Unrequited Love ♥

Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby there is a common theme of unrequited love portrayed. Of all the occurances where unrequited love is abundant there are two scences in the novel where it is most obvious. The first scene includes Gatsby’s unrequited love for Daisy. This was when Gatsby reveals his and Daisy’s affair to Tom. Tom explains that him and Daisy share something that Gatsby will never understand. Tom is more than right about this and Gatsby’s heart is forever broken. Gatsby now has to live with unrequited love and hide’s his intense emotions.

The next scene where a heart is forever broken is when Myrtle breaks her husbands heart through infidelity. Then Myrtle husband also never receives an opportunity to win his wife’s heart back because she is murdered. This unrequited love is more horrible than Gatsby’s and can forever ruin a man. Unrequited love takes a heart and rips it to shreds because the man or women whom someone loves is unable to return those feelings. Obviously, unrequited love in this novel is apparent.

Men of the Great Gatsby

The men of the Great Gatsby all had unique personalities and lifestyles. Jay Gatsby posed to be a hardworking wealthy man who hosted elegant parties. A lot of rumors were spread on exactly how he aquired his wealth, but they were all wrong. Gatsby would throw elegant parties in which hundreds of people would attend and have a great night, yet he didn't even attend the parties. Also there was speculation that Gatsby "once killed a man". It was finally revealed that Gatsby was madly in love with Daisy Buchanan and threw the parties in hope that one day she would attend and they would fall in love. Gatsby also told everyone that he earned his money by owning many drug stores but really he was a bootlegger that illegaly bacame rich.

Tom Buchanan is an unfaithful man that is very selfish. Tom poses as a very strong athletic character that takes a lot of pride in his accomplishments. Tom is married to Daisy but is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson. Daisy knows about the affair and lives a very unhappy life until she is reunited with Jay Gatsby. Tom does not like Gatsby at all and instantly assumes he is a bootlegger and has no true character. Nick Carraway is Daisy's cousin who is not rich like the other men of the novel, but has the best character out of the men. Gatsby offers Nick a job in which he'd make far more money then he does as a bondsmen, but Nick rejects it. He has a thing for Jordan Baker but understands that she is rich and most likely out of his league. Nick is a good man who knows right from wrong. The men of Gatsby all live very different lifes which have a huge effect on the lives of those they surround.

Women of The Great Gatsby

In the novel The Great Gatsby, there are several important female characters that are very important to the plot. Yet, the two main characters that really create the story objective and define the outcome are Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. Daisy is the narrator, Nick Buchanan’s cousin. Daisy has managed to capture the heart of Nick’s neighbor Jay Gatsby. Although Nick was unaware of this when he moved in, he was quickly utilized as a way for the two to reunite. Daisy and Gatsby fell in love five years before the setting of the story when Daisy and Gatsby lived in Louisville. She had promised Gatsby she would wait for him when he went off to war but had too strong of a need to be loved and married her current husband Tom Buchanan. Now, Gatsby must discover a way to get Daisy back one and for all.

Even though Daisy refuses to divorce Tom, and still loves him, Tom remains unfaithful in their relationship. Tom is a restless man and found himself a mistress to keep him occupied. Tom’s lover and mistress is named Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle is married as well to her husband George Wilson. The Wilson’s live in the run-down portion of town and own a garage that does very poorly. Myrtle cannot stand her lower class housing and husband and sees Tom as a way to improve her social standing. In the end though, all these love triangle will do nothing but harm to all involved. The main character ladies of The Great Gatsby are obviously the reason for the overall plot.

Source: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/characters.html

East Egg vs. West Egg
In the Great Gatsby, the setting takes place mostly on either East Egg or West Egg. These are two lands sepperated by a body of water known as the sound. East Egg is where Tom Buchanan and Daisy live and is definately the more elegant island of the two. Many very wealthy people live in great mansions on East Egg. The sound was the name given to the waters that sepperate East and West Egg but is much more to Jay Gatsby. To Gatsby the sound is the only thing sepperating him from his love Daisy and he dreams that one day she will be his.


The West Egg on the other hand is much more old and ragged then East Egg. It is not very attractive to most people but there are a few beautiful homes located on West Egg that draw attention. Gatsby lives on a mansion on the shorefront of West Egg and often hosts huge elegant parties which many wealthy and famous people attend. It does not come out until midway through the novel that the only reason Gatsby hosts these parties is because he hopes that one day Daisy will attend one and no longer believe he is too poor to fall in love with. Nick lives in a small cottage on West Egg next door to Gatsby and often watched the people come and go from Gatsby's until he was invited to a party and befriended by Jay Gatsby himself. East and West Egg are two cities sepperated by a small body of water but are two completely different atmosphires.

