Conformity In The Great Gatsby

Christopher McCandless once said, “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit.” It is true that the majority of people conform to society but this only deteriorates one’s happiness. This theme is evident in the novel The Great Gatsby and articles Love People, Not Pleasure, as well as Self-Reliance. This semester’s literature reveals that conforming to society and living in luxury can make you happy and successful in life, but it’s just the opposite.

In today's society , one is either conforming to the social standards or remaing true to ones own beliefs in indivulastic manner. Conformity is the behavior or coordinance with socially accepted convention or standards in society. For example, if a newly made phone was to be sold on the market that attracted a large amount of people or indivuals such as celebrities, more people would go and buy it because it’s more socially acceptable. People are choosing to conform to others standards rather than their own needs and essentials. On the other hand, individualism is the social theory favoring action for individuals over collective or state control.

-Significant Quotations: 1.) “He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance … seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor… believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself” (Fitzgerald 48). The primary importance of this statement from an outsider’s point of view is to understand the social persona/perception and charisma of Gatsby, as well as that of many socialites within the novel. Regarding such, the weight of his importance as a person (not narratively) would make one feel chosen or temporarily significant, and that this reassurance could be reflected unto oneself; however, Nick comments on how this only appears to be the case, as he determines that this demeanour is likely to appease a conversation and that Gatsby is simply performing his role, a veneer common amongst those placed in that position and possible from the gossip he has heard. Furthermore, despite the purpose/general effect of the smile to be that it makes one cheered or encouraged, Nick appears to avoid this entirely, which can be factored into by considering his lower view of himself later in the novel/his self-doubt, thus describing that this lifestyle/Gatsby himself could only have such an effect on someone seeking optimism already, somewhat of an implication of Gatsby’s more disastrous activities and also subtly shares the belief of one’s own self-optimism and confidence that allows

In section 1 the urgent part is when nick sees Mr. Jay Gatsby. He additionally meets Jordan, which is who he has associated with.

Peoples from all generations have wanted some type of wealth in order to gain power and respect from their peers. The Great Gatsby is told from the perspective of Nick Carraway and is about a man named Gatsby, who tries to win back the heart of Daisy Buchanan. Daisy has been in love with Gatsby for years, but could not wait for him and decided to marry Tom Buchanan. The story takes place in New York, where there is a separation of classes. Moreover, the american dream is a major discussion throughout history and is still being talked about today and is tied to the novel. Furthermore, the overall dream is to be rich and live in a giant house with equal opportunities for every human being. However, societal differences and stereotypes have made it hard for some to rise, which can be seen in the story's plot. Based on the character stereotypes, societal differences, and theme, The Great Gatsby is a relevant novel that can impact a reader's perspective of the American Dream.

In this world, money and materialistic items heavily determine how you are viewed in this society. If money is inherited from a family that has always had money, they are more likely to be more secure with themselves because their wealth doesn't need to be proven. If someone is self-made and there was a point in time where they didn't have money, there is probably going to be an insecurity lying there with a need to prove themselves. There are two characters in this novel that portray these social standards. Their names are Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby.

Many famous people share a lot of common things, they go against the norm, causing big changes in their own ways that change their lives. Addressing the issue of conformity, John F. Kennedy emphasized its role as the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth during his 1961 Union speech. He states that “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” Laura Bridgman remarkable achievements despite being the first blind and deaf person, Cher's success in music and acting, and Nick Carraway's decision to leave New York in "The Great Gatsby" show how stepping away from the norm can bring profound changes. Laura Bridgman, the first blind and deaf person to receive formal education, shows the changing potential of nonconformity, as

Human nature empowers even the most unfortunate people to reach for superiority. In search of these aspirations, some people become obsessed with perfecting past decisions, or returning to a “golden time”. However, human nature renders the seeker unable to achieve such a delusion. F. Scott Fitzgerald explores this principle within his novella, The Great Gatsby. Establishing déjà vu throughout the novel, Fitzgerald juxtaposes cyclical plot with the unattainability of the past to portray flaws in human nature at what seems to be the zenith of Gatsby’s American Dream.

