~ Reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Introduction
Long before the Declaration of Independence in 1776, many Europeans and colonizers headed to the New World, now known as the United States. They sought refuge from the constraints of their homelands, hoping for political liberty, religious freedom, economic opportunity, or escaping prosecution. However, over time, many began to feel exploited by their countries of origin despite living in this new land. So, they declared independence in 1776. Even after the Declaration of Independence, people continued to migrate to the United States, inspired by the promise of ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness’—an ideal later known as the American Dream.
After the 1880s, the United States experienced an industrial revolution. The definition of the American Dream started to shift to something more materialistic. The United States earned a lot during the First World War. In the 1920s, the United States experienced a crazy and chaotic period, with massive economic exploration until 1929, when the market crashed.
The book The Great Gatsby was written and published in 1925 by F Scott Fitzgerald. It’s a book written from the percept of Nick Carraway, both inside and outside the event surrounded by Jay Gatsby. The mysterious Jay Gatsby lived in the vast mansion next door to Nick House. Gatsby built his fortune so that he would be with Daisy Buchannan, from old money, by doing bootlegging and shady bonds. He always held lavish parties so that he could meet his lost love once again, hoping to be with her. Despite the massive wealth Gatsby accumulated, Daisy did not leave her husband for Gatsby in the end.
There are pieces of Scott’s sentiments everywhere in the novel itself. For one, just like Jay Gatsby was pursuing Daisy, he was pursuing Genevra King, the daughter of a wealthy banker. Despite attending a private school for the elite and Princeton University, he was from a modest family. When Fitzgerald went to see her father, Genevra’s father told Fitzgerald that a poor boy should not seek to marry into a wealthy family. Later, he met Zelda Sayre, who was also from an affluent Southern family. Zelda also rejected Fitzgerald’s marriage proposal, as she wasn’t sure of Fitzgerald’s future financial prospects. After his first novel was published, Zelda accepted Scott’s marriage proposal. From what I could tell from his biography, happiness did not seem to last in their marriage, especially after their financial situation deteriorated.
Despite his humble background, Fitzgerald did very well after publishing his book. He lived in a luxury apartment on Long Island and enjoyed a life of riches there. The economic stroke of 1929 impaired him financially. To make it worse, he also had alcohol use disorder and health problems from heavy drinking in his youth. They were nearly bankrupt when they moved to Ashville, North Carolina. Desperate for money, Fitzgerald returned to Hollywood. The final year, he managed to achieve sobriety, but he was broke when he died in 1940. He was just 44 years old.
This novel allowed me to rethink what the American Dream truly means. Like many others, I once aspired to this ideal and came to the United States with that hope. While achieving the American Dream would not be impossible, it remains a significant challenge. Jay Gatsby’s disillusionment with the American Dream reflects the gap between his dream and reality, probably shaped by what Fitzgerald himself experienced. In this blog, I’ll explore the American Dream, Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of it, Fitzgerald’s experience, and Gatsby’s disillusionment – the novel’s critique of this enduring ideal.
The American Dream
What is the American Dream?
So, What is the American Dream? Climbing up the ladder of social states? Having a Porsche or a mansion. The definition of the American was slightly different a long time ago. Some people sought economic opportunities; many sought liberty or a new life in the new world. An industrial revolution in the 1880s shifted the definition to a more worldly one. Reeve (1987) explains the American Dream in three dimensions: the frontier, social mobility, and wealth.
The Frontier:
The frontier originally meant exploring something unknown. Many colonizers came to the new world to settle, or someone like Lewis and Clark explored the west of the United States. In this context, the American dream symbolizes expanding one’s opportunity by exploring the unknown and building a new life from nothing. The concept of the Frontier attracts many immigrants and colonizers to head to America, believing anyone can achieve success through hard work and determination. It embodies a spirit of exploration and expansion both geographically and socially.
The frontier is shaped by people who overcome obstacles or limitations due to birth or position, carving out their place in society, just like Gatsby. His efforts to rise from humble origins are considered frontier ideology to live in East Egg. East Egg, the green light, was the symbolic “frontier” for Gatsby.
