Illusions Within the Great Gatsby Free Essays

American Illusions in The Great Gatsby The American dream. Every American has his or her own ideals and preferences, but all share more or less the same dream. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores what happens when this dream is taken too far. We will write a custom essay sample on Illusions Within the Great Gatsby or any similar topic only for you Order Now What is one to do when the dream begins to overshadow reality? What are the consequences when a successful man allows the dream to matter more than life itself? Fitzgerald tells all through the hopeless Gatsby, idealistic Nick, and ignorant Myrtle. Mansions, cars, jewels, and extravagant parties- what more could a person want? Gatsby had it all, yet he was still empty inside, craving more. All the riches Gatsby has mean nothing without his great love, Daisy. Gatsby strived to become successful for the sole purpose of capturing Daisy’s heart. However, Gatsby’s dream is an unattainable and hopeless dream for he can never win her love. Daisy and Gatsby live only miles apart, but their relationship is eons apart, as Daisy is already attached. Gatsby is pursuing â€Å"a transcendent significance outside of society and beyond the notability of history† (Lynn 180). Gatsby is dreaming â€Å"the American dream† that anything is possible, but the tragic flaw within him is that he is living in the past and cannot see the destructive future that lies ahead. Gatsby says, â€Å"I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before,†¦ She’ll see,† and he does not realize that he cannot make it the way it was before (Fitzgerald 114). When Gatsby does get the chance to prove himself to Daisy, it is already too late. According to Fitzgerald, â€Å"the whole caravansay had fallen in like a card house at the disapproval in her eyes,† (Fitzgerald 114). Gatsby’s downfall is in the fact that he is unable to determine the fine line that divides reality and illusion in his life. The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock burns bright for Gatsby, but Gatsby does not realize that he cannot ever capture the light. He continues to dream blindly. This is evident when Nick tells Gatsby that he cannot relive the past and Gatsby replies, â€Å"Why of course you can, old sport! † (Fitzgerald 116). Gatsby’s dream of capturing Daisy’s love is based on a fantasy of romance, but the truth is that Daisy is already taken and no amount of money or popularity can change hat. His obsession leads him to come out and profess his love for Daisy, but Daisy does not follow in suit and his dream is over. Nick sums up Gatsby by saying â€Å"He did not know that [his dream] was already behind him†¦ † Gatsby’s â€Å"American dream† was a one-way street and, with unrequited love, Gatsby’s dream c an never come true. Gatsby’s â€Å"American dream† leads him to protect Daisy and causes his subsequent downfall, death. Nick has a haughty and idealistic dream of America, which clouds his own judgment. Nick is more aware than Gatsby. He makes a clear distinction between fantasy and reality. Nick is able to separate romance from real life. He has a perfectionist vision of America, and he judges people against his ideal American society. Nick is the right person in the wrong city associating with the wrong crowd. Nick is raised in an idealist middle-west society â€Å"where dwellings are still called through decades by a family’s name,† and where tradition is part of everyday life (Fitzgerald 184). Nick dreams the â€Å"American dream† that he can travel to the East and become wealthy and still have all the old-fashioned ways of his town. After spending a few months in the East, Nick comes to the realization that the East is corrupt, materialistic, and self-centered. Nick’s view on life is based on Western morals and a â€Å"western† American dream; one to which the East cannot measure up. Nick follows his dream according to his western morals of hard work and righteousness, yet in the East he possesses â€Å"some deficiency† which made him â€Å"subtly unadaptable to Eastern life† (Fitzgerald 184). Nick is portrayed as a young man who comes to the East to make his fortune, but finally goes back to the mid-west, horribly disillusioned. Nick is let down by his â€Å"American dream† and loses a part of his faith in society. Myrtle Wilson, like many other commoners among American society, has the â€Å"American dream† to move ahead and become successful. Myrtle is tired of her life as a â€Å"nobody from nowhere. † She wanted power, wealth, and fame. Myrtle’s way out of the ruins of society and the valley of the ashes is Tom. Myrtle feels a sense of power and with Tom she is closer to her â€Å"American Dream. Myrtle, as many Americans do, dreams of moving up in the social ladder, up towards the extravagant parties of the rich- the ultimate â€Å"American dream. † Myrtle had no chance of moving up with George Wilson, and she ended up having an affair with Tom to get ahead. Myrtle does not realize she is just a toy on the side for Tom, and her dre am will not likely come true. Myrtle is too foolishly stuck in her optimistic and ideal world to realize that Tom will never take a chance at moving a step down the social ladder. The naive Myrtle dreams of moving ahead with Tom and towards the rich society, yet in the end it is carelessness of that same society which causes her death. Myrtle Wilson turns out to be the brutal victim of Gatsby’s and Daisy’s love affair, as she left in the street for death while Gatsby and Daisy drive off without any thought of what they had done. â€Å"They saw that her left breast was swinging loose like a flap and there was no need to listen for the heart beneath† (Fitzgerald 145). Myrtle just wanted to attain her â€Å"American dream† like many others, but her ambition and lust for power caused her to pay the ultimate price, death. The hopelessness of Gatsby, Nick’s idealism, and Myrtle’s dream all contribute to the illusion of the American Dream. It is not simply American to dream, it is the duty of every person to dream. However, to dream too far and become too entranced and engrossed in one’s dream leads to either destructive behavior, ruin, or to disappointment. The Great Gatsby is based on this idea of an â€Å"American dream. † However, dreams that are taken too far become harmful illusions. 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Enema of the State by Blink-182 free essay sample

