F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the Jazz Age :: Great Gatsby Essays

The Great Gatsby The Jazz Age In 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald said that â€Å"An author ought to write for the youth of his generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterwards.† Fitzgerald wrote about what he saw during the 1920’s, which he dubbed â€Å"The Jazz Age,† and The Great Gatsby is considered a correct depiction of that era. After World War I, many Americans felt a distrust toward foreigners and radicals because they held them responsible for the war. These beliefs led to a revival of the Ku Klux Klan, a racist, anti-Catholic, and anti-Semitic group. This general distrust of liberal movements and foreigners lasted throughout the decade. In 1920, Harding won in a landslide victory under the campaign promises of returning to â€Å"normalcy.† People wanted peace and prosperity and Harding tried to give it to them by returning the United States to its prewar conditions. He established probusiness policies and went against labor unions. He pushed peace by urging disarmament. The Congress passed bills to restrict the number of immigrants coming into the country. Harding was very popular because he returned the U.S. to prosperity, after his death in 1923 it became apparent that his administration was one of the most corrupt in U.S. history. Calvin Coolidge took over and followed Harding’s policies and the prosperity continued. Young people, disillusioned by their experiences in World War I, rebelled against prewar attitudes and conventions. Women refused to give up the independence they had gained from the jobs the got during the war. In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment gave them the right to vote, and they demanded to be recognized as equals. Women adopted a masculine look: they bobbed their hair, were more open about sex, quit wearing corsets, and smoked and drank in public. Most Americans were brought up to at least a modest level of comfort. They worked fewer hours and were making more money, so the development of leisure activities became important. Prohibition, enacted by the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, attempted to get rid of alcohol. Instead of ending the use of alcohol, Prohibition prompted the growth of organized crime.

Is Poetry Still Relevant in Today’s Society

Poetry has been used throughout the centuries, but is it still relevant in today's society? some major aspects of poems are relevant today such as; subject matters, structure, rhythm, rhyme and the desire for expression of one's own self in a written form. There are also aspects which may not be of relevance in modern society these are; form, language style and emotional complexity. The subject matters that nineteenth century poets wrote about are relatable to today's people. The sonnet ‘Summer Noon' describes an extremely hot â€Å"breathless hour† somewhere similar to the australian outback. This subject is not just relevant to the poets of the nineteenth century but also to today's society. People like to express their feelings, experiences and opinions of the enviroment around them. The sonnet structure allows a poet to express this mood and atmosphere in depth, helping you to visualise and feel that particular place. In the lines, â€Å"blur of sound/ that dulls the brain, with slumbrous weight† effectively describes a lazy mood and relaxed atmosphere. The majority of subjects depicted by nineteenth century poets focused on deep feelings and emotions such as love, joyfullness, anguish and sorrow. A common poem form in the 19th century; the sonnet which usually used beauty as a subject matter, which is also expressed in 21st century poetry. Various poem forms incorporate simple and effective structures, rhythm and rhyming schemes. Poets use these forms as it artistically illustrates and organises thoughts. The nineteenth century poets established these particular forms in which we use today in modern poetry. A song is a form of ballad and this form is the superior form used in todays society. songs are attractive because of their free, abstract and experimental structure while still using rhyme and rythm as a base. he other forms of poems are not as popular to listener and readers. This is mainly because they are personal and for one's own personal satisfaction and are therefore not created for other poeple to appreciate. Due to the old english language used in 18th and 19th century poems, it is difficult to accurately translate this formal language and therefore distracts the reader from the poems central meaning, making these poems difficult to decifer. The poeple of the 1800's expressed themselves and their emotions in a straight forward way whereas poeple of today are more insightful using indirect symbolism and deeper meaning in their poetry. odays youth find difficulty in relating to this type of thinking and cheesy expression of feelings, detering them from using poetry as a medium for personal expression. The use of poetry throughout the ages has always been a way of expressing inner emotions, views and experiences in a structured yet artistic way. varying differences in the english languages may have resulted through time but the concept of poetry still remains relevant and is ageless.

