The Great Gatsby and The Wasteland Essay -- Fitzgerald Elliott English

The Great Gatsby and The wasteland Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby and Elliots The Wasteland are two stories that similarly express the modernist post-war disillusionment. both stories call attention pessimistically on the direction that our world is moving in from the post-war modernist perspective. Both men looked past the roaring twenties, and realized that this time period was rattling a moral wasteland. The final paragraphs of The Great Gatsby sum up their common lack of faith in American culture to improve.Fitzgerald uses a total of both direct and indirect ways to comment on what has happened to America. The jet plane light is a recurring symbol in this book that has some(prenominal) deep meanings. Beginning in the first chapter, when snick compares the commons absolute majority of America rising from the ocean to the green light at the last of Daisys dock, this symbol takes on many meanings. This is the green light that drives Gatsby, this is the green light symbolizes th e new money and materialism in the world. This shows that money is forthwith the new driving force in the world, and that pot work to consume. This ties into the event that Gatsby went to great lengths to become rich solely to impress Daisy with his riches. Additionally, Gatsby showed off this wealth by showing her all of the shirts that he had purchased. All of this points towards the emerging consumerism in American society.The green also seems to symbolize the automotive industry, which was one of the biggest separate of the new consumer culture. Henry Ford made a policy of pay his workers high wages, because he realized that if they were paid more, they themselves would become consumers of his products. Today, cars are frequently seen as a status symbol, which began back in the 1920s.The Wasteland of Elliots is analogous to the valley of ashes between West Egg and New York City. It is an industrial wasteland that was clearly created by large corporations and industries. Th is valley of ashes symbolizes the moral declination created by limitless pursuit of wealth. The valley of ashes is a place live by the poor, and polluted by the rich. This shows that the only people who have to deal the consequences of corporate greed are the working class themselves.Elliots The Wasteland describes Europe as a in truth naked place after the First World War. In the final section, the speaker bothers Stetson or so th... ...green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, notwithstanding thats no matter- tomorrow we willing run faster, stretch our ordnance store farther and one fine morning-Nick comments once again on Gatsbys pursuit of this perfect future that will never materialize. He also says that this our world is deteriorating even further, except expresses some wish for the future. He expresses optimism not in our culture, but in human beings to strive for improvement. Nick ties up all of the sentiments on this page with the conclusion so we round on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. This statement ties back into the idea that people will strive to improve themselves, but the state of things are so bleak that it is like trying to row upstream. It also means that while people try to work for a perfect future, the best they can hope for is to be borne back ceaselessly into the past. Elliot and Fitzgerald share a mutual pessimism regarding society, but a confidence in individuals. They both share a very modernistic take on the post-war world, and hope that the power of individuals can rest period through the restraints of their society.