Written by Fitzgerald, F. Scott, the first publishing of “The Great Gatsby” took place in 1925. Thus, finding a basis in the original publish of the novel, it is safe to argue that the narration attempts to capture the changes in the United States as of 1925. During the 1900s, the United States was witness to transformations in the political, monetary and public ideologies of its people. Fitzgerald’s work presents characters from different backgrounds and different scenarios that question the peoples’ characteristics, values, and principles. Consequently, while communicating his views of America, readers observe an analysis of morality in the country’s society of the twentieth century through the eyes of the writer. In concurrence, Sculley describes the story as “perhaps the most striking fictional analysis of the age of the gang barons and the social conditions that produced them.” With the narrator pursuing his dream to gain riches, he exposes himself to people with diverse traits to represent America in various stages. This analytical paper seeks to examine the American dream as a culture in “The Great Gatsby”. In turn, it will present the methods Fitzgerald uses to analyze the changing nature of the idea in the United States of 1920s. The objective will in turn provide evidence to the changes that the author sees in the community and its people.
Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” revolves around the life of one Nick Carraway, story’s narrator, who relocates to a new region in search of riches. Dubbed as West Egg, Nick’s new home portrays a somber air in comparison to the prosperous East Egg area. Nick’s association with East Egg finds a basis in his cousin Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan, living there alongside other wealthy people. Whilst with the Buchanans, Nick realizes the sharp contrast between the life they lead and his own, a contrast that the arrival of Jordan Baker, a professional golfer, sharpens further. Fitzgerald introduces his readers to Jay Gatsby, Nick’s neighbor and a mysterious character that lives in isolation with the habit of throwing extravagant parties every weekend. As per the book’s title, Gatsby is the protagonist of the story. Then, users become aware of the adulterous relationship between Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson, a resident of the less affluent Valley of Ashes and the wife of a garage and gas station owner. Tom Buchanan takes Nick to meet Myrtle, his mistress, in the city, where the cheating couple has an apartment in which they meet. While in the apartment, the trio start drinking and acting rowdy, both factors lead to Tom breaking Myrtle’s nose after the two begin fighting over Daisy Buchanan. On another day, Nick receives an invitation to one of Gatsby’s parties in which he bumps into Jordan Baker. In winding up the party scene, Fitzgerald informs his readers that Gatsby confides in Jordan about an unclear subject. Afterward, the story illustrates different themes. First, there is romance as Nick and Jordan get closer and begin something akin to a relationship. Second, there are transgressions against the law as Nick meets Gatsby’s associate, Meyer Wolfshiem, who, as readers know, is Gatsby’s connection to the crime. Third, there is more adultery as Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan begin an affair in a bid to rekindle their previous love. It is a relationship between Gatsby and Daisy that leads to the murder of Myrtle Wilson and later that of Gatsby at the hands of Wilson, the dead woman’s wife. Finally, the novel depicts the materialistic nature of the characters by showing the disregard towards Gatsby’s death as very few people show up for his funeral.
In order to appreciate the American Dream as a culture, there is a need to understand the factors that drive twentieth century Americans. Primarily, America that emerged in the twentieth century was recovering from years of different social beliefs based on racism. Thus, the state sought to ensure their people grew prosperous despite the changes that call for equality for all people. Whilst attesting to the notion of rapid change, Kusch and Crocker argue that Fitzgerald’s novel upholds the views of racism through the character of Tom Buchanan. For instance, when talking about the aforementioned relationship between Daisy and Jay Gatsby, Tom makes a racist comment. According to Tom Buchanan, there is a similarity between the “sneering of family life and family institutions” and having“intermarriage between black and white.” Fitzgerald’s perception of the people is a contradiction to the American Dream because racism hinders the right approach to the idea. The American Dream is characterized by “freedom, equality and opportunity for all are the characteristics which best summarize what America and American Dream have long been considered to stand for.” Thus, racism in “The Great Gatsby” forms part of the gradual eradication of the epitome of the American Dream in early twentieth century. The lack of balance is one point Fitzgerald comments on about the white Americans believing in white supremacy yet feigning a free nation. Aside from the differences between the whites and African Americans, other instances in the novel show skepticism by the author.
With the evidence of the American Dream as a culture in mind, it is important to know that Fitzgerald does not attack the idea itself. Instead, “The Great Gatsby” pays attention to the changing habits that corrupt the dream. In “The Great Gatsby and Revolution, in Theme and Style” Levitt attests to the author’s objectives. According to Levitt, “Fitzgerald patterns and groups his characters and their social differences so as to show the corruption” in America. Such is the case between Gatsby and Daisy as the latter attempts to lure the former with the display of his properties. Instead of focusing their energy on “the pursuit of happiness,” goals “changed into another concept: the pursuit of money!” Thus, Fitzgerald’s criticism of American culture revolves around the five main characters in the novel and different images and symbols in the same.
First, Fitzgerald describes a margin between the wealthy and the underprivileged, a factor that is well founded. A good example finds basis in Jay Gatsby, who throws lavish parties every Saturday, and Myrtle and her husband, who live in a garage. Amid the two, there is an apparent dissimilarity between the West Egg area and the Valley of Ashes, the areas in which, Gatsby and the Wilsons live respectively. Fitzgerald aims at showing, “everyone’s place is determined unchangeably” by their wealth that also determines their class in society. The predetermination makes sure that there is a permanent “difference between the old money and the new money, symbolically represented by the east egg and west egg societies.” Because of the predetermination, there is no room for justice as the rich get richer; the poor continue to wallow in poverty.” The differences are a further critique to the lack of equality amongst the people.
