The Great Gatsby in general shows relations and styles of American Literature from Puritans to modernists. Gatsby represents Modernism and Realism as well. The Puritan writing style is focused on a mission to settle in America. In the Great Gatsby, Gatsby's "mission" is to accomplish and ultimately live the American Dream.
In the beginning of the novel he isn't really popular, and not very many people know him as "Gatsby", like they do in the end. He is very poor, and Daisy, his gold digger girlfriend, broke up with him because he didn't have a lot of money. He later looks at life from a different point of view, and comes to realization that he is going to change to become more successful and popular. He set a mission for himself that in general said he was going to become rich and happy. This mission he is going to set on, is a mission like the Puritans.
Gatsby uses another trend called the "Age of Reason". Age of Reason pretty much means that you think about how the things you achieved were achieved, or in other words, you look back on and notice the ways that you accomplish the things you do. An example of this would be how Gatsby lives by a set and strict schedule. He makes a schedule for himself so he can compete self improvement. "Rise from bed at 6:00 a.m., Dumbbell exercise and wall scaling 6:15- 6:30, Study electricity, etc 7:15-8:15, work 8:30-4:30 p.m., baseball and sports 4:30-5:00, Practice elocution, poise and how to attain it 5:00-6:00, study needed inventions 7:00-9:00" (173). The puritans lived by strict schedules as well because they were solely focused on God that all things had to be done in time and in order so that worship and "God time" was available for how ever long was needed.
Sadie Spring
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