In The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby does not reflect the disillusionment of the Lost Generation; he represents who the disillusioned desire to become (Moss 64). Gatsby’s need to win Daisy gives his life purpose, and this purpose drives him, fuels his success, and allows him to believe in himself and in the strength and purity of his love. Gatsby’s wealth enables him to provide the alcohol, the parties, the excesses to the disillusioned who surround him; yet he does not let their disillusionment control him. Even with his flaws, because Gatsby is a character who stays true to his personal values, he is viewed as a “hero.” Despite Fitzgerald’s own personal disillusioment, through characters like Gatsby, Fitzgerald created unforgettable characters who represented the ideal in a time where disillusionment overshadowed his life and the lives of many …show more content…
Synthesizing the deep disillusionment that characterized the movement with innovations that shattered traditional expression in writing and dance, the authors and artists of this period revolutionized beliefs about what makes art beautiful, memorable, and enduring. Though aimless and disenchanted, this Lost Generation, nevertheless, made important, lasting changes and contributions to all areas of the arts and elevated the arts to new heights. However, despite the positive effect on creative expression that the Lost Generation ultimately produced, it was still a time mired in disillusionment and weighted down by a loss of hope; it was a time, as Fitzgerald describes, of “all gods dead, all wars fought, all faith in man shaken.”
Works Cited
Becnel, Kim. Bloom’s How To Write About Ernest Hemingway. New York: Bloom’s Literary Criticism, 2009. 49-115.
Becnel, Kim. Bloom’s How To Write About F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Bloom’s Literary Criticism, 2008. 213-214.
Eliot, T.S. The Waste Land and Other Poems. New York: Barnes & Noble Books,