The Great Gatsby

A detailed Summary of The Great Gatsby

Texts are a product of the cultural context in which they are produced, therefore they often present a critique of that society's moral and social values. Texts of a certain era will frequently reflect the moral and social values of the time. The Great Gatsby was penned in America in the Jazz Age, a period of great hedonism that reflects people's determination to forget the suffering and losses of the First World War.

In America the Jazz Age was a period of great economic expansion (there was a population shift to the cities, the emergence of modern industry, high wages and lavish spending) which gave people unprecedented wealth; materialism was rife, and people struggled to capture the promise of the American Dream - that individuals can achieve whatever they set their minds to, with effort and determination. However, this mood of superficial optimism masked a pervasive sense of disillusionment and moral confusion. Consumerism was proving an inadequate substitute for the old moral certainties. Daisy's lamenting cry, ?What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon?and the day after that, and the next thirty years?? expresses the restlessness and spiritual penury of the generation.

The story of The Great Gatsby is told through

The Great Gatsby examines the way in which the American ideal of realizing individual destiny, and the optimism and energy fundamental to this ideal, have become debased and confused with the pursuit of wealth. This is, in effect, an abridged critique of society's moral and social values in the Jazz Age of 1920s America, and it is clearly a product of the cultural context in which it was produced.

Cars also feature prominently in the story, as newfound wealth fueled the American fascination with cars in the Jazz Age. Cars in The Great Gatsby had ominous connotations and were used to symbolize bad relationships (Jordan Baker called Nick a ?bad driver?, with the implied meaning that he was bad at relationships), and cars in the story had much to do with accidents (Jordan Baker was involved in a car accident, and the drunken men at one of Gatsby's parties were also involved in a car accident) and death (Myrtle was run over by Daisy, who was speeding along in Gatsby's car).

Tom Buchanan's 'immorality' - his affair with Myrtle, and the less than savory way he treated women; Gatsby's corrupt business affairs and bootlegging activities; Daisy's affair with Gatsby; the extravagant, hedonistic and self-indulgent parties held at Gatsby's mansion; and Wolfshiem's ?gonnegtions? exemplified the moral decline of the Jazz Age. Indeed, the austere moral faith of ol

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Approximate Word count = 922
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels