Social And Cultural Changes In The Great Gatsby

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Pages: 3

Gatsby in History
The conditions that existed during the time that the novel took place led to the attitudes and actions that are taken by characters in the novel. The industrial advances of the era led to increased wealth and challenged those whose wealth was in their bloodlines, led by those who had accumulated their fortunes through hard work and opportunity. This new distribution of wealth led to changes in perception of social echelons, as people worked to become more influential and experimented with moving up and down on the social spectrum. These changes in society are prominently displayed in the actions of those illustrated in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby. These changes became a vital part of the roaring twenties, a time of prosperity and expanding culture
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The social and cultural changes that were occurring at the time, dramatically influenced the outlook and actions of Jay Gatsby, who despite desperate attempts and considerable wealth was unable to connect with the woman he loved.
Jay Gatsby is, despite his large influence, unable to enjoy the presence of the people around him and is socially
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Gatsby was once intimate with Daisy but he left for war, “‘Why not?’ ‘Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.’” (78). Gatsby is so desperate to be near Daisy that he positions himself so that she is always near him. He appears to be living in the present with his parties, but in fact every decision he makes is a calculated move to win over Daisy. “‘If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay,’ said Gatsby. ‘You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.’”(92) Gatsby associates the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock with the everlasting affection he feels for her as well as the distance that separates them and tears Gatsby