Elizabeth1

ElizabethEvans
Mrs.Kwiatkowski
English11
April18,2016

TheGreatGatsbyandWhyItIsaTotalSham

F.ScottFitzgeraldmockstheAmericanpeoplewiththissocalledlovestoryknownas
,
TheGreatGatsby
.
Gatsbyistotally,andutterly,headoverhealsinlovewithDaisy,andtheway
hetriestowinherloveisabitrelatable
.
Anyonewhoisinlovewithsomeonewoulddo
whateverittakestowintheirheart,butinthiscase
,
Gatsbysmotivesareabitexaggerated,and
mightevenbeconsideredstalking
.
Everyoneinthisbookiswrittentobefoolishandabsurd.
EvenGatsbysdeathisfarcical.
TheGreatGatsby
isnotalovestory
,
butasatiricalnovel
mockingtheAmericanpeopleofthe1920s
.
TheaudiencecanseeFitzgerald

smockerywhenwearefirstintroducedtoToms
mistress,Myrtle
.
Theauthorwritesherasshallowandfoolish,embodyingthewaysoftherichin
the20s.Theauthorprovesthiswhenhewrites
,
Butimmediately[Myrtle]turnedsharplyfrom
thewindowleaningforwardandtappingonthefrontglass
,
Iwanttogetoneofthosedogs...I
wanttogetonefortheapartment
,
(Fitzgerald,31).Myrtleveryrarelyvisitsherapartment,
onlywhensheiswithTom
.
Thisshowstheaudienceherimpulsivenessandherlackof
considerationforthepuppy
.
Whowilltakecareofitwhenneitherher,norTom,areatthe
apartment?Myrtleisimpetuous,acommontraitrepeatedthroughoutthebook
.
Again,Fitzgerald

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holdsamirrortotheAmericanpeoplewhenNickCarrawayisdescribingMyrtleather
apartment
:
Herlaughter,hergestures
,
herassertionsbecamemoreviolentlyaffectedmoment
bymomentandassheexpandedtheroomgrewsmalleraroundheruntilsheseemedtobe
revolvingonanoisy
,
creakingpivotthroughthesmokyair
,
(Fitzgerald,35).Thisdescriptionof
Myrtleandherhaughtinessisanotherembodimentofthepeople
.
Therelationshipsin
TheGreatGatsby
isanotherplayofmockerybecauseoftheir
absurdity
.
DaisyherselfrepresentstheAmericandreamandbecauseGatsbycannothaveDaisy,
FitzgeraldisshowinghowunattainabletheAmericandreamis
.
FitzgeraldwritesDaisytobe
naiveandfoolish
.
Hewritesherasifallshecaresaboutismoney(hencewhyshemarriesTom).
Becauseofthis
,
theaudiencecaninferthatFitzgeraldiscomparingtheAmericanpeopleto
Daisynaiveandfoolish
.
Daisyevengoestowishthatherdaughterbeafoolthatsthebest
thingagirlcanbeinthisworld,abeautifullittlefool
,
becauseinthe1920swomenwerestill
seenasinferiortomen.(Fitzgerald,21).Itiseasierforagirltobeabeautifullittlefool
,
andto
marryrich,ratherthanliveanythinglessthansecondclass
.
Again,theaudienceseesthisnaivety
whenMissBakersaystoNick
,
Ithoughteverybodyknew,referringtotheaffairbetween
MyrtleandTom.Everyoneknowsaboutit
,
evenDaisy,butitisbettertobesafeandrich.Thisis
Fitzgeraldshowingtheaudiencetheartificialnessofthe20s
.

GatsbydedicateshiswholelifetotryingtowinDaisysheart
.
Afterlosingherwhenthe
warended,hebuildshimselfupfromthebottom
,
buysanextravaganthouseacrossthebayfrom

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hers
,
throwsostentatiouspartiesjusttogetherattention,andevencoversforherwhensheruns
overMyrtle.GatsbyliterallydiedforDaisy
.
Allthisisquiterelatable.Itwouldbequiteeasyfor
theaudiencetorelatetotheseactions
:
doingeverythingandanythingtowintheheartofthe
persononeisinlovewith.However
,
allofGatsbysactionsarequiteexaggerated.Tothrow
giant,ostentatiousisabsurd
.
Tobuyahouseacrossthebayfromonestrueloveisborderline
stalking.Fitzgeraldusesthisabsurdingto
,
again,makefunoftheAmericanpeople.Heusesthis
satiricallovestoryasmirrorsaying
,
lookhowridiculouseveryoneis.Daisycantevenmake
uphermindbetweenTomandGatsby
.
Ineverloved[Tom],shesaid,withperceptible
reluctance,(Fitzgerald,139).Then,ashortfewlineslaterDaisysays
,
EvenaloneIcantsayI
neverlovedTom,sheadmittedinapitifulvoice
.
Itwouldntbetrue,goingbackonwhatshe
hadjustadmittedtoTomandGatsby(140)
.
However,inDaisysdefense,TomandGatsbyare
puttingheronthespotmakingherchoosebetweenthetwoofthem

makinghersayshenever
lovedtheother
.
ThiscanbeargueditsnotevenaboutDaisyanymoreitsabattleof
dominance.Itistwolittleboysyellingbackandforth
,
Imbetterthanyou!andusingDaisyas
anobjecttoproveit.This
,
again,goesbacktoFitzgeraldusingDaisytoshowhowlittlewomen
werethoughtofinthe1920s
.
Inconclusion,
TheGreatGatsby
isatotalsham
.
Itisnotaromanticlovestoryofthe
1920s
,
itisasatiremockingtheAmericanpeople,holdingamirrortotheirfacesandsaying,
Lookhowartificialyouallare
.

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Citations:
Fitzgerald,F.Scott.
TheGreatGatsby
.N.p.:n.p.,n.d.Print.