Author- Born in St. Paul Minnesota, Fitzgerald was born to a wealthy family that both admired and revered their successful ancestry. A failure at Princeton, he would go on to write numerous novels and short stores that both illustrated and reflected the people of his era; the Jazz age. In spite of his accomplishments, he would die of a heart attack mid-way through his last novel The Love of the Last Tycoon thinking of himself as a failure.
Setting- Great Gatsby is a novel that takes place during the roaring twenties, or an era otherwise known as the Jazz Age. A time of prohibition and experimentation, the novel portrays both the chaos and loss of morals that many during that time experienced. To further exemplify such a scene, the novel is set in the outskirts of New York City, two subdivisions of New Jersey that are referred to as the East Egg, the West Egg, and laying in the middle of it all, the Valley of Ashes.
The cover of the first edition of The Great Gatsby...
The Great Gatsby (1926 film)
The Great Gatsby (1974 film)The West Egg is the older, more refined side of town as its inhabitants are of older wealth. The East Egg however contains the newer, more rambunctious inhabitants of wealth; both however, remain separated by the clear blue bay that leads to the Atlantic. Separating the two, the Valley of Ashes lays desolate, dirty, and forgotten much like its people. No greater contrast exists among the settings of the novel as does between the neighborhoods in which the characters live.
Plot- Nick Caraway travels to the east in search for a new job that has the potential to lead him to a more exciting life. In the process he meets Jay Gatsby, a man with an unforgettable past and an unclear future who's drive and ambition has brought him to East Egg in...