The reputation of southern Europeans and Jewish Americans amongst the leaders of organised crime in America during the 1920sis portrayed in The Great Gatsby. It was evident at the time that a high percentage of these gangsters came from famililes who arrived recently to America- “individuals who grew up in energetic Italian, Irish and Jewish communities”. Some would argue that they rsulted to these organised crimes because they were denied to enter respectable routes to success because of their background. Unlike, characters like Tom Buchanan who could use his background to his advantage.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of the finest American authors of the twentieth century wrote The Great Gatsby during the Jazz Age to critique the distortion of the American dream, and his work has lasted long past his lifetime. Fitzgerald discusses the nature of love and wealth and stresses the importance of defining a person beyond their external position. In his novel, letter to his daughter, and the screenplay adapted from the novel, it is clear that F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes exposition, narration, and imagery to illustrate how people in the 1920s did not understand the meaning of true love and worried about superficial characteristics, thus resulting in the corruption of the American dream from the pursuit of true love and equality to the pursuit of wealth and discrimination; however, he moralizes that human beings are capable of emotional growth and of escaping the illusion of wealth.

In the period of the 1920’s, there was a certain status of wealth that was difficult to achieve. There were two societal classes consisting of those with wealth from prior generations, and those who worked to earn it themselves. Tom, Daisy, and Nick, who represented the old money society did not have to work hard, unlike Gatsby which he represented the new money and they had to work to earn money. People like Gatsby, who gained their wealth on their own often fought for the approval from the upper class who inherited their wealth. Rather than having new money and old money, people who tried achieving the American Dream and ended up in failure usually they end up like George and Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the notion that social norms in the upper class depict the idea that being apart of it was impossible unless they were born in it was expressed through Daisy’s rejection of Gatsby because of the corrupt way in which he gained his wealth, making his American Dream unattainable.

Society in the Great Gatsby Society in the nineteen twenties was very different than it is today. For example, there was not as much entertainment like tv, video games and music. In fact, music had just started to evolve in the nineteen twenties. Jazz was introduced, and that is what everyone was listening to. In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald's definition of society was the wealth and the poor.

Why is affluence so significant? It was not always this way. For hunter-gatherer and agricultural societies, personal properties were insignificant or even disadvantageous unless it was food. For the sake of development and standards of life, this had to change. As wealth gained in value, people also lived better, longer lives, but at a certain point, it began to manipulate the society around it. Some may argue that this occurred around the 1920’s in America. The changes of this time were monumental. People were moving to cities in large numbers, the party lifestyle was adopted by men and women alike due to dramatic social change, and the economy was booming, they were not called “the roaring 20’s” for nothing. The large economy enabled people to gain more wealth than ever. A multitude of people, primarily in older generations, did not encourage this lifestyle, finding it fake, licentious, flashy, and unchristian. This disapproval of change is apparent in The Great Gatsby due to Nick’s distaste for the frivolous and gaudy lifestyles of the East and West Eggers and Gatsby in particular. This distaste, also conveyed heavily by the author, is most significantly formed around the iniquitous value of money and adultery. Ergo, In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald suggests that Modern America has become irrationally focused upon immorality and wealth rather than the true American values of hard work and faith, which is demonstrated through the motif of the colour

The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells us a variety of themes-justice, power and greed, The American dream and so on. The Great Gatsby is regarded as a brilliant piece of social commentary. The Great Gatsby concerns the wasteful lives of four wealthy characters as observed by their acquaintance, narrator Nick Carraway. Like Fitzgerald himself, Nick is from Minnesota, attended an Ivy League university, served in the U.S. Army during World War I, moved to New York after the war. The narrator, Nick, is a very clever and well spoken storyteller. Nick confides with the reader in the first pages of the novel. He says that he needs to tell the story of a man called Gatsby. It is as if Nick has to overcome disappointment and frustration with a man who has left him with painful memories. This thesis is valid for three main reasons. First, it is evident that dreams and memories are central to the overall plot and meaning. Secondly, the American Dream is a “green light” of desire that Gatsby never stops yearning for and something he will not forget over time, even as he is dying. This is so, even though no one cares about Gatsby or his dreams after he died, except maybe Nick. Finally, the fact that Fitzgerald uses flashback; that Nick is telling us about a main character after he has already died and before the story begins, is ultimate proof.The Great Gatsby is structured by Nick’s memory. Fitzgerald’s clever use of flashback throughout and within the

The Great Gatsby, a film released in 1974, based off a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the tragic story of a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby. The movie takes place in America after World War I and allows viewers to observe the social effect of the post-war’s economic growth. In the film, there are several examples of social stratification, symbolic interactionism, labeling theory, gender norms, and the butterfly effect from the characters’ diverse backgrounds and actions.