Dan Cody

Before the Mr. Jay Gatsby was the beloved and well-known character from The Great Gatsby, Jay was James Gatz. The moment in Jay’s life when he made the decision he no longer wanted to be called by James was when he was seventeen years old. This was also the point within his life that he began his current lifestyle and career. The most influential friend in his life was he was seventeen, and the man who helped James make important decisions, was Dan Cody. Their relationship all started one day when Mr. Gatz was strolling doing the beach and stumbled across Dan. Dan Cody had anchored his yacht over a flat on Lake Superior and when James noticed this he decided to be helpful. He borrowed a rowboat and approached Mr. Cody warning him of the dangers of the water, and how it might negatively affect his yacht where he is currently anchored. From this point on Dan Cody and Jay Gatsby would become very close.

Dan Cody was a very wealthy man; he was, in fact, a millionaire. Dan had previously made transactions in Montana copper and they resulted in this massive amount of money. Besides being wealthy, Mr. Cody was sensitive and gullible. It was very obvious to others that these were his most apparent character traits; unfortunately, it was the most obvious to women that he was very naïve and an easy target. It was not long before one woman in particular would take great advantage of Dan. Her name was Ella Kaye. Ella was employed at a local newspaper and targeted Mr. Cody’s weaknesses. Jay Gatsby witnessed Dan’s heartbreak and over the next few years became Dan’s secretary, jailer, mate, skipper and much, much more. Working together with these different tasks inevitably made Gatsby and Cody very close, causing Gatsby to forever remember and learn from Cody.

Source: http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/99gg/99gg2/charlis2.htm

1920's

After World War II, the people of American, including the characters from The Great Gatsby, wanted nothing than to return to their normal everyday lifestyles. Americans were eager to put the hardships behind them and return to the glory days. The twenties began with some resistance after a very minor recession, but gave way to prosperity shortly thereafter. With this newfound extra money and a shorter easier workweek, the people of America were finally able to relax. Americans spent their free time at the hottest nightclubs, or parites such as Gatsby's, to dance the night away and enjoy jazz tunes. If they were not at the nightclubs or parties, Americans blasted the new trendy radio systems. This was also a time period where the movies were popular and famous movie stars such as Mae West, Buster Keaton, and Rudolph Valentino, filled theatres to the rafters. Life was good for Americans.

Yet, life was especially good for the sports stars that drew crowds from near and far, sports stars like the incredible New York Yankees. The Americans who witnessed the twenties also witnessed the rise of this baseball team along with a United States team finally successfully entering into the National Hockey League. The success of these teams was not the only American aspect on the rise, The United States economy continued to prosper and the decade possessed many opportunities to make money quickly. Some of these opportunities included the stock market and real estate. Some people even invested all they had in the stock market. The boom unfortunately became a bust when all those people lost their money with the crash of the New York Stock Exchange. The twenties ended with a deep depression that would last for many years.

Source: History of the 1920's by Rennay Craats

The Green Light

Jay Gatsby is a very wealthy yet mysterious man. He often hosts very elegant parties that many famous and wealthy people attend. One night as Nick arrived home from his cousin Daisy's house he saw Mr. Gatsby at the end of his dock staring out into the darkness. There was a green light off in the distance which was meaningless to Nick at the time but would later make perfect sense. Later in the novel after a relationship was developed between Nick and Gatsby, it is revealed that Gatsby is madly in love with Daisy and the green light out in the darkness is on the end of her dock out in East Egg. Gatsby admitts that he hosts frequent parties with hope that one day Daisy would attend one and they could fall in love again.

Although it may have only been a faint light out in the distance, the light was a sign of hope for Gatsby. He believed that as long as he could look every night and see the green light, he was close enough to Daisy to one day win her back. One day Nick was approached by Gatsby and asked to invite Daisy over for tea. Gatsby had hopes of showing her his giant mansion and impressing her enough to get her love. This scheme turned out to be successful and Gatsby and Daisy sparked up a relationship that was once lost. What started as a green light out in the distance turned out to be everything Gatsby had ever wanted.

Jealousy

Jealousy

Jealousy is defined as a jealous resentment against a rival or against a person enjoying success or an advantage. Jealousy often occurs when a boy gets a girl that another one of his friends has been trying to get for a while. That friend becomes jealous and will often try to find a way to get redemption. Jealousy occurs every day and is often the reason friendships are broken and fights occur. Most people are also jealous of the rich who have nice things. They feel sorry for themselves when they see a man or woman drive by in nice clothes and maybe even a

nice car that they have dreamed of owning and become jealous. Hard work is the key to success and im sure that person driving by in the nice car doesn't sit around and feel sorry for themselves but instead works hard to be successful.

Jealousy cannot be controlled because it is an emotion that occurs inside of everyone, but what can be controlled is how a man or woman lets there jealousy of someone effect them. If a person has good character they will just take it how it is and move on when they become jealous or someone. Fights that occur due to jealousy may make a perso

n feel they got there redemption or payback, when really they just found a way to take there anger out on someone else. In many novels, jealousy often leads to the death of those who are more fortunate and live a successfull life. Jealousy occurs every single day and will continue to occur everyday, but what is different in every case of jealousy is how the affected person reacts and controls their emotions.

