The Message Behind the Scenes

 When I think of Brooklyn Heights, Beacon Hill, or even the Upper East Side, I imagine a mix of two different worlds. A picturesque tree-lined street with historic brownstones and the business of everyday, but also high-end boutiques with people walking on the streets hands filled with bags on their way to their luxury apartments.  

Even though these areas are synonymous to upscale living, they have and maintain a balance because of the corruption beneath the surface. Underneath the glamorous exterior is the history, the sacrifice, and the corruption present in today’s society.

 

While reading The Great Gatsby I’ve noticed many underlying messages. In the first chapter there has been an incredible amount of reference to The American Dream and extravagance/excess. The novel begins by talking about the idea that anyone can achieve success through hard work and determination, and with the example of the extravagant parties everyone goes to, it shows the lavishness of the 20s. These parties symbolize the materialism of the era where money outranks anything. It makes readers think this is the ideal.

 

Personally, while reading this, I had many thoughts flowing through my head. While thinking through these, I caught a glimpse of the second chapter which really sparked my interest. It gives a glimpse of the corruption beneath the shiny exterior. It shows us the hypocrisy of human nature, and how sometimes, even the people on top make mistakes, which make them no different than everyday people.

 

But don’t think I’m just saying there is bad behind every glamorous thing. Because it also works the other way around; behind every bad thing, there is always a little good.

Comments

  1. Jessica DuncanOctober 8, 2023 at 7:56 PM

    I liked how you tied in the historical context of the great Gatsby with how the themes affect the reader. I also liked the antithesis you included at the end, it really made me think about it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Elyse LazradoOctober 8, 2023 at 8:10 PM

    Hi Vanshika! I really liked how you analogized the Great Gatbsy's themes and the setting. I also agree that there are a lot of underlying messages around the American Dream in this book and that the author portrays the lavish life as "ideal".

    ReplyDelete

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