Essay about An Annotated Critical Bibliography of the...

An Annotated Critical Bibliography of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gastby Pauly, Thomas H. Gatsby as Gangster. Studies in American Fiction, vol. 21 no. 2, 1993. Thomas H. Pauly, after an evidently thorough examination of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, is convinced that Jay Gatsby, the mysterious figure upon whom the novel fixates, is a sinister character and a mastermind regarding illegal activities. Despite Gatsby’s charming attitude and contrary claims, Pauly believes that â€Å"Gastby is a businessman†¦whose business is crime—and this means whatever illegal enterprise comes to hand. Today he would be dealing in narcotics and selling arms to terrorists (46).† Throughout his essay, Pauly provides examples to promote†¦show more content†¦Although Pauly’s is an interesting point, he fails to exhibit sufficient valid evidence to prove his original thesis; only vague speculations are provided to substantiate his theorizing. It is, indeed, obvious that throughout the novel, Gatsby is involved in criminal activities; however, there is little proof to show that he is a â€Å"sinister gangster,† as Pauly believes him to be. Meyer Wolfshiem, in fact, once refers to Gatsby as nothing more than a gentlemanly, charming tool which he employed for his own uses (179); even those closest to Gatsby do not think him to be any kind of mastermind. Gatsby was not a cunning criminal mastermind; his illegal actions were simply the only avenue within his knowledge that would bring him wealth, which he would need in order to win Daisy’s heart. On the contrary, Gatsby was not particularly cunning in anything, least of all that to which he devoted his life—Love. Doyno, Victor A. Patterns in The Great Gatsby. Modern Fiction Studies, XII 415-426, 1969. Victor A. Doyno claims that The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is filled with many patterns and subtle nuances. In his essay, he demonstrates this belief with many examples and excerpts from the novel, and makes many interesting points. Doyno believes The Great Gatsby to be a â€Å"consciously artistic achievement,† and attempts to prove his argument. Doyno’s first observation regards the photographs taken by Mr. McKee as they are shownShow MoreRelatedF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby2385 Words   |  10 PagesFitzgerald s drinking and Zelda s affairs. Zelda tried to live her lifelong dream, as a ballet dancer, but she soon fell sick. Fitzgerald left to pay the hospital bills and was put in a great deal of debt. His daughter, on the other hand, was sent to boarding school, not having much of a relationship with her parents. In great need of a source of income, in 1937, Fitzgerald turned to Hollywood as a screenwriter. He didn’t quite enjoy it, but his addiction was put under control. (Bloom, Fitzgerald, F. Scott)