The Great Gatsby
The significance of the book and charaters
Historical Significance of the book
The American Dream
In the 1920's people focused and thrived on nothing but success/money. Throughout the book Fitzgerald expressed the American Dream through not only through the symbolization like that of the light being green at the end of Daisy's dock, but through his characters like Nick who came to New York for wealth and Jay Gatsby who did nearly everything to get his wealth.
Characters and the society people they represented
Daisy = "The Dream"
Daisy represented the American Dream. The American dream being obtaining wealth and being successful. Everywhere she went, like the Dream, people wanted and sought after her. She also represented wealth through the ways she was described. Her voice was "money," she was a golden girl, and like other rich people during the 1920's she lounged around all day. Lastly the fact that that the Dream was just an illusion, no matter how close Gatsby got to Daisy and running away with her, she slipped between her fingers.
Tom = "Old Money"
Tom represents the rich "old-money" . He represents the older generation, when he says how he believes women run around too much these days, he even says how old-fashioned his ideas may be. He also, contradicted to Gatsby the same way the "old-money" society did with the "new-money" society did in the 1920's
Gatsby = "New Money"
Jay Gatsby represented the strive for or even the people were already known as the "New Money". He first represented those who strove for wealth, when he chased after Daisy. Jay also symbolized this by the illegal ways he sustained his wealth through the bootlegging and associating with other outlaws such as Wolfschein. Jay then represented the already "New Deal" by the way he clashed with Tom and his values.