Blink-182 Review Enema of the State by Blink-182 is one of the most influential albums ever released. It captured the heart of a generation, catapulted a band into superstardom, and cemented the genre of pop-punk-rock. Blink-182 accomplished these feats by the carful crafting that went into the creation of Enema of the State. Each song has a very similar tone — they all have the same broad emotional â€Å"color† but the particular shade varies as the album progresses. The album begins with the song Dumpweed. It deals with the dynamic nature of people’s temperaments. People — especially in budding relationships between youths like the one in Dumpweed — can go from loving and kind in an instant to strong-willed and passive-aggressive the next. Dumpweed is a very fast beat song and is sung in a loud nasally voice. These characteristics allow Dumpweed to convey a sense of teen angst. Accompanying this angst in a feeling of contradiction. The lyrics about the girl read, â€Å"she’s a dove, she’s a [——]ing nightmare.† The speaker in the song doesn’t know how he feels about the girl in question, and this creates a sense of unease in the listener not unlike the sense of unease created by Cognitive Dissonance. Dumpweed is an absolutely great song and certainly one of the best on the album. The second song on Enema of the State is Don’t Leave Me. It is slower, less nasally, and less angry than Dumpweed. However, it still brings with it a sense of angst. It is the other side of the Dumpweed. Dumpweed is about a guy who is thinking about leaving a girl and her bipolar tendencies but still feels trapped. Don’t Leave Me, on the other hand, is about the moment right after a girl leaves a guy. It’s a good song, but not quite of the same caliber as Dumpweed. Aliens Exist is the third song on the album. It is unique in that it carries with it almost no sense of teen angst and doesn’t address the issue of young relationships. Aliens Exist was written by Tom Delonge to express his belief that aliens have already visited the Earth. It is a funny and thoroughly engaging song. It is much slower than the previous two songs. Aliens Exist serves as a transition between the â€Å"angsty† first two songs and what might very well be Blink-182’s greatest song. Going Away to College follows Aliens Exist. It is a truly fantastic song. It deals with how teenagers feel when the high school relationships they have had for years might very well come to an early end because of college. The metaphors the speaker employs — â€Å"and if young love is just a game then i must have missed the kick-off† and â€Å"bouquet of clumsy words† — reinforce the speaker’s claim of being â€Å"unprepared.† Going Away to College is one of the saddest and most beautiful songs written by Blink-182. Even though it deals with such a heavy subject, it manages to keep the mood the listener experience (for the most part) upbeat. Next comes one of the funniest songs on the album, What’s my Age Again?. Again, the tone of the album returns to teen angst and the subject is once again young love. Coupled with this though, are the new subjects of immaturity and growing up. The speed of the song varies, with some fast and some slow parts. This variation serves as a link between the rather slow Going away to College and the fast-paced Dysentery Gary. What’s my Age Again? is a sidesplittingly funny song that serves as an expose of some of the most ridiculous instances of teenage immaturity. Dysentery Gary comes next. It combines the humor of What’s my Age Again? with the teen angst of Dumpweed. Dysentery Gary deals with the subject of a guy’s emotional response to liking a girl only to see her end up with another guy and his jealousy affects his feelings toward that guy. While a great song on its own, Dysentery Gary is placed where it is in the album largely for its effect on the other songs. It serves as an extension of the themes introduced in What’s my Age Again? and serves a foil to the next song All the Small Things. All the Small Things is the most listened to Blink-182 song ever, and for good reason. It is a truly inspired peace of music. It is moderately fast song, but lacks the teen angst seen in much of the album. It uses only simple and almost excessively monosyllabic words. This gives All the Small Things and almost childlike sense of purity and clarity. Tom Delonge wrote it about his girlfriend at the time (she is now his wife). He uses actual examples from his relationship to give the song depth. She actually â€Å"left roses by the stairs† and her â€Å"surprises let [him] know she cares.† She was always at â€Å"[his] show, watching, waiting, commiserating.† All the Small Things is arguably the best Blink-182 song and best song on the record because of the depth Delonge reaches by writing from his own experiences. While a decent song, the next song —-The Party Song — doesn’t resonate in the same way all the other songs emotionally resonate with the listener. Yes, it is fast paced and â€Å"angsty,† but it deals with the entirely different (and superficial) subject matter of college parties. This song doesn’t really add to the overall flow of the album. The final song, Anthem, again has a sense of teen angst but also deals with a new subject. It is about a massive party the members of Blink threw when they were in High School. While detailing that night, the song also critiques on the influence parents have on their teenage children. Anthem compares the absolute control parents have over their children’s lives to â€Å"instant slavery.† It is one of the better songs on the album because of the new subject it introduces while still evoking a sense of teen angst. Ultimately, Enema of the State is a great album and probably Blink-182’s best album. It gave Blink a wide fan base (before with the release of Dude Ranch, Blink has only been popular in surfer and punk culture). In large part it did so well because of how well Enema was targeted to its audience. It aimed to attract teenagers and college kids. Enema’s subject matter as well as the teen angst it embraced and the immaturity it brought to life greatly attracted this demographic. All the songs on Enema of the State are good if not great, and for this any the many other reasons, it is one of the most influential and entertaining albums ever released.

