Assignment 1 : The American Dream & Other Themes in ‘The Great Gatsby' : 22399 Paper 106 : The Twentieth Century Literature : 1900 to World War II
Introduction : The American Dream is a set of ideals which holds its firm belief in providing all people with equal opportunity to become prosperous and have material possessions as per their capabilities and achievements. If we go by the sources , then the idea of American Dream would render like this :
“The American dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American dream is believed to be achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.”
》The term "American dream" was coined in a best-selling book in 1931 titled ‘Epic of America.’
》James Truslow Adams described it as "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement."
The American Dream in ‘The Great Gatsby' : In the novel ‘The Great Gatsby' written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald and was published in 1925, the concept of The American Dream is represented by the protagonist Jay Gatsby and his lavish lifestyle. The way Gatsby throws the weekly parties to the unknown mass of West Egg is the reflection of the success he has in achieving of The American Dream, although his aspiration and desire to have Daisy Buchanan is a lingering part of his character.
Through this novel, Fitzgerald conveys that the American Dream cannot be fully attained because those who believe in it are constantly striving for something better than themselves. He demonstrates that it is dangerous for one to reach for something more than what is given and expresses the idea that if people become so involved in materialistic things, they are not guaranteed happiness. Gatsby’s desire to achieve more than what he had ultimately led to his downfall, demonstrating that infinite success is not possible, as portrayed in the stock market crash preceding the Great Depression.
Gatsby is a clear embodiment of the American Dream: he was born poor and rose to achieve a higher wealth and social status. Nick explains, “[Gatsby’s] parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people… For over a year he had been beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam-digger and a salmon fisher or in any other capacity that brought him food and a bed” (98). Although Gatsby started his life off poor, he was able to earn his way up to being rich by working with Dan Cody. His strong work ethic and ambition to achieve Daisy’s love served him well in attempting to banish his poverty stricken past. The contrast between Gatsby’s lifestyle in the past and the present is demonstrated when Nick describes Gatsby’s mansion: “a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of rawy ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden” (5). The American Dream is the hope that anyone can earn success if they work hard enough. Gatsby’s love for Daisy led him to achieve extravagant wealth. In the sense of rising up social rank and obtaining financial success, Gatsby achieved the American Dream.
Thematic Study : Thematic study of the novel is interesting to be done. On the superficial level, the novel seems to deal with only the love-story of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan or – at most – the tragedy of Jay Gatsby; but if the scrutiny is done, Fitzgerald has furled the spiritus mundi of his time. The novel encases several themes such as class conflict, materialism, dissatisfaction, isolation, racism, sexism, self-guilt, etc. which hold the strands together of the novel plot.
1) Class Conflict : The novel has emphasised the class conflict which is not that of a stereotype, i.e., between poor versus rich, but here it is between hereditary rich versus newly became rich. Tom Buchanan is born rich and has a sturdy demeanour, he is sexist and racist who does not like the rich like Jay Gatsby who have acquired wealth through illegal means and furthermore he believes in racism thus tries to degrade the fame of Jay Gatsby. Ego of people plays pivotal role in the stratification of society, someone want one’s self to be considered superior and thus worshipped by those who are inferior to the one in respect of status, wealth, and birth. This gives the air to the class conflict in any society. Somebody thinks him/herself as blue-blooded whereas another thinks him/herself as mud-blood. This acceptance of labels glued by selfish and voracious people has proven itself very dangerous in any time and at any place across the glob.
2) Materialism : The American Dream is itself a revelation of humans’ desire to acquire material possessions as much as they can. The material comforts were given prominence to the point when people generally of poor class set to commit crimes in return of horrendous amount of money. Money became maddening mode to amalgamate material means for mankind. Jay Gatsby's pursuit to have all the wealth suggests the aspirations of modern humans. He becomes rich to have Daisy Buchanan as his wife who is married to Tom Buchanan. Material gain was at the highest goal whereas spiritual values which related to morality was no longer part of the lives of people, especially of those who did not follow religious tenets. As Eliot has delineated it well in his famous allusive poem, ‘The Waste Land’ wherein he gives glimpse of spiritual drought in the twentieth century Europe and in all the world by and large.
3) Dissatisfaction : The theme of dissatisfaction pervades each character of the novel. Nick Carraway is dissatisfied with his failure to save Jay Gatsby from ill fate, Jay Gatsby is dissatisfied to have Daisy Buchanan lost, Tom Buchanan is dissatisfied with the behaviour Myrtle does, Daisy Buchanan is dissatisfied with the love she expects from his husband Tom Buchanan. Everywhere the theme of dissatisfaction depicts the reality of human world as well. Humans can never be satisfied with innumerable money, lives, and so on. Dissatisfaction is also a leading factor of progress, but sticking to it leads to the grief and sadness ultimately, for we cannot enjoy in what we are having right now, but run after what is not and thus invite sufferings and pains.
4) Isolation : The theme of isolation is seen as self-isolation, the condition of being alone from withinside even being in herd and amidst the family members. It is captured in Jay Gatsby's and Nick Carraway's characters. Jay Gatsby is given prominence due to his wealth, but out of love and reputation. Nick is isolated from everyone even though he superficially engages himself with the people he belongs to. Self-isolation is seen in Jay Gatsby's character as he always keeps off from himself and his poor past memories. He does not seem to face the truth he hides from other characters in the novel. He in return wants to put it under the carpet of excessive showcase of wealth.
5) Racism : Tom Buchanan is an embodiment of racist ideologies which he reads from the book named as ‘Rise of the Coloured Empires' written by Goddard is conspicuously suggestive to the ideology of eugenics he supports and holds as truth. He thus despises Jay Gatsby's poor past and entitles him as a newly became rich who cannot get social status like he possesses due to his hereditary wealth. Tom Buchanan treats his servants with gust of superiority and with a visage of being some God-like figure.
6) Sexism : Tom Buchanan is a sexist and has gender bias in his mind. He thinks of women as the things for joy and so he treats Myrtle more as an object of pleasure than as a living individual life.
7) Self-guilt : The theme of self-guilt is observed especially in Jay Gatsby's character. He is ashamed of his poor past and wants to hide it under the garb of dazzling parties and self-praise. Daisy Buchanan sometimes reflects self-guilt for having judged Jay Gatsby on the basis of his status than of his true love for her. So, being poor and having poor past are considered as the reasons of having self-guilt in the novel, which thus brings Jay Gatsby to always gloss over certain topics which hint at his past life.
8) Existence of Moral God : The Eyes of Dr T. J. Eckleburg settled in billboard placed right before The Valley of Ashes allegorizes the moral beliefs of valley-dwellers. It gets more clarified in words of George Wilson when he speaks that “God sees everything!” which also symbolizes the beliefs possesses by the twentieth century American subjects , especially of those of the poor-class.
Outroduction : The brilliant style of narration and effortlessly weaving of the contemporary social scenarios have been the jutting out characteristic of Fitzgerald's novels. He involved his piercing insight to draw the sketch of his characters in the novel. The American Dream remained successful to be achieved by majority of people as it was proposed to be turned out so, but has devoured the working-class, poor, and proletariat of the nation which is symbolically represented in The Valley of Ashes.
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