Introduction
F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is widely considered a literary masterpiece that examines the pursuit of the American Dream during the Roaring Twenties. Set in New York City and Long Island, the novel explores themes of idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of American society that has become a part of the country’s literary canon. At its core, The Great Gatsby is a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream, suggesting that it is an illusion that leads to ruin. This essay will analyze the novel’s portrayal of the American Dream and its ultimate failure, demonstrating Fitzgerald’s perspective that the dream is a destructive fantasy that causes moral corruption in a society obsessed with wealth and status. Examining this significant theme will provide crucial insight into both The Great Gatsby and the society in which Fitzgerald lived and wrote.
The American Dream in the Roaring Twenties
The American Dream first arose during the colonial period, reflecting the hopes for prosperity and freedom that early British settlers had in coming to the New World. By the time Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby in the 1920s, the united states had experienced massive economic growth and expansion after World War I, developing into a consumer society increasingly focused on material excess. The stock market was soaring, resulting in ostentatious displays of wealth and decadent parties among the nouveau riche. This newly materialistic version of the American Dream focused on easy money, lavish mansions, and uninhibited leisure. However, rampant corruption and organized crime circulating around bootlegged liquor belied the seemingly idealistic decade. Fitzgerald recognized the hypocrisy and shallowness beneath the flashy exterior and based The Great Gatsby around these observations.
Gatsby as a Symbol of the Corrupted Dream
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses Gatsby himself as a symbol for the corruption of the American Dream. Gatsby is a self-made millionaire who built his fortune through criminal bootlegging and associates with gangsters like Meyer Wolfsheim. Despite his mysterious 'new money' status, Gatsby still longs for the virtues of an old money family and hosts lavish parties in hopes of winning back the love of Daisy Buchanan, who represents the wealth and aristocratic connections he desires. Gatsby incorrectly believes his money can "repeat the past" and recreate an idealistic version of the American Dream with Daisy, but he learns too late that this is impossible (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 116). Fitzgerald suggests that the dream has decayed into materialism and is simply an illusion, leading to Gatsby's downfall and death. As the famous last line states, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 189). The hard truth is that the past is gone and the present is built on corruption.
Nick Carraway's Disillusionment with Materialism
In contrast to Gatsby, Nick Carraway is a far more reliable narrator and Fitzgerald uses his perspective to showcase the hollowness beneath the Jazz Age facade. Coming from a prominent Midwestern family, Nick is at first seduced by the reckless glamor of Gatsby's parties and wealthy lifestyle. However, he soon realizes the immorality and cynicism that wealth is built on, stating, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated...and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 188). Nick comes to reject what the American Dream has transformed into—an amoral chase for money and status with no regard for anything higher. Fitzgerald suggests that the few who see through this façade and retain their principles, like Nick, are disillusioned and left isolated by the surrounding decay.
The Glamor of the Jazz Age vs. the Novel's Message
Some argue that The Great Gatsby focuses predominantly on the excitement and glamor of 1920s high society rather than directly condemning the American Dream. Indeed, Fitzgerald’s vivid descriptions of parties, fashion, mansions, and romance capture the energy and extravagance of the era. However, the ultimate fates of Gatsby, George and Myrtle Wilson, and Daisy herself demonstrate that beneath the hedonistic exterior lies a destructive rot eating away at their lives. The costs of worshipping money and status prove ruinous, warning readers against the hollowness of materialism masquerading as an idealistic dream.
Conclusion
F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 masterwork The Great Gatsby remains one of the definitive novels of the Jazz Age and the American Dream. By portraying the idealistic striving for wealth, status, and pleasure and its ultimate corruption through characters like Gatsby and Daisy, Fitzgerald exposes the façade of opulence and shallow materialism that defined the era. The novel continues to resonate today as a sobering critique of American society’s tendency to become blinded by money and success at the expense of morality, ideals, and human connections. Nearly a century after its publication, readers return to The Great Gatsby to be reminded that the American Dream, when twisted into superficial materialism and decadence, will inevitably fail us.
