Zhang, Cong-wen, and Ming-wen Xiao. “Economic Dynamics and Consumer Culture in The Great Gatsby.” Journal of Literature and Art Studies, vol. 12, no. 10, 2022, pp. 968–980.
The article highlights how money can secure love and contribute to overall life satisfaction. At the beginning of Fitzgerald’s novel, money is represented as a golden hat, giving readers a clear idea of the book’s theme. The authors employ various approaches to illustrate the prevailing consumer culture and economic conditions that characterized the lifestyle in America during The Great Gatsby. This source is relevant to the research because it can help describe extravagant parties, excessive spending, and an obsession with appearances that characterize the characters’ lives (Zhang and Ming-wen 969). This is a credible article published in the Journal of Literature and Art Studies, a well-known literary database.
Lu, Yuqing. “A Feminist Perspective on the Inevitability of the Fate of Tragic Women in The Great Gatsby.” Frontiers in Art Research, vol. 4, no. 10, 2022, pp. 36–39.
The theme of power is integral to the novel, and it is intertwined with the other motifs in shaping the characters’ motivations, actions, and relationships. Therefore, this article can be used to illustrate how male characters wield power in their quests for dominance and control, and the profound implications of this for women in The Great Gatsby, such as Myrtle and Daisy. The author explores how, under the patriarchal culture, women were dominated and depended on men to secure a better life for themselves.
Tom recognizes that he wields this power and relishes it, using it to control Daisy. This is why she continues to stay with him, despite his infidelity and her knowledge of Gatsby’s romantic feelings for her. The source is credible since it is printed in a reputable literary journal. Therefore, it can be used to critique society’s obsession with dominance, control, and the pursuit of wealth and status.
Zeven, Katinka, and Aletta G. Dorst. “A beautiful Little Fool? Retranslating Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby.” Perspectives, vol. 29, no. 5, 2021, pp. 661–675.
The authors explore the idea of pursuing wealth and materialism while neglecting to cultivate sensitivity and compassion in humans. In the novel, Gatsby asserts, “Her voice is full of money” (Fitzgerald 128). This journal can help demonstrate how some of Fitzgerald’s characters are motivated primarily by their social standing and desire for luxury, which is shown to be a source of betrayal and moral decay. The article focuses on Daisy, who is portrayed as selfish, materialistic, shallow, insincere, weak, seductive, and only attracted to Gatsby because of his expensive lifestyle (Zeven and Aletta 667). This journal is credible because the authors are lecturers at the Centre for Linguistics in Leiden, Netherlands.
Jiajia, Yuan. “An analysis of Gatsby’s American Dream in The Great Gatsby from the Perspective of Lukacs.” Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, vol. 4, no. 9, 2021, pp. 131–135.
Jiajia describes America’s capitalist society, where the relationship between individuals has been distorted by selfishness, greed, and the pursuit of wealth. The author follows the story of the characters living in the fictional towns of East Egg and West Egg, located on the prosperous Long Island. Daisy is married to Tom because of his wealth and social class. Conversely, Gatsby has earned a reputation, which enables him to gain recognition and be in contact with aristocrats who have been wealthy their entire lives, but he can never truly be part of them.
This journal can help facilitate discussions on the impacts of materialism and wealth, the central theme of the book. In this case, despite money being used to measure success, it segregated society. People are treated like commodities and are grouped according to how much they can afford or buy. Jiajia’s article relates to Zeven and Aletta’s journal because they all portray the flaws in pursuing material wealth.
Chen, Desheng, and Shuangchao Zhou. “A Probe into the Dark Side of Human Nature Veiled in American Dream by Analyzing “The Great Gatsby.” Advances in Social Science, Education, and Humanities Research, vol. 356, 2019, pp. 563–565.
The source can be used to illustrate how Fitzgerald’s novel portrays a stark contrast between the illusions the main characters create to present themselves to society and the realities of their lives. For instance, Gatsby constructs an elaborate disguise to impress Daisy and others, but beneath the surface lies a different truth.
