In reading the Great Gatsby, I found it interesting the lack of morals some of the characters have, or even the double standards that are implied. You have tom who is having an affair which he thinks is ok then when he suspects that his wife is having an affair he goes nuts. This just goes to show the double standards that are in the book. You can also see that there was a corruption of the American Dream in this book. I do not know if this was the way everyone felt about the American Dream or if it was only Fitzgerald’s view of the American Dream. What was and what is the American Dream? Is the American Dream to become wealthy and have different standards then other people? The characters of the Great Gatsby show that the American Dream is declining and that it is not held to as high a standard as it once was. The American Dream was about discovery, being an individual, and being happy. In the Great Gatsby, the American Dream is how much money you have and how you flaunt that money, and what your social standing is.
Cindy, I think that your blog this week is a very interesting one. I would have to agree that I thought the same thing about the double standards in this book. When reading I had to laugh to myself when I seen Tom's reaction to Daisy's affair. He was no better and I feel he was worst. It made me wonder if he would have been there for Daisy and been a good husband to her if she would have continued with the affair.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with you on your point about the American Dream. I love the comic that you put on your blog. I think that this is completely true about the American Dream in our culture today. I mean can't tell you how many people that I know that just want to sit around and then are mad because they are not seeing the benefits that the people around them are seeing. I know that I personally was thought that the American Dream was about having the opportunity to make something of yourself and the opportunity to make better for your family. I also believe that the American Dream is this and the pursuit of this dream. I also feel that the American Dream is fading. Just look at all the things that people are saying in the news about the "big businesses" and how they have everything and they have nothing. What people must keep in mind is that the opportunities are not promises.