3.6.2

Chapter Six: Love & Historical Context

Test yourself

Chapter Six - Love, Historical Context and Historicism

For specification A, you are specifically interested in the implication of texts in history and how the ideology of love is presented in this text. Here are some ideas relevant to that reading:

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Significance of the reporter

  • The reporter from New York suggests that the world of media was opening up at this point and was important to celebrities such as Gatsby. This flicks forward to Gatsby’s death and how the media swarm around it. Love is best kept out of this world.
Illustrative background for Dan Cody's business dealingsIllustrative background for Dan Cody's business dealings ?? "content

Dan Cody's business dealings

  • Clearly, Dan Cody also had some shady business dealings and it is also important for the narrative that Gatsby does not receive the money left to him.
  • This was an Age when wills and legal matters such as this were becoming more important.
Illustrative background for __'Self-made'__ manIllustrative background for __'Self-made'__ man ?? "content

'Self-made' man

  • We learn more of the ethos of the ‘self-made’ man here, which dominates the image of American society during this period.
  • For Gatsby, making it means he can then love again. He has felt throughout his life that he lost Daisy through the will of ‘old money’.
Illustrative background for Gatsby's social awarenessIllustrative background for Gatsby's social awareness ?? "content

Gatsby's social awareness

  • The formal world of dinner invitations is considered here. Gatsby however, is not aware that he is not really welcome. This lack of social awareness is ominous.

Chapter Six - Love, Historical Context and Historicism

For specification A, you are specifically interested in the implication of texts in history and how the ideology of love is presented in this text. Here are some ideas relevant to that reading:

Illustrative background for Clash: __'old'__ and __'new'__ moneyIllustrative background for Clash: __'old'__ and __'new'__ money ?? "content

Clash: 'old' and 'new' money

  • At Gatsby’s party, we as readers see the overt clash between Gatsby’s crowd of ‘new money’ and Tom’s ‘old money’.
  • It is almost as if Gatsby is doing this on purpose to see how Tom will respond. The two men are still competing over the love of Daisy.
Illustrative background for Significance of __'drug-stores'__Illustrative background for Significance of __'drug-stores'__ ?? "content

Significance of 'drug-stores'

  • When Tom is suspicious about how Gatsby has accumulated his wealth, Nick defends Gatsby, saying that he made his fortune through owning ‘drug-stores’, and not through anything illegal.
  • This sequence shows the developing phenomenon of drug stores as a business enterprise, even though this is invented by Nick to cover for Gatsby.
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Nature of love fixations

  • Historical comparison tends to tell us that love fixations, such as Gatsby and Daisy's, usually have mixed results.
  • In this sense, Gatsby and Daisy are ‘star-crossed lovers’. Their love did not work out before, so why should it work out again in the present?
  • Gatsby believes that despite the historical and economic conditions of their love, it can persist. This may well be unrealistic.
Illustrative background for Clash to comeIllustrative background for Clash to come ?? "content

Clash to come

  • As the novel moves to its climax, inevitably there is a going to be a greater clash of old money and new money over love.
  • The novel debates love in this particular historical context.

Jump to other topics

1Specification Overview

1.1Specification Overview

2Context

3Plot Summary

4Character Profiles

5Key Ideas

6Writing Techniques

7Love Through the Ages - Thematic Analysis

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