Marxist Ideology Essays - Political Philosophy, Politics, Thought

Marxist Ideology "Capital is not personal, but social power and product." (Karl Marx) Karl Marx, perhaps one of the most influential philosophers in history, is widely remembered for the revolutionizing ideologies he presented in the Communist Manifesto. Marx was certainly a man of great intelligence and vision. His many visions about capitalistic development are constantly reflected in today's society. Job alienation is certainly rampant. Most individuals have a "TGIF; Monday sucks" mentality. To most people work rather than happiness is the meaning of life; nothing is ever enough?everyone wants more, More, MORE. The bourgeois are running things, as a large portion of the world's resources and wealth is in the hands of a select few. The immediate question that then comes to mind is whether this is advantageous to society. To correctly answer this deep question, one must look at the pros and cons of the socialist ideology. In theory, socialism has several observable benefits. For one, the equality of humankind presents itself as an important theme. The capitalistic bourgeois/proletariat relationship that exists is destroyed. Consequently, the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeois is non-existent. Work now takes on a different meaning?instead of being the result of greed and necessity, work becomes a means of helping and interacting with society. In the truest form of communism, acquiring wealth is an unnecessary evil?instead society provides the individual with an adequate standard of living and vice versa. Ultimately, an ideal communist state is practically a Utopia. Marx clearly predicted that a state of Utopia would form with a transition from communism. (Marx detailed steps to reaching Utopia include: primitive socialism feudalism capitalismsocialism communism Utopia.) While communism has its benefits, the reality of reaching these benefits is literally non-existent. Even Marx predicted that this would be the case!?he said that in the presence of capitalism, communism will lose. This is a very interesting statement, and clearly implies that the socialistic ideology is not perfect. Communism is a Utopia, and therefore it arguably cannot exist. Communism calls for the cooperation of too many individuals. Everyone would have to be a productive member of society. Politicians and government officials would have to govern flawlessly. Any form of corruption could not be tolerated, as it could bring about total anarchy and downfall. In addition to these troublesome"technicalities," the idea of public goods does not always result in the desired outcome. For example, imagine the creation of a public lawnmower. As opposed to a private owner who would try to preserve the longevity of the lawnmower, the public would have no real incentive to take care of the lawnmower. Certainly, private ownership provides to the preservation of goods and resources. Also, take into consideration the status of the US public school system as compared to the US private school system. Private schools have done remarkably better at producing better results and using less money when compared to US public schools. To an extent this can also be said for private health care?in comparing England's and Canada's health care systems to that of the US. Lastly, the communist ideology destroys competition. With no competition people do not have an incentive to advance. Inferior products that lack quality and improvement are made. Inferior services that lack needed advancement?such as health care?are provided. This is not to say that this is the case with all services and products. However, without competition there is no real desire to change the norm, regardless of how good or bad it is. This would be especially damaging to advances in medicine, science, and research.

