The novel follows the story, told by narrator Nick Carraway, of Gatsby and his quest for love with a married woman, Daisy. Fitzgerald introduces us to the lavish, yet comparably different lifestyles lead by Gatsby, Tom and Daisy. The novel portrays many of Gatsby’s parties and leads us through many events, like the meeting of the old lover’s, Daisy and Gatsby. The Great Gatsby builds to a climax at the death of Myrtle (Tom’s mistress) and the eventual death of Gatsby himself.
The symbolism and characters within this book and its timeless themes of power, disillusionment and corruption, are what I believe make this novel so successful and will therefore be the areas upon which I intend to base my study.
The very title of this book “The Great Gatsby” hints at the underlying theme of the American Dream and to the disillusionment of Gatsby as a person. “The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself.”
Nick admires Gatsby for his “capacity to dream” and his aspirations, although they are unachievable and the object of his dream, Daisy, is worthless and corrupted.
The fact Fitzgerald describes Gatsby as “Great” I believe puts forward the idea that he is like a great illusionist, which in some ways he could be described. Gatsby’s whole life and past has been an illusion and an elaborate web of lies. His very residence is described as, “a factual imitation” and appears superficial and fraudulent.
In his attempt to win back Daisy, Gatsby has spent his life aspiring to “the consoling proximity of millionaires”. His path to his fortune is hinted to be connected with bootlegging and crime. This is proposed with the introduction of Wolfshiem, who, “ fixed the World Series back in 1919.” Gatsby’s connection with such people I think optimises the corruption of the Jazz Age of 1920s America. During this era, alcohol was banned, yet Gatsby threw vast parties with flowing alcohol.
Gatsby’s fortune has risen from corruption, and taints his dream - a life with Daisy - with corruption. However, this dream may already be considered corrupted, I consider this very much the case as Daisy is very corrupted and ruined by money. Described as possessing “a voice full of money” Daisy is at first conceived as innocent and “flower-like” clothed in “white”. As the novel progresses she is revealed as selfish and destructive, also irresponsible, “…as though she realised at last what she was doing – and as though she had never, all along, intended doing anything at all.”
Gatsby’s disillusionment is summed up perfectly within a single statement, “For a while these reveries provided an outlet for his imagination; they were a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality, a promise that the rock of the world was founded securely on a fairy’s wing.” This optimises the pointlessness of Gatsby’s dream and in reality the disillusionment of the American Dream itself and the false foundations upon which it is built. This novel shows perfectly that equality and grasping any dream is, just that, a dream, and that the American Dream was eventually corrupted by greed and money.
Although the character of Gatsby reveals the dishonesty of the American dream, it is the setting that reveals its corruption. Take for example, New York, this is the site of Gatsby’s meeting with fellow bootlegger, Wolfshiem and is also the place where Myrtle and Tom share their apartment. It is also in New York that Gatsby and Daisy’s plans to be together, are revealed and then crumbled.
I have conceived that New York represents the adventure that all the “restless” characters seek and at the same time, the corruption, violence and crime of 1920s New York. “We were content to let all their tragic arguments fade with the city lights behind.”
Similarly the Valley of Ashes, I believe, represents the core of the book’s sin and corruption. “This is the valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills.” I think that this represents the growth of America, the once honest dream has become tainted by greed and money, and in doing so has become false.
The hopelessness of the people, of the valley of ashes in turn is a symbol of the hopelessness of reaching out for the American Dream and of how it all ends in disaster.
Gatsby’s quest for Daisy is represented by a green light, I think this also reflects the fact that the dream is unreachable, and it is a mistake to chase these dreams - “Lurking here in the shadows of his house, just out of reach of his hand.” The significance of colour is highlighted throughout the novel; the fact that the light, which represents Daisy, is green also depicts that the dream (Daisy) is inexperienced and likely to make mistakes. I believe this is essential in revealing that the whole American Dream is transient and often unobtainable.
In my opinion, this novel carries a timeless theme, that money leads to corruption and disillusionment. The death of Gatsby represents the futility of the American Dream. “ The orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – to-morrow 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.”