The second presented argument revolves around the love for money. Most of the twentieth century, particularly the 1920s, marked “the dissolution of Victorian moral values and the frenzy for money and upward mobility.” As a result, the country witnessed a surge in the cases of corruption and the gradual collapse of morality as more people pursued riches. As they were years following the Great War, Historians refer to the period as the “Jazz Age” as untroubled attitudes and many parties mark the time. During the era, people sought “an excess of money and material possessions, such as an expensive car and an extravagant house.”Consequently, in the 1920s, cars and affluence became symbol in society with most people placing a lot of emphasis on the amount of wealth a person possesses. Fitzgerald’s book captures the ideology of wealth within the United States’ society through Gatsby. In other words, because Gatsby “can stand for America itself”, the man possesses five cars and a mansion, to mention a few of his riches. Therefore, with Gatsby’s richness, Fitzgerald turns him into the symbol of the novel as a whole. From the title of the narration to the connections Jay Gatsby has with the other characters, and events in the story, his importance is obvious to the readers. Property is important to the people as Gatsby’s riches are important to the people around him and his relationship with Daisy.
More on material goods, the depressing views Fitzgerald has of the American nation in the 1920s are visible through his depiction of the people attending Gatsby’s party. The people like money to the extent that, they disregard their safety and the people with whom they interact. In the novel, there are the two women in matching yellow dresses who according to Fitzgerald are self-absorbed and care less about other people. For instance, the girls point out that they go to parties because they “always have a good time.” Consequently, “the parties, which Gatsby holds, are the epitome of the corruption of the age and its ideal as the American Dream.” Parvin and Parisa’s views find a basis in the characters that gain access into Gatsby’s house and an analysis of the get-togethers. By the fact that Gatsby is a stranger to the crowd, it means that he hides himself whilst his guests continue to party. On that note, it is vital to remember that most of the guests invite themselves, a fact that directly reflects the possibility of complete strangers in the mansion. Both aspects are a direct display of the carelessness of the society about their safety, reputations, and love for money. In addition, nobody cares that Gatsby, the host of the parties, does not appear in such functions. The host uses money to gather people into his home with the aim of, as Nick learns later, to lure Daisy to his home. Such attitudes, displayed by Gatsby and the partygoers, show the selfishness and to some extent, the gullible nature of the American societies.
Finally, yet importantly, the critique to all the displays of wealth, pursuit of richness and the need for a comfortable life is evident in the twist Fitzgerald gives to the lives of the characters. Primarily, there is Gatsby who as aforementioned represents America. Gatsby’s riches are the outcome of his illegal sell of alcohol. Otherwise referred to as bootlegging, the selling of alcohol was illegal in the 1920s as the act was “the short way of criminal activity.” After acquiring his wealth, Gatsby moves to the prosperous West Egg area and builds a big house to impress Daisy, his true love and Tom Buchanan’s wife. Gatsby’s actions are an indication of the declining morals within America as are those of Tom Buchanan. Both men have affairs with married women without caring about the consequences of their actions. Gatsby’s hand in a crime and the issues are a misuse of the opportunities the American Dream dictates. Because America is a country of the free with equal rights to every human, Gatsby uses the opportunity to carry out illicit businesses. In addition, the interactions between the wealthy provide an opportunity for the married to commit adultery. In the case of adultery, the long-standing marriage institution is ruined, and Gatsby misuses the concept of a free nation. It is safe to argue that Fitzgerald includes both instances in his plot to alert his readers to the abuse of liberty by the society, including the rich. Hence, the author shows that the period “as a time of moral and social decay.”
Conclusively, Fitzgerald wraps up the fall of the ideal American culture by the disregard society shows towards children. A good example revolves around Pammy Buchanan, who is more of a trophy to her mother than she is a child. Through Pammy, Fitzgerald shows that “carelessness substitutes for moral responsibility and parental neglect of a child” is typical in the society. Fitzgerald hints on the neglect of children by their parents. As a ripple effect, traditions die, and a new generation has to learn in the hands of the community and the actions of the public. Thus, Fitzgerald’s writing is a portrayal of a damaged society that eventually kills the belief of America as a land of opportunities. Hence, “The Great Gatsby” shows the culture change in the 1920s with the United States and the possible causes behind the same in the case of the upper and middle-class individuals.
Works Cited
Bradley, Sculley. The American tradition in literature. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1974. Print.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner , 2004. Print.
Parvin Ghasem and Parisa Changizi. "Degeneration of American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby." Education Research Journal Vol. 2(2) (2012): 62 - 65. Print.
Kusch, John Crocker and Celena. "Race And Class Identity In The Great Gatsby And Passing." USC Upstate Undergraduate Research Journal Volume 2 (2009): 26-31. Print.
Levitt, Paul M. "The Great Gatsby and Revolution, in Theme and Style." International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 1 No. 17 (2011): 260-266. Print.