Flappers

Flappers came from a generation who felt since they survived the brutal World War I, they should be living their lives to the fullest. Wealthy families were often referred to “Bright Young Things,” and revolved their lives around nightclubs, parties, and weekend house parties. Flappers attended these events without a chaperone, which was very uncalled for, and adopted a new boyish look, which was even more uncalled for. Wearing makeup and staying out all night was seen as fashionable and it became acceptable for women to do all sorts of things they were not able to do before. With a cocktail and long cigarette holder in one hand, and an essential ostrich feather fan for cooling in the other, a flapper would be the envy of the party.

Flappers chose to wear their eveningwear the same length as their daywear, to instill astonishment. Their outfit would not be complete though if their “simple sheath dresses” did not rely on fabulous fabrics with surface decoration, such as complicated beading. Often though, fancy dress balls would be held where risqué costumes were very acceptable. Everything from belly-dancer outfits to clown or harlequin were favorites of the flappers. If the flappers were not dressed head to toe in complicated beadings, or the costume of their choice, they were without a doubt dressed with a dress full of fringe. The fringed dresses provided movement and placed the emphasis on the hips. Over each dress, a flapper wore and evening coat made in rich brocades or velvets with fur collars and cuffs, and fastened the coat lows on the hips to complete the look.

The Mafia

The mafia was started by Italian gangsters who came to America and became involved in illegal activities. The American Mafia branched off from the Sicilian Mafia which was powerful in Italy. The mafia in America originated in New York and other parts of the East coast during the 19th century. In the 1920's when there was a prohibition placed on alcohol, the mafia prospered. Through foreign connections mafia leaders were able to smuggle alcohol into the United states and sell it at a high profit. This was highly illegal but mafia leaders were willing to risk being fined or arrested to make a lot of money.

The mafia also profited off of gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging. Mobs often fought for territory and respect which led to the rise in violence in cities such as Chicago. As the mafia grew, so did crime and violence rates. Gun fights and other acts of unlawful behavior occured daily leaving many people afraid for their lives. It is ironic how the purpose of prohibition was to lower crime rates by removing alcohol from the streets, but really it did the exact opposite. Gangsters were those men who were a members of mafia families and fought for money, power, and respect every day.

Source:http://www.americanmafia.com/cities/chicago.html

Francis Scott Fitzgerald

Mr. Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul Minnesota on September 29, 1896. Twenty-one years after his birth, Francis made the noble decision to join the army. He was assigned to Camp Sheridan, located in Alabama; lucky for Mr. Fitzgerald, Sheridan was home to a Ms. Zelda Sayre, the woman Francis was destined to fall deeply in love with. Although he was lucky to have met such a young lady, Zelda was unable to return Mr. Fitzgerald’s feelings, and turned Francis down after a he proposed. With this newfound rejection, Fitzgerald returned to St. Paul and channeled himself into his first novel This Side of Paradise. He managed to have his novel published and instantly became a success, and with this new attractive success Zelda suddenly found herself capable of returning Mr. Fitzgerald’s feelings of admiration.

While enthralled with Zelda, Francis created yet another masterpiece, The Beautiful and the Damned. In many ways, the novel reflected Mr. Fitzgerald’s relationship with Zelda after the admiration began to wear off. This did not exclude the luxurious parties that were abundant with alcohol and seemed to always trigger mishaps. To escape these distractions, and sadly, Zelda, Francis moved to New York, where he felt he could concentrate more effectively. He published his Great Gatsby in the year 1925, but sales were fairly disappointing. Although movie deals great extra profit, Francis felt it would be best to return to Zelda. Upon his return Fitzgerald soon learned that his wife’s behavior had only worsened and her admittance into a clinic was the only hope. This is when Fitzgerald had to pause with his writing take care of the women he said, “I do” to. Although Zelda, and life in general, continued to reveal obstacles, by the 1960’s, Francis did eventually manage to establish himself as one of history’s well-known writers.

Source: http://www.angelfire.com/co/pscst/fitzgerald.html

Prohibition!

In the 1920's a ban on alcohol was placed which was known as prohibiton. The 18th amendment was passed on January 16, 1919 which officialy began prohibition. During this time mobsters prospered by illegally importing alcohol into the U.S. and selling it. Speakeasies were also opened as a place for anyone to go and secretly enjoy a drink. This prohibition was placed because people felt that without alcohol on the streets, crime rates would go down and the world would become a better place. Little did they know the exact opposite would take place.

Prohibition was a complete failure because people were eager to get their alcohol by any means, even if it meant obtaining it illegally. Men such as Al Capone prospered during this time by creating a mob that sold alcohol illegally and basically ran the City of Chicago. During prohibition crime rates and death rates both skyrocketed. It wasn't until the 21st amendment was passed on Decemeber 5, 1933 that the 18th amendment or prohibition was repealed and drinking alcohol became legal once again.