Fitzgerald as a Social Critic in the Great Gatsby - Essay Example

The social criticism of Fitzgerald revolves around a certain selected group, which is a set of privileged youth in their twenties. Through this set, he provides an insight into the "youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves" (Fitzgerald, 1925, pp.92). In The Great Gatsby, the affluent class is shown as the one that has no moral values and highest value is placed on money. Thus, in the society, there is no place for Nick Carraway and his honesty. Therefore, the so-called ‘roaring 20s’, which was the era of jazz, luxury and glamour was actually the era of the foreclosure of the American dream.

(Long, 1970). As a social critic, Fitzgerald not only uses symbolism or metaphors, but he does that very effectively through the characters that he creates, the milieu of the book as well as certain ‘props’ such as the extravagant car. For example, the ‘green light’, at the end of the Buchanan’s dock stands as a symbol of intense desire for Gatsby’s wealth, power, yearning for Daisy as well as envy at the members of East Egg society, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (Fitzgerlad, 1925, pp.110) . Thus, the author uses the symbol of the green light to depict the various factors that are responsible for corrupting the American Dream (Prigozy, 2002).

The writer also uses his characters effectively to convey his social criticism. Through the extravagance of the parties thrown by Gatsby, the shallow mind of his guests as well as by providing hints related to Gatsby’s involvement in crimes bring forth the American social set up (Bloom, 2003). The milieu of the work has been set up in such a manner that it throws a clear light on the failure of the American dream, because the ideals of politics in America are a clear contract of what the actual social conditions that exist in the society.

While the American democracy upholds the values of equality, Fitzgerald illustrates that a social discrimination exists in a very high level in the society (Lehan, 1966). For example, the attempt carried out by Myrtle to break into the Buchanans group is a failure. She has an affair with Tom and takes on his style of living, becoming both vulgar and corrupt. Soon, she begins to scorn at people from her own class. However, in the end, she is not successful in her attempt to find a true place in that group.

Another instance which brings forth this social indifference is what Nick says about Daisy, ‘in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged’ (Fitzgerlad, 1925, pp.11). While for Myrtle, this struggle is for social ambition, for Gatsby it takes on a new dimension of struggle, which is also influenced by social consideration. For him, the failure has a stronger affect (Turnbull, 1962).

All his confidence, his hopes in life and career shatter when he does not succeed in winning Daisy. Therefore, when he gets killed by Wilson, his death is insignificant, for he has already been spiritually and morally dead, which is a strong metaphor for the social scenario in the United States. Fitzgerald also points out satirically at the decadence of a spiritual life, through the luxurious lives led by the Buchanans. Even though they have the money, the wealth and all the luxuries that they ever need, Daisy