Customer and Extended Marketing Mix Essay Example

Customer and Extended Marketing Mix Essay Example Customer and Extended Marketing Mix Essay Customer and Extended Marketing Mix Essay Essay Topic: Extended Process is another component of the extended marketing mix. It is basically associated with the customer service; how does the business, in this case the restaurant, deal with the customer from the first point to the last one. Marketing nowadays has become much more complicated and having a product and a place without having a successful process will not help in developing a relationship with the customer. Therefore the interaction with the customers is crucial, since a decision made by customers always decides their choice in the next time. It requires a proper encounter, good communication, the right action and a suitable resolution. Furthermore, the aim of the restaurant is to build a long-term relationship with its customer and to support them on a continuing basis. Process mainly covers some steps such as procedures, controls, accessibility, information flows, payments, bookings and speed and timing of delivery. Procedures, from the entrance in the restaurant, have to be followed effectively in order to achieve customer satisfaction. In Nandos, there is a welcoming host who accommodates customers on to a table and provides the menus. The second step is for the customer to go to the counter, make the order by giving the table number and paying the amount required. After this, the customer is supposed to collect the cutlery and any sauces or dressings. After the order is brought to the table and the food is consumed, the customer can order additional items such as deserts, without having to go to the counter again. This is the stage where self-service and the traditional one are blended. In terms of controls and accessibility, Nandos provides its customers with a website and a telephone system which supports the customers effectively, moreover if any complaints or complements, they can be send to their site. Bookings can be made through the phone if a big table is required or at busy times, in our case, weekend at lunch times. A distinctive fact from most of other restaurants is that the food takes very little time to be served since the chicken is half cooked, stored in some special ovens they use to keep it warm and placed straightforwardly on the grill. Evidently, the busier the place the longer the food will take, however not more than 25 minutes. The main focus on the restaurant is what and how to benefit a customer, which has a direct effect on the customers’ evaluation of enjoying and determining whether they will come back or not. Consequently, if the process sector is carried out effectively, the customer will patronize again. (don’t do delivery but take away†¦relevant in the process part )

An Introduction to Representational Art

An Introduction to Representational Art The word representational, when used to describe a work of art, means that the work depicts something easily recognized by most people. Throughout our history as art-creating humans,  most  art has been representational. Even when art was symbolic, or non-figurative, it was usually representative of something. Abstract (non-representational) art is a relatively recent  invention and didnt evolve until the early 20th-century. What Makes Art Representational? There are three basic types of art: representational, abstract, and non-objective. Representational is the oldest, best-known, and most popular of the three. Abstract art typically starts with a subject that exists in the real world but then presents those subjects in a new way. A well-known  example of abstract art is Picassos Three Musicians.  Anyone looking at the painting would understand that its subjects are three individuals with musical instruments–but neither the musicians nor their instruments are intended to replicate reality. Non-objective art does not, in any way, replicate or represent reality. Instead, it explores color, texture, and other visual elements without reference to natural or constructed world. Jackson Pollock, whose work involved complex splatters of paint, is a good example of a non-objective artist. Representational art strives to depict reality. Because representational artists are creative individuals, however, their work need  not look precisely like the object they are representing. For example, Impressionist artists such as Renoir and Monet used patches of color to create visually compelling, representative paintings of gardens, people, and locations. History of Representational Art Representational art got its start many millennia ago with Late Paleolithic figurines and carvings. Venus of Willendorf, while not too terribly realistic, is clearly meant to show the figure of a woman. She was created around 25,000 years ago and is an excellent example of the earliest representational art. Ancient examples of representational art are often in the form of sculptures, decorative friezes, bas-reliefs, and busts representing real people, idealized gods, and scenes from nature. During the middle ages, European artists focused largely on religious subjects. During the Renaissance, major artists such as Michaelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci created extraordinarily realistic paintings and sculptures. Artists were also commissioned to paint portraits of members of the nobility. Some artists created workshops in which they trained apprentices in their own style of painting. By the 19th century, representative artists were beginning to experiment with new ways of expressing themselves visually. They were also exploring new subjects: instead of focusing on portraits, landscapes, and religious subjects, artists experiments with socially relevant topics related to the Industrial Revolution. Present Status Representational art is thriving. Many people have a higher degree of comfort with representational art than with abstract or non-objective art. Digital tools are providing artists with a wider range of options for capturing and creating realistic images.   Additionally, the workshop (or atelier) system continues to exist, and many of these teach figurative painting exclusively. One example is the School of Representational Art in Chicago, Illinois. There are also whole societies dedicated to representational art. Here in the United States, the Traditional Fine Arts Organization comes quickly to mind. A web search using the keywords of representational art (your geographical location) should turn up venues and/or artists in your area.

