The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a classic work of F. Scott Fitzgerald, an American author of short stories and novels. The book was first published in 1925 during a period known as the Jazz age. The novel was purely creative work of the author. Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on The Great Gatsby specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The story was set on North Shore in Long Island in New York City. F. Scott Fitzgerald is regarded as one of those greatest writers in America of the 20th century. The novel was written during the First World War when the American society enjoyed success. The period was known as roaring 1920s when the economy soared. During this period, manufacturing and sale of alcohol was banned which made millionaires become bootleggers. The Great Gatsby is a love story that embraces American ideals of 1920s as viewed through the characters’ actions throughout the novel. The story is about Jay Gatsby, a wealthy man, and his love for Daisy Buchanan. The book addresses the lavish life that most people lived in America during the 20s, a period referred to as roaring 20s. The 1920s of America can be termed as rebellious decade, a period when the younger generation mainly focused on having fun and fritting their time with friends instead of family. During this period, some amendments were made in American Constitution which included enforcement of prohibition. Nobody was allowed to produce, sell or even consume alcohol in America. With the existence of probation law, crime also increased in America. All these characteristics of America during 1920 are evident and inherent in the main character, Jay Gatsby, in the novel The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald portrayed Gatsby as an extravagant young man who loved parting and bootlegging. This is evident in the book: â€Å"Tom accused Gatsby of bootlegging and other illegal activities (Bruccoli 100).† Gatsby discovered that Nick who is the n arrator of the play is related to Daisy the woman he fell in love with. The love that Gatsby had for her had been buried but when he saw Daisy at Nick’s place, that love rose again which caused mayhem among Tom, Nick, Daisy and him. The plot of the book presents an intertwined love story and the characters’ actions clearly bring out the American ideals of 1920s. Gatsby also presents the economic status of Americans during 1920s. After the end of World War I, there was economic peace in America and many people had the potential to acquire wealth. Many people began to spend money on cars, tourism and houses. Advertising Looking for book review on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gatsby is a good example in the novel; he did everything in his power to acquire wealth and after that he began to misuse it. In the beginning, Gatsby was an ordinary man without much wealth; this was before he met his l ove Daisy (Bruccoli, 89). This also depicts America before 1920s when its economy was not stable yet. After the war, many soldiers decided to come back home to their families. This is one of the themes in the novel The Great Gatsby. Gatsby strived to come home at the end of the war but he ended up in Oxford. However, when he finally managed to get to home, Gatsby began to look for the love of his life, Daisy. Based on American ideals, one can say that those solders that went to fight in World War I in Europe had a strong love for their country. They went back home to look for their loved ones. The economic peace in America during 1920s is evident through the kind of life that the characters in The Great Gatsby had. Gatsby and his friends used to spend freely more on entertainment and leisure. They used to go out to lavished parties which were attended by everyone. This was accelerated by preface of alcohol beverages in Prohibition period (Bruccoli, 140). In conclusion, The Great Ga tsby is a love story that embraces American ideals of 1920s as viewed through the characters actions throughout the novel. The book addresses the lavish life that most people were living in America during the 20s, a period referred to as roaring 20s. Works Cited Bruccoli, Joseph. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: A Literary Reference. New York: Carroll Graf Publishers, 2000. This book review on The Great Gatsby was written and submitted by user Ana E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. The Great Gatsby Introduction The novel, The Great Gatsby, can be considered a form of novelized social commentary that delves into the life of Jay Gatsby, an eccentric millionaire with an unhealthy obsession with the character of Daisy Buchanon. There are three distinct characteristics of Gatsby which can be considered his defining traits yet are the source of inevitable downfall. These traits are: his obsession with the past, his unwillingness to see the problems of the present and his desire to achieve a future no matter the cost.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In essence, it can be seen that in his pursuit of what he thinks is his â€Å"ideal† love, Gatsby is in fact pursuing nothing more than a false ideal that he has placed on a pedestal. As such, it can be stated that the main thematic element of the novel is that of a critique which criticizes the excesses of socie ty during the early 1920s by exposing the various negative qualities seen by the author during this era. The embodiment of these negative aspects comes in the form of Gatsby and his life, which in the end is seen as hollow and empty, just as the morals and values of the characters seen in the novel. Obsession with the Past Gatsby’s obsession with the past can be summed up by the following quote: â€Å"If it was not for the mist we could see your home across the bay . You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.† This quote refers to the house of Daisy which is situated on the river directly across from Gatsby’s home. His obsession with the past is reflected in his unwillingness to give up what he thinks is his â€Å"ideal love†. His actions related to throwing elaborate parties, illegal bootlegging activities and even asking Daisy to cheat on her husband and be with him are all extensions of his obsession with his past relat ionship with Daisy and how he believes that they are meant to be together. What must be understood is that despite Gatsby being killed by a bullet in the end, the fact remains that he would have inevitably been arrested by the authorities as a direct result of his illegal activities. His fortune was built upon illegally transporting liquor with numerous people being aware of his activities. As such, it can be seen that such an obsession was one of the contributing factors behind his downfall. He simply refused to move on, to find someone else, and to go for another woman that would have suited his lifestyle more. Instead, he hung on as tight as he could to his ideal, and, like the fool that he was, died as a direct result of such actions. Unwillingness to see the problems of the present The unwillingness of Gatsby to see the problems of the present can be seen in the following quote which surmises the way in which he lived his life: â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light, the org iastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.†Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More What must be understood is that in the case of Gatsby he seldom examined the immediate impact of his actions and mental state and instead focused the entirety of his time on thoughts related to Daisy. The cost of his parties, the legality of his acquired fortune and the problems he was having in keeping his activities a secret were all secondary concerns in the face of his obsessive desire to have a woman that was not his. The culmination of his unwillingness to see the problems of the present is seen when he took the blame for the car accident that killed Myrtle when it was in fact Daisy that was behind the wheel of the car. The fact that he might have been arrested, incar cerated for life or even killed did not seem to occur to him. From a certain perspective it can be stated that he was blind to such potential futures and instead obsessively focused on the one thing that was most valuable to him, namely Daisy. Desire to achieve a future no matter the cost The following quote best describes the essence of Gatsby as an individual that relentlessly pursued his desired future no matter the cost: â€Å"The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God . and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.† From this quote it can be seen that Gatsby’s ego, his desire to make something of himself and to be better than what he was no matter the means was driving force b ehind him achieving his fortune through illegal means. His vision of the future involved being rich and being married to Daisy. It is due to this that he single mindedly pursued his goal to the extent that he became rich, bought a home across from Daisy’s and continued to throw lavish parties to entice her to come. However, based on the other two personality traits that have been elaborated on already, his desire was ultimately self-destructive leading him to live a hollow and empty existence with no real friends as seen in the case of his funeral. This essay on The Great Gatsby was written and submitted by user ShinobiShaw to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby

Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II

Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II The Battle of Iwo Jima was fought from February 19 to March 26, 1945, during World War II (1939-1945). The American invasion of Iwo Jima came after Allied forces had island-hopped across the Pacific and had conducted successful campaigns in the Solomon, Gilbert, Marshall, and Mariana Islands. Landing on Iwo Jima, American forces encountered much fiercer resistance than expected and the battle became one of the bloodiest of the war in the Pacific.    Forces Commanders Allies Admiral Raymond A. SpruanceMajor General Harry SchmidtVice Admiral Marc Mitscherup to 110,000 men Japanese Lieutenant General Tadamichi KuribayashiColonel Baron Takeichi Nishi23,000 men Background During 1944, the Allies achieved a series of successes as they island-hopped across the Pacific. Driving through the Marshall Islands, American forces captured Kwajalein and Eniwetok before pushing on to the Marianas. Following a victory at the Battle of the Philippine Sea in late June, troops landed on Saipan and Guam and wrested them from the Japanese. That fall saw a decisive victory at the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the opening of a campaign in the Philippines. As a next step, Allied leaders began developing plans for the invasion of Okinawa. Since this operation was intended for April 1945, Allied forces were faced with a brief lull in offensive movements. To fill this, plans were developed for the invasion of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands. Located approximately mid-way between the Marianas and the Japanese Home Islands, Iwo Jima served as an early warning station for Allied bombing raids and provided a base for Japanese fighters to intercept approaching bombers. Additionally, the island offered a launching point for Japanese air attacks against the new American bases in the Marianas. In assessing the island, American planners also envisioned using it as a forward base for the anticipated invasion of Japan. Planning Dubbed Operation Detachment, planning for capturing Iwo Jima moved forward with Major General Harry Schmidts V Amphibious Corps selected for the landings. Overall command of the invasion was given to Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and the carriers Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitschers Task Force 58 were directed to provide air support. Naval transport and direct support for Schmidts men would be given by Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turners Task Force 51. Allied air attacks and naval bombardments on the island had commenced in June 1944 and had continued through the remainder of the year. It was also scouted by Underwater Demolition Team 15 on June 17, 1944. In early 1945, intelligence indicated that Iwo Jima was relatively lightly defended and given the repeated strikes against it, planners thought it could be captured within a week of the landings (Map). These assessments led Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz to comment,  Well, this will be easy. The Japanese will surrender Iwo Jima without a fight. Japanese Defenses The believed state of Iwo Jimas defenses was a misconception that the islands commander, Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi had worked to encourage. Arriving in June 1944, Kuribayashi utilized  lessons learned during the Battle of Peleliu and focused his attention on building multiple layers of defenses that centered on strong points and bunkers. These featured heavy machine guns and artillery as well as held supplies to allow each strong point to hold out for an extended period. One bunker near Airfield #2 possessed sufficient