Exploring the Illusion of the American Dream in ‘The Great Gatsby’ (Assignment 106)

 Exploring the Illusion of the American Dream in ‘The Great Gatsby’

Table of contents 

• Personal Information 
• Assignment Details 
• Abstract 
• Keywords 
• Introduction of F. Scott Fitzgerald 
• Understanding ‘The Great Gatsby’
• The Idea of American Dream 
• Portrayal of The American Dream in ‘The Great Gatsby’
• Use of the Protagonist to critique the American Dream
• Conclusion 
• References 

Personal Information 

Name - Bhumiba Gohil 

Batch - M.A. Sem 2 (2023-2025)

Enrollment Number - 5108230016

Email Address - bhumibagohil333@gmail.com 

Roll Number - 4

Assignment Details 

Topic - Exploring the Illusion of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”

Paper - The Twentieth Century Literature: 1900 to World War II

Paper Number - 106

Subject Code - 22399

Submitted to - Smt. S.B. Gardi Department of English M.K.B.U.

Date of Submission - 26 April 2024

Abstract

This assignment delves into F. Scott Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American Dream in his seminal work, “The Great Gatsby.” Fitzgerald’s narrative unfolds against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, a time of unprecedented wealth and excess in America. The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, personifies the quintessential American Dreamer, tirelessly pursuing wealth and social status in his quest to win back the heart of his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. However, Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of material success ultimately proves hollow, serving as a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of the American Dream. Fitzgerald explores the theme of class disparity, highlighting the inherent inequalities that undermine the promise of upward mobility central to the American Dream. 

Keywords 

The Great Gatsby, American Dream, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Wealth, Inequality, Materialistic Growth.

Introduction to F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the most celebrated American writers of the 20th century. He captivated his readers with his poignant portrayals of the Jazz Age. Born Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota, he embodied the essence of the era through his iconic works such as "The Great Gatsby," "Tender Is the Night," and "This Side of Paradise." 

His writing reflects the turbulence and glamour of the Roaring Twenties, capturing the essence of post-World War I America. His characters often grapple with themes of wealth, love, ambition, and the pursuit of the American Dream, set against the backdrop of lavish parties and societal upheaval. His personal life, marked by a tumultuous relationship with his wife, Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, provided fodder for his fiction and influenced his writing style. Their extravagant lifestyle and eventual decline into financial ruin mirrored the excesses and disillusionment of the era.

Despite facing numerous personal and professional challenges, including struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues, Fitzgerald's literary legacy endures. His prose, characterized by lyrical elegance and acute social observation, continues to resonate with readers worldwide. Fitzgerald's impact on American literature extends beyond his own lifetime and his name is synonymous with the Jazz Age. His ability to capture the essence of a bygone era and explore universal themes of human nature ensures that his legacy will endure for generations to come.

(Mizener)

That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Understanding ‘The Great Gatsby’

"The Great Gatsby," penned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was published in 1925. It is regarded as a classic work of American literature that captures the spirit of the Jazz Age. The story explores the complexities of money, love, and the illusive pursuit of the American Dream while taking place in the splendor and excess of the Roaring Twenties. The plot, which is told from the perspective of Nick Carraway, a young guy from the Midwest who is sucked into the glitzy world of Long Island's upper class, centers on the mysterious Jay Gatsby. The affluent socialite Gatsby gets caught up in a complicated web of love and ambition in an attempt to get Daisy Buchanan back.

Fitzgerald skillfully weaves a narrative that tackles the gap between appearance and reality, the meaninglessness of consumerism, and the frailty of human aspirations against the backdrop of opulent parties, covert affairs, and moral deterioration. He asks readers to look past the glitter of  wealth to reveal the tragic truths that lie beneath through vibrant imagery and poetic words. Beyond just a story of love and desire, ‘The Great Gatsby’ offers a profound reflection on the nature of the American Dream and the costs associated with pursuing it. Fitzgerald's astute social commentary and perceptive observations on the human condition have endured throughout time, solidifying the novel's reputation as a timeless work of literature.

(Fitzgerald)

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

- The Great Gatsby 

The Idea of American Dream 

The concept of the “American Dream”, embodies the idea that anybody can achieve success and upward social mobility through hard work and perseverance regardless of their backgrounds. 

“a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful”  - (Merriam-Webster)

This idea is embedded in American culture. In essence, the American Dream is the chance for people to improve their own and their families' quality of life, which is frequently defined by personal fulfillment and materialistic growth.

The idea of the “American Dream” has changed over the years. It has been interpreted in many ways throughout American history. While it embraces greater principles like freedom and equality, for some it means the goal of economic success. Whatever its meaning, the American Dream is a potent symbol of hope and aspiration that inspires people to work toward bettering their futures and overcoming challenges to achieve their objectives.

Portrayal of The American Dream in ‘The Great Gatsby’

‘The Great Gatsby’ offers a fascinating look into the American Dream, through the eyes of the narrator, Nick Carraway. The central figure of the novel, Jay Gatsby, struggles to achieve his dream of winning the affections of Daisy Buchanan, a woman from his past who represents wealth and social status. On a deeper level, Gatsby's quest symbolizes the more universal struggle to attain the American Dream. 