WORLD WAR II WAS A WAR OF UNPRECEDENT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, MUCH OF Essay

WORLD WAR II WAS A WAR OF UNPRECEDENT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, MUCH OF IT FOCUSED ON CIVILIANS, WHY - Essay Example The major control of Germany was in the hand of Adolf Hitler. He was the leader of Nazi party. He conquered the lands of Germany and defeated Poland. This proved to break out war against Germany and slowly nearly whole world indulged into it. In world war 2 more than 63 million people of allied and axis powers were died. This death figure included 24 million soldiers and 38 million civilians in which 90% civilians were from allied nations. Allied nations defeated the axis powers and this was the end of war. The major destruction in this war caused to Allied nation people. Death figure of civilians are given which shows the deadliness of world war 2.Around 11.7 million civilian died in Soviet Union, 7 million in China, 5.2 million in Poland, 2 million in Germany and 0.6 million in Japan. 5 million European Jews died due to genocide. In world war two many new weapons like atomic bombs, missiles, fighter planes, biochemical bombs were invented which caused to mass destruction and genetic disorders.

Analyzing the play Real women have curves and applying critical Essay

Analyzing the play Real women have curves and applying critical thinking and terms - Essay Example But God has selected the woman, not the man, to give protection for the initial nine months to His creative force! This is the common thinking line of Josefina Lopez, in all her literary creations, whether it is a novel or the play. She is part of the problem and she participates in their solutions through literature. The colours may vary, her canvass is the same. Her thinking has something to do with her upbringing in a traditional Mexican household, the history and geography of it where menfolk are invariably served food first, not necessarily the prime items, but the leftovers. It is a herculean effort for the woman to nurture her body, spirit and soul. â€Å"Real Women Have Curves†, is her autobiographical play with a difference. She creates a play that depicts feminist consciousness clubbed with working-class consciousness. She defends womanhood with an approach of sarcasm. She does not pity her, condemn her, but wonders how a woman has to bear with so much pressure, to n urture her body image. The shape of her body is important to her; it is also important to menfolk. The story relates to a young woman who wants to go to college but the family pressurises her to work, obviously to earn. The important issues of oppression grounded on gender, class and ethnicity, coupled with the immigration problems of the Latino community are meaningfully classified in the play. On the whole, the play is a feminist narrative of upward mobility and it is a working class play. Women who wish to achieve success in life need to take Josefina as the model. Her life lets you know how to remain unbeatable in adversaries and triumph in the end. She is a Latina, an utterly traditional community, that puts many hurdles in the path of a progressive woman, and yet she succeeds in breaking out from that set up, and designs her own pattern of life. From the point of view of a reviewer and critic, the characters speaking Spanish may be a problem, but it keeps the authenticity of t he dialogues, for each community and each language has something that is un-translatable, and needs to make meaning in the original form. In brief, â€Å"Real Women Have Curves,† is the ‘biography’ of the Latino community. The author’s Chicana pride triumphs over all odds. In the play immigration has been shown as a persecution the Latino has to undergo and the author identifies the characters with one’s real-life experiences. Coming to the plot of the play proper, â€Å"Real Women Have Curves†, highlights the relationship between five Latina women. When women from common background join together, they unknowingly form a ‘union’ (not in the trade union sense of the term). In that association they share their sorrows and joy, mostly sorrows, as they belong to poor immigrant families. The story relates to the year 1987, when the problem of immigrants is the highly discussed in the American sociological and political circles. One of the five women, Ana is ambitious, she is a fresh high school graduate, and she has great dreams to achieve success in life, that too as a writer. A writer, with the writing skills and passion to transform the society, is able to achieve something tangible to the ethnic group to which she belongs. This seems to be the agenda of Ana. In the play under review she aims to achieve her objectives by describing the physical beauty of the multi-generational families, who have achieved prosperity as participants in the American Dream. She has no ambiguities or fear about