F. Scott Fitzgerald’s determination as a writer and novelist paralleled those of his renowned predecessors of the nineteenth century including Herman Melville and Henry David Thoreau and like them he also recognized a continuous clash between the reality of life in the Untied States and a mythic vision of what it might be. To represent this continuous clash in American society as seen clearly in his novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald used one of his characters, Daisy Buchanan to illustrate the seductive powers of the ‘American Dream’ as well as its many great dangers. In Chapter 5, Fitzgerald conveys this sentiment through Nick (the story’s narrator) when he says, “I saw that the expression of bewilderment had come back into Gatsby’s face, as though a faint doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his present happiness …Daisy tumbled short of his dreams—not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion.” (121) The idealistic characteristics of Gatsby and his aspirations allow Fitzgerald to define his views on the ‘American Dream’. Here we see Gatsby as being a model example of the ‘American Dream’ – a self-made success, where he had created not only a new personality for himself but had succeeded both financially and socially. However, in his zealous pursuit of the ‘Dream’, Gatsby climbed to a solitary, isolated and alienated place in society where he finds himself alone with his ‘Dream’ and ambitions. His primary shortcoming, which would eventually lead to his own downfall, was his sole focus on regaining Daisy and reliving the past so much so he was willing to sacrifice his other aspirations, such as, improving himself. Through this quote we observe Gatsby’s disappointment after his first encounter with Daisy. Fitzgerald through his tone and characterization clearly expresses his view on how the ‘American Dream’ for attaining material success was not fully based on reality. He portrayed the ‘American Dream’, as an illusion within our own minds - something that we think is attainable, achievable, and realistic but we, like Gatsby, can actually never attain it and this so called ‘Dream’ remains allusive or just out of our reach until our resignation to failure.
Many novels have two layers of meaning. The first is in the literal plot, the second is in a symbolic layer in which images and objects represent abstract ideas and feelings and using symbols allows authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald to express themselves indirectly on delicate or controversial matters. Fitzgerald uses a green light at the end of the dock to symbolize how difficult it is to obtain the promise of the ‘American Dream’ of success and happiness: “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 … and one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”(152) One of Fitzgerald’s greatest strengths was his capability to enliven the ideal of the ‘American Dream’ even as he exposed the forces that had destroyed and dissolved the ideal. The green light located on Daisy’s East Egg Dock represents Gatsby’s dreams, ambitions and hopes for the future and Fitzgerald aptly uses this to represent the ‘American Dream’. Similarly, the green light like the ‘American Dream’ is something that we try each and every day to achieve and to make real but Fitzgerald makes it a point to focus on how the ‘American Dream’ just like the green light, is unattainable and in the same manner as Gatsby stood alone in the moonlight watching the green light we also are all obsessively trying to achieve the unrealistic and very often fail. But yet through this quote we observe how Fitzgerald sophisticatedly adds hope to the story. Gatsby’s nature was to “beat on, boats against the current”(152) and his reckless pursuit of his Dream makes him the classic American hero. F. Scott Fitzgerald also shows that while the ‘American Dream’ seems unrealistic and unattainable, determination and perseverance and the goal to make ourselves better people are all respectable and highly admired.
Steven Spielberg, one of the greatest film directors of our time, once said, “Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive.” F. Scott Fitzgerald was thinking the same way when he wrote The Great Gatsby with the ambition to write “The Great American Novel”, and he has succeeded to some extent. Jay Gatsby’s dream can be identified with that of America herself with its emphasis on drive, determination and goal orientation. But with the death of Gatsby, we observe the possible destiny of America and the ‘American Dream’ and Fitzgerald does not fail to continuously remind us that the ‘American Dream’ is an illusion and an unrealistic goal to be met and we will surely fail if we try to attain it but yet he prides on the supplementary parts of the ‘American Dream’ such as goodness, vitality and openness to life. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s views on the American Dream can similarly be summed up by a quote by the current President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam who during his inaugural speech said, “Let us dream … dream about our future. Dream … knowing that getting as close to it as humanely possible is more than enough to make us great.”
