Essay on Francis Scott Key's "The Great Gatsby"

Living lavishly is often to stymie deep feelings of emptiness. In Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald's novel, "The Great Gatsby," the main character Gatsby is an extremely affluent man whose reputation precedes him. He hosts many extravagant parties but does not personally know many of his guests. Fitzgerald decries the apparent glamour of the upper class and suggests that their lives are depressing through the diction and imagery he employs.

Through his word choice, Fitzgerald criticizes the apparent glamour of the upper class. During one of Gatsby's many parties, one guest, in describing Gatsby's books, remarks that they are "absolutely real" (45). His astonishment implies others who claim to have a library only have the covers of the books. They are merely trying to maintain their illusion of wealth, which Fitzgerald deems depressing. In addition, Gatsby has "young Englishmen" at his party who are "all well dressed" (42). However, described as "hungry," they are merely looking for possible connections that will make them rich. Fitzgerald condemns this sort of predatory behavior as depressing because they are selfish in their motives. Also, the party is "spilled with prodigality" but also "vacuous" (40, 46). The contrast between "prodigality" and "vacuous" is stark but conveys the true nature of the gathering. In the material sense, the party is not lacking. Entertainment and refreshments are abounding. However, life and society must have human interaction so "vacuous" is an apt way to describe the party since it is empty of any human intimacy and that ultimately condemns their lives as depressing. Moreover, at the party, the guests are all "superior" and "[fashionable]" (46). However, despite their purported superiority, Fitzgerald uses "[tortuous]" to describe them, conveying a sense of deceit. This deceit refers to how all of the guests have an ulterior motive as with the Englishmen and even Gatsby, who hopes his love Daisy will attend one of his parties.

Through his use of imagery, Fitzgerald denounces the lifestyle of the upper class as depressing. At Gatsby's party, "people were not invited - they went there" (41). The guests were not a select few close to Gatsby, but those who sought to enhance their own status by associating with him. Also, in throwing his parties for strangers, Gatsby is merely flaunting his wealth. His goal is for his beloved Daisy to come back to him. However, even if she returned to him, she would do it for the sake of what he has, but not for who he is; that kind of love is depressing. In addition, "the groups [of people]... dissolve and form in the same breath" (40). Not only does this show the fragility of their bonds towards each other, it also demonstrates the alacrity in which they move about. Not having any close bonds, the guests are portrayed as selfish and are quick to "form" with other affluent people but "dissolve" in the time it takes to "breath" (40). With no close bonds, the ones who are considered "upper class" are in reality, alone, despite being surrounded by so many. This applies to Gatsby as well since he is surrounded by complete strangers at his parties. The imagery that comes from "alone" is depressing, confirming Fitzgerald's claim of life in the upper society. He also uses a contrast of imagery to prove his point. Girls "were putting their heads on men's shoulders in a puppyish, convivial way," while "most of the women were having fights with men said to be their husbands" (50, 51). Separated by only a few years, the "girls" and the "women" demonstrate the progressive decline of the glamour of the upper class. The girls view the rich men as prime targets in getting rich themselves. However, being married with frivolous men, the women are not happy. Though the girls believe that the world of the upper class is glamorous and hope to enter, it is a depressing life which offers no comfort and only "fights" (51). Fitzgerald also finds the irony depressing as the young women have no idea of what being in the upper class really entails. Fitzgerald, through his use of diction and imagery, dispels the apparent glamour of the upper class in order to reveal the depressing lifestyle buried underneath. Seen at once as inviting, the life of the upper class bears only emptiness, deceit, and animosity. Though rich, they live only to advance themselves. This selfishness is their undoing because life revolves around the interactions with others. For that end, man has joined together to form societies and survived the test of time. Because of this, any man who lives only for himself will lose everything to his greed.