin. The two main goals of the civil rights activists being, equal rights and treatment for all races. As a result, the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech was written by Martin Luther King, Jr., a manRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s I Have A Dream 900 Words   |  4 Pages The title of Martin Luther King’s speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† begins by portraying the voiced hope for the oppressed black community who has lived under oppression. In the first sentence of King’s speech â€Å"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends,† he speaks to the people in a tone of encouragement, to not drown and lose faith, and by calling them â€Å"my friends†. King opens the speech stating a close relationship between him and the thousands of people whom he spoke inRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s I Have A Dream 1241 Words   |  5 PagesOn August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King was joined with 250,000 people for his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech in Washington. It was one of the greatest assembling of people in human history and Dr. King executed it perfectly. With only words in his hands, he convinced all of angry African-Americans to think critically. It is like he had a superpower to conv ince anyone with only his words. Even if it was someone who disagreed with him, he always managed to find a common ground and that was sometimes our humanRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s I Have A Dream Speech Essay1756 Words   |  8 PagesA Primitive Action In Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream Speech, he states â€Å"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character†, this appeal to the emotions that judging based on a person’s race is wrong. For this reason altering affirmative action in higher education admission will be discussed since it creates a perpetual racial preference in admission. Affirmative action is controversial due to its issue of whether today’s generationRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. And King s I Have A Dream Speeches1335 Words   |  6 PagesIndividuals that could be described as icons in their respective countries have delivered speeches meant to change their thinking pattern and inspire change. In the course of doing this, these icons have employed rhetoric devices and figurative language unbeknown to some of their listeners. Tommy Douglas and Martin Luther King Jr. did these to much effect. The general idea is that application of rhetoric devices always serves a purpose. Some may argue that application of more rhetoric devices orRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s I Have A Dream 1132 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. was the man who wrote the speech entitled â€Å"I have a dream† and presented it to nearly 250,000 people on August 23, 1963. In that speech, MLK Jr. used several different types of figurative language/rhetorical devices in order to convey his message to the people on a deeper level. These devices include personification, allusion, symbolism, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, and anaphora. Personification is a form of figurative language in which something has nonhuman human qualitiesRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s I Have A Dream Speech1480 Words   |  6 PagesRights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr s I Have A Dream speech was broadcasted across the nation and heard by millions of Americans on August 28, 1963. Throughout the decades, many have promoted the importance of racial equality in America. Leaders such as William J. Clinton, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush have contributed to modern social movements by, doing as Dr. King himself, giving speeches to varying audiences concerning the issue of racial inequality. Above all, Martin Luther King Jr made theRead MoreAnalysis of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s I Have A Dream Speech619 Words   |  3 Pages28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most famous speeches of all time to an audience of more than 200,000 civil rights supporters on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In his, â€Å"I have a dream† speech, King addressed his encouragement of white and black people working together to achieve racial peace and harmony. He especially wanted to teach the young blacks that equality could be gained through the use of non-violence. The main reason King used nonviolenceRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. s I Have A Dream 1448 Words   |  6 Pagesmore influential words have been spoken than those uttered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s, â€Å"I have a dream,† speech. Perhaps one of the most famous and paradigm shifting speeches in all of history, Dr. King’s was spoken with candor, authenticity, fervor, and an enormous amount of tact. With his incredible intelligence and eloquence as a doctorate in Theological Studies, his establishment as such a respected leader, and his fervor and charisma in delivering the speech, Dr. King effectively establishedRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s I Have A Dream Speech915 Words   |  4 Pages Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his I Have a Dream speech to the thousands of African Americans who had marched on Washington, D.C. at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The date of the speech was August 28, 1963, but it is one that will live for generations. Of course his purpose was to convince his audience on several fronts: he sought to persuade the black community to stand up for the rights afforded them under the Constitution, and he also sought to