ammunition, food, and water to resist for three months. Additionally, he elected to employ his limited number of tanks as mobile, camouflaged artillery positions. This overall approach broke from Japanese doctrine which called for establishing defensive lines on the beaches to combat invading troops before they could land in force. As Iwo Jima increasingly came under aerial attack, Kuribayashi commenced focusing on the construction of an elaborate system of interconnected tunnels and bunkers. Connecting the islands strong points, these tunnels were not visible from the air and came as a surprise to the Americans after they landed. Understanding that the battered Imperial Japanese Navy would not be able to offer support during an invasion of the island and that air support would be nonexistent, Kuribayashis goal was to inflict as many casualties as possible before the island fell. To this end, he encouraged his men to kill ten Americans each before dying themselves. Through this he hoped to discourage the Allies from attempting an invasion of Japan. Focusing his efforts on the northern end of the island, over eleven miles of tunnels were constructed, while a separate system honeycombed Mt. Suribachi at the southern end. The Marines Land As a prelude to Operation Detachment, B-24 Liberators from the Marianas pounded Iwo Jima for 74 days. Due to the nature of the Japanese defenses, these air attacks had little effect. Arriving off the island in mid-February, the invasion force took up positions. The American planned called for the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions to go ashore on Iwo Jimas southeastern beaches with the goal of capturing Mt. Suribachi and the southern airfield on the first day. At 2:00 AM on February 19, the pre-invasion bombardment commenced, supported by bombers. Heading towards the beach, the first wave of Marines landed at 8:59 AM and initially met little resistance. Sending patrols off the beach, they soon encountered Kuribayashis bunker system. Quickly coming under heavy fire from the bunkers and gun emplacements on Mt. Suribachi, the Marines began to take heavy losses. The situation was further complicated by the islands volcanic ash soil which prevented the digging of foxholes. Pushing Inland The Marines also found that clearing a bunker did not put it out of action as Japanese soldiers would use the tunnel network to make it operational again. This practice would be common during the battle and led to many casualties when Marines believed they were in a secure area. Utilizing naval gunfire, close air support, and arriving armored units, the Marines were slowly able to fight their way off the beach though losses remained high. Among those killed was Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone who had won the Medal of Honor three years earlier at Guadalcanal.   Around 10:35 AM, a force of Marines led by Colonel  Harry B. Liversedge succeeded in reaching the islands western shore and cutting off Mt. Suribachi. Under heavy fire from from the heights, efforts were made over the next few days to neutralize the Japanese on the mountain. This culminated with American forces reaching the summit on February 23 and the raising of the flag atop the summit. Grinding on to Victory As fighting raged for the mountain, other Marine units battled their way north past the southern airfield. Easily shifting troops through the tunnel network, Kuribayashi inflicted increasingly severe losses on the attackers. As American forces advanced, a key weapon proved to be flamethrower-equipped M4A3R3 Sherman tanks which were difficult to destroy and efficient at clearing bunkers. Efforts were also supported by the liberal use of close air support. This was initially provided by the Mitschers carriers and later transitioned to the P-51 Mustangs of the 15th Fighter Group after their arrival on March 6. Fighting to the last man, the Japanese made superb use of the terrain and their tunnel network, constantly popping out to surprise the Marines. Continuing to push north, the Marines encountered fierce resistance at the Motoyama Plateau and nearby Hill 382 during which the fighting bogged down. A similar situation developed to the west at Hill 362 which was riddled with tunnels. With the advance halted and casualties mounting, Marine commanders began changing tactics to combat the nature of the Japanese defenses. These include assaulting without preliminary bombardments and night attacks. Final Efforts By March 16, after weeks of brutal fighting, the island was declared secure. Despite this proclamation, the 5th Marine Division was still fighting to take Kuribayashis final stronghold at the northwest tip of the island. On March 21, they succeeded in destroying the Japanese command post and three days later closed the remaining tunnel entrances in the area. Though it appeared that the island was fully secured, 300 Japanese launched a final assault near Airfield No. 2 in the middle of the island on the night of March 25. Appearing behind the American lines, this force was ultimately contained and defeated by a mixed group of Army pilots, Seabees, engineers, and Marines. There is some speculation that Kuribayashi personally led this final attack. Aftermath Japanese losses in the fighting for Iwo Jima are subject to debate with numbers ranging from 17,845 killed to as high as 21,570. During the fighting only 216 Japanese soldiers were captured. When the island was declared secured again on March 26, approximately 3,000 Japanese remained alive in the tunnel system. While some carried on limited resistance or committed ritual suicide, others emerged to scavenge for food. US Army forces reported in June that they had captured an additional 867 prisoners and killed 1,602. The final two Japanese soldiers to surrender were Yamakage Kufuku and Matsudo Linsoki who lasted until 1951. American losses for Operation Detachment were a staggering 6,821 killed/missing and 19,217 wounded. The fighting for Iwo Jima was the one battle in which American forces sustained a greater number of total casualties than the Japanese. In the course of the struggle for the island, twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded, fourteen posthumously. A bloody victory, Iwo Jima provided valuable lessons for the upcoming Okinawa campaign. In addition, the island fulfilled its role as a waypoint to Japan for American bombers. During the final months of the war, 2,251 B-29 Superfortress landings occurred on the island. Due to heavy cost to take the island, the campaign was immediately subjected to intense scrutiny in the military and press.