American Dream Exposed in The Great Gatsby - Assignment Example

 F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the more famous satirists of his time, particularly in his production of the novel The Great Gatsby. Almost every aspect of the story can be interpreted as a symbol for something else. With these symbols, Fitzgerald ridicules the contemporary concept of the American Dream as being something empty and shallow based on meaningless material goods rather than more satisfying spiritual development. Describing one of Gatsby’s smiles, Nick says “it understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey” (48). In this description, Nick sums up the entire attitude of the nation in its superficial presentation and shallow understanding as well as suggests a much deeper meaning and potential lying in wait for those who would seek it. The emptiness of the American Dream as it is typically understood is demonstrated through the reinforcement of the old rich rising in triumph over the new as Tom and Daisy escape on vacation while Gatsby floats dead in his pool. Fitzgerald seems to be calling into question our American values in his story. Reading this novel on a deep level, one can see the allusions made to America and the loss of its innocence and noble ideas in the face of an ever-increasing materialism and decadence following the First World War. In the character of Daisy, who symbolizes the American Dream itself, and Gatsby who pursues her, one can see the innocence of America as well as its fickle, inconsistent nature that changes as quickly as the views of those around her change. In the story, the character Jay Gatsby’s only real goal in life is to win back the only girl he ever loved, Daisy, which is a direct image of the pursuit of the American Dream. Daisy is already married to Tom when Gatsby returns from the war and is enjoying being the wife of a very wealthy man. Because she has always been a child of privilege, Gatsby reasons that the best way to win her back is to be rich and to have flashier things than those of her husband. All of this can be said as easily of the American Dream, which is often considered to belong to others and best attained by acquiring wealth and things. Gatsby buys a huge mansion that gives him a view of Daisy’s house across the water and he throws noisy parties in an effort to try to get Daisy across the water into his world. His plan seems to be succeeding as he meets with her several times and she seems to be willing to come over to him, but when things get tough, Daisy chooses Tom for his old money and connections. The reader understands all this from the beginning thanks to the observations of the narrator, Nick. “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night” (182). Gatsby’s empty pursuit of Daisy as the American Dream is similar to many American’s chase – often following the flash of money but frequently ending up empty-handed. However unearned, Daisy is associated with the American Dream through the color green like money. This is seen through the tragic form of Jay Gatsby, who stares each night at the small green light at the end of her East Egg pier as a beacon of hope, love and promise. Watching Gatsby upon his first view of the man, Nick describes the way in which Gatsby “stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and faraway, that might have been the end of a dock” (21-22). Eventually, Nick discovers that this green light is, indeed, at the end of Daisy’s dock and, as he gets to know Gatsby a little better, realizes the hope and the dream that Gatsby associates with Daisy. This light belonging to Daisy further reflects that old American dream, always just out of reach, always a little brighter than reality and always a little different from what one might have been expecting. This association is brought forward by Nick in Chapter 9 when he mentions “a fresh, green breast of the new world” (182) that opened its doors for the Dutch settlers in much the same way that the green light seemed to spur Gatsby to continue following his dream. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…” (182). Yet the fact that Daisy was gone and Gatsby dead indicates the lie inherent in the promise. However, when Daisy first appears in the novel, she does so in a flowing white dress, such that the reader sees a clean slate, a blank canvas and a picture of innocence which is how many people choose to see America. Nick Calloway, the story’s narrator, gives a hint as to how such a blank slate might not be a great thing as he describes the first glimpse of Daisy to be had: “They were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house … the caught wind died out about the room, and the curtain and the rugs and the two young women ballooned slowly to the floor” (p. 8). By equating Daisy and Jordan with the curtains and rugs, Nick indicates that neither of them has a personality or presence of their own, but are instead merely the reflection of the beholder’s thoughts. This, too, is similar to the American Dream in that everyone seems to think the Dream is clear, like a curtain, but it really doesn’t have any shape or motion of its own. The fact that they are clad in white further emphasizes this idea as neither woman expresses color or individuality. The inclusion of the effect of the wind blowing about the house and its effect upon the women’s dresses gives the reader a further impression that both of these women are little more than birds, ethereal creatures having little to do with everyday life but rather just existing from day to day in whatever form or shape the wind cares to impart. This concept is related to America of the 1920s in that its innocent goals for the pursuit of happiness, individuality and discovery had been overtaken by the winds of materialism and a shift of values to the decadent display of wealth. Although America was still there, it was no longer colored with individual thought, a drive for discovery or a pursuit of happiness. Daisy is seen as the perfect example of the American high society ideal. She has the family background that provides her with “old money” connections and a husband with enough wealth of his own to bring down a string of polo ponies. “It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that” (6). She has all the right friends and the personality, charm and decadent style to make her welcome in any social gathering. “Her voice is full of money” (120), the pursuit of which was becoming even more closely associated with the American dream. However, her actions begin to speak even more eloquently of an ideal that has lost its purpose. As the reader learns more about her, she becomes even less a real person, having once promised herself to Gatsby only to marry Tom, then to again promise herself to Gatsby (Chapter 7) and again choose Tom based on the idea that Gatsby’s fortunes might be ruined upon further investigation. Finally, her willingness to allow Gatsby to shoulder the blame for the hit-and-run murder of Myrtle Wilson demonstrates her true nature, never taking the blame for what she’s done and running off to the next adventure. “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (180-181). This changeable nature, always shifting with the most prevalent, loudest voice, is the way in which America is seen to operate in these post-war years, no longer standing true to her ideals but instead shifting and changing any way the money blows. Thus, throughout the story, Daisy becomes a symbol for the changing nature of the American dream following the war as can be seen in the symbols that become associated with her. She appears first as an innocent image, pure and desirable with no taint of evil or cunning in her nature. As we learn more about her, we learn that Daisy is not capable of obtaining the depth and strength of character that have been attributed to her by others. She has bought too far into the new ideals that follow money and lavish displays of ultimate comfort and self-indulgency. Finally, these new ideals lead to Daisy’s inability to stand for what is right and true in the world, completely rejecting the original ideals behind the American dream and redefining them in terms of dollars and cents. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner and Sons, 1925. The Great Gatsby Essay format sheet Thesis: In the character of Daisy, who symbolizes the American Dream itself, and Gatsby who pursues her, one can see the innocence of America as well as its fickle, inconsistent nature that changes as quickly as the views of those around her change. Topic A: In the story, the character Jay Gatsby’s only real goal in life is to win back the only girl he ever loved, Daisy, which is a direct image of the pursuit of the American Dream. Supporting idea i) American Dream can be reached by amassing money ii) Seems to work as dreams start coming true iii) Can’t be achieved by money alone – quote from Nick Topic B: However unearned, Daisy is associated with the American Dream through the color green like money. Supporting idea i) Green light is the goal to get to Daisy ii) Green is the color associated with American freedom iii) The light does not guarantee anything Topic C: When Daisy first appears in the novel, she does so in a flowing white dress, such that the reader sees a clean slate, a blank canvas and a picture of innocence which is how many people choose to see America. Supporting idea i) Colorless appearance hints at prosperity but also lack of character ii) Ethereal impressions as the wind moves them iii) Shiftless, purposeless Topic D: Daisy is seen as the perfect example of the American high society ideal. Supporting idea i) Background and wealth ii) Lost any sense of self iii) Careless in dealing with others Conclusion: Daisy becomes a symbol for the changing nature of the American dream following the war as can be seen in the symbols that become associated with her. Read More