whether The Great Gatsby is reflective in modern society
The Great Gatsby is one of the most famous books in the globe. The book was written by Scott Fitzerald and the first work published in 1925. Though the book was written immediately after the world, it has remained relevant in modern society. This has resulted in the production of many films using concepts found in the novel. There are particular reflections in the book observable in current society even after a century after its publication. However, the claims that the novel reflects modern culture have received controversial ideas. The purpose of this paper is to research whether The Great Gatsby is reflective in modern society.
There is no much difference between the wealthy people in the current society than the wealthy people represented in the novel. In contemporary society, wealthy people are known for their lavish lifestyles. They drive the most expensive automobiles, like private jets and cars. They are associated with party life, even when there is no significant event to party for. Furthermore, they buy or build expensive houses to signify their social status. For instance, Jeff Bezos, the current Amazon CEO, purchased the Warner Estate for $165 million. In the novel, we find that Gatsby lives a lavish lifestyle full of partying and spending money with his wealthy friends. He also boasts of his big house and sometimes, he brings his friends just for show off, and proof that he is the richest man in both the East and West Egg. The novel describes that though nobody knew more information about Gatsby, he was known for his parties. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Becoming wealth is a dream of most people in the world. However, growing is not always easy for people following legit procedures. As a result, other people follow illegal ways to become wealthy. This can explain the existence of an illicit business in society. The enterprises include drug trafficking, human trafficking, and unlawful weapon manufacturing. Though illegal, these are some of the most profitable businesses in the world. For instance, Pablo is a household name in the US who made a fortune through drug trafficking. At the time of his arrest, Pablo was estimated to be worth $30 million. The novel exposes the ideology of quick wealth from illegal businesses. Though the story does not bring out Gatsby’s source of income clearly, it is evidenced in several quotes that he was earning through unlawful ways. One except associates Gatsby with the illicit business bond, and it was evidenced when Slagel reported that Parke, one of the sales team, was arrested as he was trying to deliver illegal bonds in a small Midwestern town. Supportively, Nick noted that the illicit bond sales team was available at the party. This concluded that the parties were organized for the facilitation of the illegal business. Furthermore, the fact that Gatsby lies that he comes from a wealthy family gives a clue that he was involved in unlawful enterprises. In reality, Gatsby was born and brought up in a low-income family.
Today, we are living in a world of fame or rather a celebrity life. The things that people engage can make them famous, even in areas that they have never been to. In modern life, celebrities are known for their expensive lifestyles and the activities they engage in. Many rappers and footballers are well known worldwide, though they a long distance away from their fans. The novel describes that Gatsby was famous in both the west Egg and East Egg. He was known for his lavish parties at his home and expensive lifestyle like cars. Surprisingly, most of the people who knew him had never seen or interacted. They only knew there existed one wealthy person called Gatsby.
The modern world is a world of fake life. Many people change their persona to impress other people. This is especially in social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. Marden et al. claim that people fake their persona on social media platforms to have many followers. There are many cases in which people have fallen in love with Facebook, arranged dates only to find out the people they saw on the media are different from reality. If they reveal their real lifestyle, they may end up losing them. In the novel, Gatsby knew that Daisy was brought up in a wealthy environment, and she would turn away if she that he was poor. He went ahead to fake his persona to impress her.
As the novel explains, we live in a society in which the wealthy can engage in any activity, even when it is illegal. There is a margin between the rich and the poor when it comes to justice. This is evidenced in the billing system in the US. In his book, Lawrence argues that the unfortunate experience difficulties in courtrooms if they are unable to raise bails. He claims that a person can be innocent but because he cannot raise bail, he remains constrained before a verdict. On the other hand, the rich quickly raise bonds even when they are guilty. In the book, we find that despite the prohibition of the intoxicating liquors, Gatsby and his wealthy friends continued to drink the liquors without any fear.
From the novel, I agree that whatever happened in the novel is a true reflection in modern society. The contemporary society is more into materiality, fame, and lavish lifestyles. As a result, many people, especially the `poor fake their persona to impress their friends and people they have an interest in. All these lifestyles are relatable to the 1924 “Great Gatsby” Novel by Fitzgerald.