The Significance of the Title to Kill a Mockingbird Essay

ESSAY: Explain the significance of the title, To Kill a Mockingbird. The title To Kill a Mockingbird is very significant to the novel as it portrays many forms of mockingbirds throughout it. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are the true Mockingbirds of the story. They both are innocent from the accusations claimed upon them. When choosing the title of the novel, Harper Lee had to make sure it stood out but also was relevant to the story. To Kill a Mockingbird shows the readers an unusual and interesting title that stirs their interest. Also that throughout the story it will symbolise something of importance. The readers are lead to believe that the phrase ‘to kill a mockingbird’†¦show more content†¦He is innocent of all of the claims and stories made up about him. He is robbed of friendship and trust with the entire town and is hurt by the cruel remarks made by the townsfolk. He had never done anything to harm anyone or anything in his lifetime; instead he strove to help people whenever he could, but tried to help them as best he could without being seen or noticed. One cold night when Scout Finch was standing frozen cold outside the Radley house, Boo secretly slipped a blanket over Scout’s shoulders to give her warmth. He also gave the two children, Jem and Scout, a f ew presents in a knot hole of a tree to show his compassion and warm heart. He even helped to protect the two children when Bob Ewell tried to murder them both. These examples show his innocence and that he is obviously not a monster. Scout comes to realise that he has inner goodness that must be cherished, alike a mockingbird. The town had committed a sin by harming him from the cruel things they had made up about him. And it was a sin when Tom Robinson, an innocent man, was killed when it came to his turn in the novel. The second section of the novel shows that Atticus Finch defended Tom Robinson, a black, Negro man charged of the rape of a white girl. Tom was known as a respectable, reliable and hard-working man. He had never shown disrespect of any kind to anyone and until this point, he was known as an innocent man. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Significance of the Title of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1065 Words   |  5 PagesThe Significance of the Title of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The title of this novel is To Kill a Mockingbird and throughout the book the word mockingbird appears several times. The mockingbird is the most significant symbol in the novel. The motif of the story is the innocent creature of the mockingbird. What is a mockingbird? A mockingbird is a type of finch. It is a small plain bird and has a beautiful song. It got its name because its beautiful sing mocks Read MoreThe Significance of the Title To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1095 Words   |  5 PagesThe Significance of the Title To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee In this novel the most significant symbol is the mocking bird. A mocking bird is a type of Finch: a small, discrete bird with a beautiful song, which mocks or imitates the other birds song. One of the most explicit references made about mocking birds is that in chapter 10. Atticus is telling Scout and Jem how top use their shotguns for the first time, he says, Shoot all the bluejays you want, ifRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1394 Words   |  6 Pages To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is a tale of the reality of growing up in a community involving racial segregations and stereotypes. The story takes place in the 1930s during the early stages of the Great Depression in Maycomb County, Alabama. Scout Finch, the main character, lives with her brother Jem, widowed father Atticus, and Calpurnia, the house cook, in a cozy home that only allows love and happiness to seep through its walls and marinate in the streets that are filled withRead MoreComparing Literary Devices In A Doll House And A Dolls House770 Words   |  4 PagesThe texts that have been analyzed have have contrasting literary devices, this can be ascribed to the fact that â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† was written as a novel with the intent to be read and â€Å"A Dolls House† a play with the intent to be watched and acted out. Thus the way in which they express the li terary devices have different effects and evoke emotions differently within their respective audiences. Ibsen incorporates both inner and outer conflict in A Dolls House with a specific end goal to propelRead MoreThe Setting Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1354 Words   |  6 PagesLiterary Analysis Name: Amy Lyons Title: To Kill a Mockingbird Author: Harper Lee Setting: The setting of To Kill a Mockingbird is a small town in south Alabama called Maycomb County in the early 1930s. Point of View: Harper Lee s first, only novel is written in first person due to the fact we see the whole story through Scout s perspective. Theme: One of the crucial themes that Lee based the novel on was racism, which was an extremely controversial topic at the time the book was publishedRead MoreEssay Innocents in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee897 Words   |  4 Pages The title â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† is taken from a quote in the book, where Atticus says Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit em, but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird. (lee Later, Miss Maudie Atkinson states that Mockingbirds dont do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. (p.177). This shows that mocking birds are innocent, and that is why Atticus strongly forbids his children to kill them. To Kill a Mockingbird novels theme is how prejudice affects the town of maycombRead MoreSummary Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1259 Words   |  6 PagesLicked From the Beginning To Kill a Mockingbird, follows the story of a curious young girl named Scout, with a tomboyish nature. Her innocence is very clear at the beginning of the book, but as the story continues, Scout learns many valuable life lessons that dissolves her innocence. Through the adventures of her brother, Jem, her friend, Dill, and herself, they find that society isn’t always fair and equal in the very racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout learns how to cope with her emotions,Read MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird Metaphor Analysis: It is a Sin to Kill Tom Robinson1531 Words   |  7 PagesSin to Kill Tom RobinsonMockingbirds dont do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They dont eat up peoples gardens, dont nest in corncribs, they dont do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. Thats why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. (90) This quote is stated by Miss Maudie, underscoring the point of view of Atticus, who is a lawyer given an uphill job of substantiating a black mans innocence wh o is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewells. To Kill a Mockingbird is an inspirationalRead MoreThe Mockingbirds in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay680 Words   |  3 PagesThe significance of the store To Kill a Mockingbird is the expression mocking bird appears in the story lots of times. Also the most significant novel in this whole book is the mockingbird symbol. Another significant part of the story is the definition of a mockingbird and it is a type of Finch, it’s also a small bird who likes to sing. It got the name mockingbird because when it sings it is mocking other birds. (http://www.allfreeessays.com/essays/The-Significance-Of-The-Title-Of/21174.html) Read MoreEssay about Prejudice Runs Deep in To Kill A Mockingbird1650 Words   |  7 PagesPrejudice Runs Deep in To Kill A Mockingbird    To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in small town Maycomb, Alabama, a depression era town where people move slowly and twenty-four hours seems longer.   The narrator of the story is a six-year-old girl named Jean Louise Finch, a tomboy who hates wearing dresses and goes by the nickname Scout.   Scouts being a tomboy is of no little significance because while we are treated to a sweet and affectionate portrayal of Maycomb at the novels opening,