In addition, what is concealed under Daisy’s pretty appearance is an empty and indifferent heart. This is because she was confident that Tom was unfaithful. However, his material comfort was the only thing that made Daisy feel contented. The article appears in a peer-reviewed journal, which implies that it has been approved by experts in the field, thereby adding to its credibility.
Cain, William E. “American Dreaming: Really Reading The Great Gatsby.” Society, vol. 57, no. 4, 2020, pp. 453–470.
In this article, Cain (2020) illustrates the unattainable nature of the American Dream. It explores how the American Dream remains a myth because it largely remains unfulfilled (Cain 453). Even those who achieve their material wishes are never truly happy.
The source is relevant because it helps prove the futility of Fitzgerald’s protagonist, Jay Gatsby’s, dream of having a relationship with Daisy Buchanan. In this case, despite Gatsby’s efforts to acquire wealth to attract Daisy, he dies without realizing his dream of being with her. This article is credible because it was published in a renowned literary journal and written by a professor of English at Wellesley College.
Mohammadi, Ali, and Ali Mohammadi. “The Great Gatsby: An Ostensibly Fulfilled Dream in an Unfulfilled Society.” International Journal of Science and Research, vol. 9, no.5, 2020, pp. 1196–1202.
The article examines the ostentatious lifestyles of the wealthy in society, characterized by power, wealth, possessions, and social connections. It employs a distinctive approach to examine how wealth generates opportunities and secures a desired standard of living (Mohammadi and Ali 1197). Fitzgerald’s novel portrays the ostentatious lifestyle of the wealthy through the characters of Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. The source is relevant because it demonstrates the materialism of several characters in the novel, such as Gatsby, who lived extravagant lives and threw parties to showcase their wealth and success to others (Fitzgerald 43). The article is credible because it was written by two assistant professors of English at the Istanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University and published in a distinguished journal.
Vooght, Ursula Saba. “Revising Race and Social Mobility in Adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.” Safundi, 2023, pp. 1–18.
Ursula’s (2023) article investigates the concept of social mobility and its challenges. It centers on failed social mobility, intrinsic to Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. In the novel, Gatsby is depicted as isolated from others, even in the exemplary parties where he is the host. Despite acquiring immense wealth and having the opportunity to assimilate freely with the wealthy class, he remained alienated from them.
This article depicts social mobility as a daunting task that entails more than material possessions (Ursula 1). Such insights are relevant in explaining Gatsby’s conflicted nature in his interactions with the upper class, regardless of whether he is one of them. The article is credible because it was written by an expert and printed by a trusted publisher.
Alaabed, Abdullah Abdulhaq. “The Great Gatsby: A Story of the American Dream and the Social Conflict.” Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, vol. 8, no. 10, 2021, pp. 245–252.
Like Ursula’s (2023) article, Alaabed highlights social conflict in the American context. The author explores the concept of social equality, which underpins the notion of the American Dream, and illustrates how it is often denied in reality. The article is relevant since it establishes the role of an individual’s social background in determining their acceptability in society.
Even though Jay Gatsby is a self-made wealthy man, he lives in a different area than Tom Buchanan and his wife, Daisy, who were born into affluent families. Despite Gatsby’s fortune and hard work, he cannot become a member of the upper class due to his social background (Alaabed 246). The article is credible because it was authored by a renowned expert in the field.
Shaik, Arifa Zahid. “The Repercussion of Loss of Self-Identity and Motive of Life in America and the Consequences of in the Culture.” International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, vol. 9, no. 4, 2020, pp. 2197–2202.
The article explores the impact of social class on self-identity and marriage. It explores how the concepts of wealth and popular culture influence marriage. Shaik demonstrates that marriage in Fitzgerald’s novel serves as a foundation for achieving identity and social class (Shaik 2200). Although Daisy knows about her husband’s infidelity, she chooses him over Gatsby because they belong to the same social class. Instead of love, marriage is based on materialism and financial security. The article is credible because it was published by a renowned publisher.