From the outset, Gatsby is portrayed as a self-made man who has reinvented himself from humble roots into a fabulously wealthy bootlegger. His opulent mansion, lavish parties, and distinctly "new money" ways stand in stark contrast to the inherent privilege and gracious living of Daisy and her social circle of "old money" East Coasters. Nick admires Gatsby's "extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness" in pursuing his ambitions. Gatsby's dream of recapturing Daisy's love, which blossomed during their romantic encounters before he left for World War I, consumes and obsesses him. His amassed fortune and dream mansion across the bay from Daisy's home represent his outsized efforts to finally deserve her hand.

However, as the story unfolds, the reader realizes Gatsby's singular focus has corrupted and twisted the original American Dream ideal. His massive wealth derives from criminal bootlegging ties and his entire persona is built on deception, from changing his name to fictionalizing his background. Fitzgerald uses poetic symbolism like the valley of ashes, a modern wasteland presided over by the haunting eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, to expose the moral decay underlying Gatsby's ostentatious wealth. His mansion, rather than signifying achievement, mutates into a "factual imitation" of a feudal palace, or Pandemonium from Milton's Paradise Lost - an image of garish grandeur at odds with America's original democratic promise.

Gatsby himself appears as a tragic, Messianic figure reaching in desperation for the elusive Daisy, his golden, unattainable dream. Yet his dream remains "materialistic" and rooted in illusion, as he futilely believes he can recapture the perfect past he shared with Daisy. Significantly, even Gatsby's former accomplices like Meyer Wolfsheim see through his pretentions, calling him a "son-of-a-bitch" after his death. In the end, Gatsby's extravagant quest destroys him, culminating in his ridiculous death watched only by the mocking bespectacled eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg.

Fitzgerald renders the inability to realize to original American Dream of self-made success and egalitarian promise in a cynical postwar society consumed by crass wealth, cynicism, and lack of spirituality or roots. Gatsby's catastrophic failure reveals the tarnished reality behind the glittering facade of 1920s opulence and those who pursued happiness through the hollow accumulation of money and material goods. The novel stands as a cautionary tale about the perversion of the American Dream when marred by greed, dishonesty, and moral decay.

(Pearson)

Use of the Protagonist to critique the American Dream 

F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the character of Gatsby to critique the idea of the American Dream by portraying him as a symbol of the pursuit of material success and social status. Gatsby's relentless pursuit of wealth and social status, driven by his desire to win back Daisy, reflects the American Dream's emphasis on individual success and upward mobility. However, Fitzgerald uses Gatsby's character to highlight the emptiness and moral corruption that can accompany the pursuit of wealth and status.

In the context of wealth and income inequality, Fitzgerald's portrayal of Gatsby as a self-made man who has to acquire his wealth through dubious means serves as a critique of the unequal distribution of wealth and the moral decay that can result from the relentless pursuit of material success. His opulent parties and extravagant lifestyle are juxtaposed with the exploitation of labor and the dehumanization of workers, highlighting the social and economic disparities of the time. Furthermore, Fitzgerald's narrative underscores the idea that the American Dream, as represented by Gatsby's pursuit of wealth and social status, ultimately leads to disillusionment and tragedy. Gatsby's inability to attain true happiness and fulfillment despite his material success serves as a cautionary tale about the limitations of the American Dream and the moral compromises it may entail.

(Cain)

Conclusion 

The Great Gatsby portrays the American Dream as an unattainable illusion corrupted by the pursuit of wealth and status. Gatsby's tragic downfall and the exposed decadence of the newly rich elite in the 1920s illustrates F. Scott Fitzgerald's critique of the materialistic values overtaking American society. The novel serves as a poignant elegy for the original promise and idealism of the American Dream of achievement and upward mobility through hard work and ethical means. Fitzgerald suggests that when stripped of moral integrity and spiritual values, the American Dream mutates into its antithesis - an avaricious, hollow pursuit of shallow wealth and temporary pleasures that doom the dream's would-be prophets like Gatsby. Though their glittering lives seem to sparkle with glamour on the surface, the emptiness and cynicism within reveals the true corruption poisoning their achievement of happiness and fulfillment. The Great Gatsby stands as a profoundly disillusioned work for a fundamentally disillusioned era drowning in its own crass prosperity.

References 

Cain, William E. “American Dreaming: Really Reading The Great Gatsby.” 2020, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12115-020-00510-6#citeas. Accessed 26 April 2024.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Wordsworth Editions, 2019.

Mizener, Arthur. "F. Scott Fitzgerald". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Apr. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/F-Scott-Fitzgerald. Accessed 26 April 2024.

Pearson, Roger L. “Gatsby: False Prophet of the American Dream.” The English Journal, vol. 59, no. 5, 1970, pp. 638–45. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/813939. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

“The American dream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20American%20dream. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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