Social Mobility:
Social mobility refers to moving up or down the social ladder by earning more or having a better education or status. In the idealized American Dream, social mobility is the key. To achieve the American dream, people work hard to improve their circumstances regardless of birth or origin.
The promise of social mobility is central to the American dream. In The Great Gatsby, however, the author questions this promise. While Gatsby earned and accumulated wealth, he never gained acceptance from the East Egg people. After his death, people who frequently attended the party Gatsby held did not even show up for his funeral, suggesting that the ideology is a social myth by the author.
Wealth
Wealth in the context of the American Dream is often equated with success, prosperity, and achieving one’s goals. It represents the material rewards of hard work and ambition, whether a large house, financial security, or luxury items.
Gatsby achieved wealth just like he expected. Wealth is central to the plot of Great Gatsby, as characters like Gatsby pursue it to attain status and happiness—at least that he thought. He obtained prosperity by dealing with shady bonds or bootlegging, suggesting he did not care how he obtained prosperity. The novel also critiques the idea that wealth leads to true fulfillment, as the characters’ lives, despite their riches, are often empty and morally corrupt. Ultimately, his wealth did not bring his genuine desire – to be with Daisy.
Fitzgerald understood how wealth impacts getting married from his experience, especially if you marry someone richer than you. After all, He was rejected for marriage twice for the same reason of having enough financial prosperity. His effort to become successful as a writer resembles how Gatsby tried to obtain to be with Daisy. In the end, Fitzgerald and Zelda are not happy despite their success. In some way, Fitzgerald and Zelda also resemble Tom and Daisy’s relationship.
The Disillusionment of the American Dream by Gatsby
Jay Gatsby was a successful man who achieved the end; however, his ending was rather tragic. He accumulated a vast fortune, hoping to win Daisy’s love. However, despite his success, Daisy still decides not to leave her husband, showing that true happiness and acceptance remain elusive no matter how much wealth one gains. Daisy wasn’t drawn to Gatsby himself but to the lifestyle and status his wealth represented. The novel illustrates the near impossibility of social mobility. The divide between West Egg’s New Money and East Egg’s Old Money highlights the entrenched class barriers.
Fitzgerald underscores that wealth alone cannot bring happiness or elevate one’s social standing in a rigidly stratified society. Only Nick and Gatsby’s father attended Gatsby’s funeral, revealing the superficial nature of his social connections. Through this, Fitzgerald critiques the illusion of the American Dream and the false promise of upward mobility.
The disillusionment of the American Dream is a recurring theme in American Literature. For example, In Death of a Salesman, a play by Arthur Miller, a salesman meets a tragic end as he chases success without a clear strategy or realistic self-awareness. In the novella Of Mice and Men, written” by John Steinbeck, Stenbeck explores another poignant example of disillusionment.
For centuries, many people worldwide, including myself, have come to North America hoping to build a better life. Even people born in the United States have long aspired to achieve wealth and success. In reality, the American Dream is perceived as more challenging to achieve. Younger Americans are more skeptical of obtaining the American Dream. According to the Pew Research Center (July 2, 2024), only 53% of people believe that is possible, while 41 % feel it may have been possible in the past. Furthermore, the stats suggest that older and wealthier adults believe achieving the American dream is still possible.
Many of us have faced the disillusionment of this ideal, realizing that the path to success often requires more than hard work and ambition. The American Dream remains a powerful concept, but its promise has grown elusive in today’s society.
My Thought
For me, the definition of the American Dream was to escape from the gender expectations in Japan. It was more challenging for women to be successful outside their homes. I have seen the Japanese economy deteriorate gradually. Employment preference was given to males. The more I heard that many women could not get a full-time job despite their education, the stronger my determination to come to North America became.
I did not become rich like Gatsby, but I feel all right. I have my own family here in the United States, a graduate-level education, and a professional job. Despite the depressing stats I provided earlier, I am still hopeful. Anyone can achieve the American Dream with a clear strategy or realistic self-awareness.
References
Borelli, G. (2024, July 2). Americans are split over the state of the American dream. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/02/americans-are-split-over-the-state-of-the-american-dream/
Vanneman, R., & Cannon, L. W. (1987). The American Dream. In The American Perception of Class (pp. 257–282). Temple University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv941wv0.17