Chapter Eight: Love & Historical Context

Chapter Eight - 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:

Gatsby's position in West Egg

Gatsby’s love for Daisy is keeping him in West Egg. He has been watching her house but there is no great argument or change.
He is hoping that she will come back to him but this does not appear to happen.

Daisy and Gatsby's relationship

The reader receives more of the back-story about when Daisy and Gatsby first met and we also learn of the financial context of their relationship.

Practicality: Tom and Daisy's love

The practicality of love with Tom Buchanan is also considered. This shows the context in which women of this era were operating. It was not good to be left on the shelf. Tom may not have been perfect, but seems to have realised that he was a good bet as a husband.

Gatsby's thoughts on the pool

It seems that with the pool, Gatsby is thinking of himself and Daisy sat around it or swimming within it, in a romantic way.

Nick's newfound respect

In Nick, there is a new respect for Gatsby’s pure love of Daisy.

Chapter Eight - 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:

Wilson's desire for revenge

Wilson becomes more obsessed here with the infidelity of Myrtle and plans to do something about it.
Here, the issue of love engages with revenge.

Gatsby's death

The death of Gatsby means that Daisy and he will never be able to be together now. Their love is forever thwarted by fate and circumstances.

Wilson's death

Wilson’s death means that he has been taken out of the equation and perhaps shows that the working-classes had no meaning or place.

Surviving love

Most of the loves in the novel have now been broken, but ironically, the only surviving one appears to be Tom and Daisy.

1Specification Overview

1.1Specification Overview

1.1.1Specification A

2Context

2.1Context

2.1.1F. Scott Fitzgerald

2.1.21920s America

2.1.3Tragedy

2.2Criticism & Approaches

2.2.1Early & Modern Criticism

2.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Context

3Plot Summary

3.1Chapter One

3.1.1Chapter One

3.1.2Analysis of Chapter One

3.1.3Chapter One: Love & Historical Context

3.1.4End of Topic Test - Chapter One

3.2Chapter Two

3.2.1Chapter Two

3.2.2Chapter Two: Love & Historical Context

3.2.3End of Topic Test - Chapter Two

3.3Chapter Three

3.3.1Chapter Three

3.3.2Analysis of Chapter Three

3.3.3Chapter Three: Love & Historical Context

3.3.4End of Topic Test - Chapter Three

3.4Chapter Four

3.4.1Chapter Four

3.4.2Chapter Four: Love & Historical Context

3.4.3End of Topic Test - Chapter Four

3.5Chapter Five

3.5.1Chapter Five

3.5.2Chapter Five: Love & Historical Context

3.6Chapter Six

3.6.1Chapter Six

3.6.2Chapter Six: Love & Historical Context

3.6.3End of Topic Test - Chapters Five & Six

3.7Chapter Seven

3.7.1Chapter Seven

3.7.2Analysis of Chapter Seven

3.7.3Chapter Seven: Love & Historical Context

3.7.4End of Topic Test - Chapter Seven

3.8Chapter Eight

3.8.1Chapter Eight

3.8.2Chapter Eight: Love & Historical Context

3.9Chapter Nine

3.9.1Chapter Nine

3.9.2Chapter Nine: Love & Historical Context

3.9.3End of Topic Test - Chapters Eight & Nine

4Character Profiles

4.1Nick Carraway

4.1.1Nick Carraway

4.1.2Nick Carraway 2

4.1.3End of Topic Test - Nick

4.2Jay Gatsby

4.2.1Jay Gatsby

4.2.2Jay Gatsby 2

4.2.3End of Topic Test - Gatsby

4.3Daisy Buchanan

4.3.1Daisy Buchanan

4.3.2Daisy Buchanan 2

4.4Tom Buchanan

4.4.1Tom Buchanan

4.4.2Tom Buchanan 2

4.4.3End of Topic Test - Daisy & Tom

4.5Minor Characters

4.5.1Minor Characters

4.5.2End of Topic Test - Minor Characters

5Key Ideas

5.1Key Ideas

5.1.1Love

5.1.2Class

5.1.3Idealism

5.1.4Patriarchy & Presentation of Women

5.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Ideas

6Writing Techniques

6.1Structure, Genre & Narrative Voice

6.1.1Structure & Narrative Voice

6.1.2Genre

6.2Form & Language

6.2.1Form & Language

6.2.2Symbolism

6.2.3End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

7Love Through the Ages - Thematic Analysis

7.1Love Through the Ages

7.1.1The Examination

7.1.2Love Through the Ages Reading

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