The Great Gatsby – Keyterms

Unit One

  • Judgment – the process of forming an opinion by evaluation or by discerning and comparing.
  • Criticism – the act of considering the merits and demerits of and judging accordingly, usually unfavorably.
  • Resentment – a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury.
  • Romance – [A.] a love story especially in the form of a novel. [B.] something (such as an extravagant story or account) that lacks basis in fact (definition applicable in the sense that Nick romanticizes Gatsby in his narrative).
  • Morals – of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior.
  • Repercussion – an action or effect given or exerted in return: a reciprocal action or effect.
  • Betrayal – the act of failing or deserting especially in time of need.
  • Disillusion – the condition of being disenchanted: the condition of being dissatisfied or defeated in expectation or hope.
  • Flaw – an imperfection or weakness and especially one that detracts from the whole or hinders effectiveness.
  • Unreliability – the state of one being unsuitable or unfit to be depended on.
  • Manipulation – to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one’s own advantage.
  • Reality – the state or quality of being real.
  • Skepticism – an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object.
  • Affinity Bias – the tendency of one to favor people who share similar interests, backgrounds, and/or experiences as them.
  • Social Norms – the informal rules that govern behavior in groups and societies.
  • Human Nature – the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of humankind, regarded as shared by all humans.

Unit Two

  • Propaganda – information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular point of view.
  • Unexpressed Self v. Talked-Of Self
  • Tragedy – a play/story dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.
    • Hamartia – a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero.
    • Isolation
    • Catharsis – the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
    • Fate
    • Obligation to Succeed
    • Chorus – a person/group whose purpose is to underscore the moral themes, actions, character development, and messages of a story to the audience.
    • Dramatic Irony
    • Tragic Waste – when good is destroyed along with evil.
    • Tragedy of Miscalculation – where the noble protagonist makes a serious error of judgment with catastrophic results.
    • Lack of Poetic Justice
    • Spectacle – includes all aspects of the tragedy that contribute to its sensory effects: costumes, scenery, the gestures of the actors, the sound of the music, and the resonance of the actors’ voices.
  • The American Dream
    • Utopianism – the belief in or pursuit of a state in which everything is perfect, typically regarded as unrealistic or idealistic.
    • Materialism – a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.
  • Unspecified – Additional Terms
    • Sensuous Illusions
    • Reputation
    • Fame
    • Inhumanity
    • Purging
    • Audience’s Story of Self
    • Style
    • Consumerism
    • Consumption
    • Self-Invention
    • Gangster
    • Gambling
    • Artifice of Personality
    • New Identity
    • Deception
    • Wealth of Goods
    • Crime
    • Allure of the Artificial
    • Perception
    • Isolation

Paper Keyterms

  • Cinematic Gangster
  • Archetype
  • Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Evolution
  • Gangster Genre
  • Crime Genre
  • Adaptation
  • Mise-En-Scene
  • Transformation
  • Disorganized Crime
  • Organized Crime
  • Gang-Affiliates / Gang-Affiliation
  • Gang Wars
  • Self-Preservation
  • Legal Opposition
  • Criminality
  • Prohibition-Era Gangster
  • Business-Gangster
  • Consumerism
  • Archetypical Evolution
  • Legal Apprehension
  • White-Collar Crime / White-Collar Criminal / White-Collar Gangster
  • Businessmen & Criminals
  • Fugazi
  • Social Commentary
  • Brutal Power
  • Ruthlessness
  • Cunning
  • Deceit
  • Femme Fatale
  • Rough, Unpresented Interior
  • Smooth Exterior
  • Ulterior Motives
  • Internalized Amorality
  • Fabrication of Divided Internal and External Identities
    • Fabrication of Identity
  • Malevolence
  • Manipulation
  • Fallacy
  • Self-Realization
  • Honesty
  • Unreliable Narrator
  • Modern Human Condition
  • Hypocrisy
  • Frame Narrative
  • Judgment
  • Self-Awareness

“Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America’s Most-Trusted Online Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, merriam-webster.com/.

Faiyaz & Gatsby

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby’s wealth is unable to satisfactorily provide him with the fulfillment of his fantasies. Gatsby, a man born into a lower social class, fell in love with Daisy Fay, a woman of a higher social class. Their love flourished, however, it abruptly ended as Gatsby was sent off to war. Upon his return, he learned that Daisy had entered a marriage with a man named Tom Buchannan, who was of the same “old money” upper class as her. This motivated him to become rich with “new money,” which in the end, still proved not to be enough for him to reclaim Daisy as his own. Instead, his newfound wealth provided him with the false sense of security that with money, he could do anything. This truly was not the case, especially with romance, and this same concept is demonstrated in pop culture by Brent Faiyaz’ song “GHETTO GATSBY.”

“GHETTO GATSBY” opens with Faiyaz apologizing for his lack of communication (assumedly towards a significant other), but then he attempts to justify his actions by saying “flyer than the wind, I’m Gatsby” (Faiyaz 0:27). This immediate introduction directly links us to Fitzgerald’s Gatsby, which is further explained by the next verse as Faiyaz claims he can’t help his faulty reputation, then attempts to justify his actions by interjecting with “but I got models in the Sprinter,” thereby flaunting his cash (Faiyaz 0:40). With this, we can see Faiyaz’ struggle with balancing the social, financial, and romantical aspects of his life, as he seems to thrive financially yet struggle in the other two departments.

Following, Faiyaz remarks “I can’t buy you happiness if you ain’t got it, move you to a new place, still ain’t what you wanted” confirming that he himself has attempted to utilize his wealth in attempt to find the social-romantical-financial equilibrium, yet it failed (Faiyaz 0:43). This truly links Faiyaz and Gatsby, as both men attempted to utilize their financial prosperity to secure romantic relationships, but seemingly both failed and left the men with nobody (romantically) but themselves and their money. Faiyaz continues to try to justify his emptiness by referencing the “models in his Sprinter,” yet even with so much money, he still finds himself alone, emphasized by his claim, “it’s never enough” (Faiyaz 1:16).

After the repeated chorus, Alecia Keys’ verse takes its place, which evidently resembles traits and habits of Daisy Buchannan. As Fitzgerald’s narrative played out, it became apparent that Daisy only reunited with Gatsby for the benefits of his “new money.” Keys takes the same approach in her verse, nonchalantly remarking how someone “blew 300 thousand on [her] yesterday” (Faiyaz 2:54). She boasts about how she has all of these luxuries, yet then proceeds to note that “baby I’m a choosy lover,” which directly correlates with how Daisy received luxuries from Gatsby, then still was a “choosy lover” herself and conclusively did not even end up with him (Faiyaz 3:11).

In the end, Faiyaz’ “GHETTO GATSBY” makes it even more apparent that wealth cannot fulfill romantic emptiness. No matter how glamorous Faiyaz claims his life to be, his depletion of happiness and love will never equate or correlate to his abundance of wealth. Keys’ verse serves to establish the same, as no matter how much money one spends on her, she still owes the provider nothing. Both Faiyaz and Keys ultimately resemble Gatsby’s emptiness despite financial prosperity and Daisy’s manipulative shiftiness, which indicates the both of them as the modernized, “ghetto” Gatsby (and Daisy).

Faiyaz, Brent. “GHETTO GATSBY (feat. Alecia Keys).” Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/2krESug6AyfOL07tlaGwts?si=a300630ccda14cc4.