Great Gatsby Analysis
Content
At the beginning of the 20th century, when immigrants from Europe were flooding into New
York City, their goal in life was clear. They came to the United States to fulfill the “American
Dream”, that is, the promise that hard work would bring success and happiness. However, after
the first world war the purity of the American Dream became tainted by greed and the pursuit of
social status by the working class. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the author portrays
the 1920's as an era of decayed social and moral values, seen by its decadence, greed and empty
pursuit of pleasure. When World War I ended in 1918, the generation of young Americans who
had fought the war became extremely disillusioned, as the brutal carnage that they had just faced
made the conservative social morality of early-twentieth-century America seem like a stuffy,
empty hypocrisy. The rise of the stock market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden increase
in the national wealth and a newfound materialism, as people began to spend and consume at
unprecedented levels. During this time of shallow happiness the Buchanans were what would be
typically seen as the perfect model of the American dream, however, though Tom and Daisy are
rich and powerful, they are unhappy and superficial; “They smashed up things and creatures,
retreated back into their money...and let other people clean up the mess they had made...”(179).
In this quote speaking of Tom and Daisy the narrator directly states their irresponsibility, and
falsehood. Not only were the Buchanans careless, heartless people, but they were also incredibly
unhappy with themselves and each other. The simple fact that people like the Buchanans have
the ideal life that other Americans looked up to is enough to show that during this time in the
century the American Dream had become tainted. The masses striving to become like Tom and
Daisy, to be rich and powerful and shallow, are best represented by Gatsby himself, attempting to
find a place in the upper class to woo Daisy and fulfill his own American dream. Now, in this
new sense of the American dream a person from any social background could, potentially, make
a fortune, but the American aristocracy—families with old wealth—scorned the newly rich
industrialists. Gatsby was what would be called “new money”, and the Buchanans were old
money. The clash between new money and old money manifests itself in the novel's symbolic
geography: East Egg represents the established aristocracy, and West Egg the self-made rich. “I
lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two...”(5). This shows how not only
does old money frown upon new money, but so does the rest of society. Yet, new money works to
become wealthy and old money simply inherits their fortune. The fact that new money would be
“less fashionable” exhibits society's greediness, and obsession with becoming wealthy by the
simplest means possible. Another symbol of the nation's disenchantment with a pure American
dream, is Gatsby's cream colored Rolls Royce. In the novel, cars represent a fast and reckless
life, while cream is a mixture of yellow and white. In this case, yellow stands for lies and deceit
and white is a symbol for virginity and purity, essentially, exemplifying a struggle between good
and evil. This was how Fitzgerald saw it , the American dream was originally about discovery,
individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. In the 1920s depicted in the novel, however, easy
money and relaxed social values have corrupted this dream;
“as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away...I became aware of the old
island here that flowered once for Dutch sailor's eyes—a fresh, green breast of the new world.”
(180). Here, the “fresh, green breast of the new world” represents a new life, a new hope for
happiness and success, a freshness that could no longer be found among the “inessential houses”,
representing all the unnecessary materialism in humanity during this time period. However, each
character, each human being has their own American dream, all striving for different but similar
objectives. George Wilson's American dream was to make the only thing he loved in life happy,
but Myrtle deceived him to fulfill her own American dream, to be wealthy and socially
acceptable. The combination of their dreams and the Buchanans influence led to both their deaths
and Gatsby's. In the end there is no archetypal American dream, for each human being has
weaknesses. And those weaknesses will lead them to either hide behind a false sense of
happiness like the Buchanans, or die like the Wilsons and Gatsby.
Anartia Gamboa
Pd. 1
Other Examples of Society's Corruption in
The Great Gatsby
“...I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting between the
sheets, clad in his underwear with a great portfolio in his hands.”
(38)
“People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere,
and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each
other a few feet away.” (37)
“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths
among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (39)
“They...came for the party, with a simplicity of heart that was its
own ticket of admission.”(41)
“'I like to come,' Lucille said. 'I never care what I do, so I always
have a good time.'” (43)
York City, their goal in life was clear. They came to the United States to fulfill the “American
Dream”, that is, the promise that hard work would bring success and happiness. However, after
the first world war the purity of the American Dream became tainted by greed and the pursuit of
social status by the working class. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the author portrays
the 1920's as an era of decayed social and moral values, seen by its decadence, greed and empty
pursuit of pleasure. When World War I ended in 1918, the generation of young Americans who
had fought the war became extremely disillusioned, as the brutal carnage that they had just faced
made the conservative social morality of early-twentieth-century America seem like a stuffy,
empty hypocrisy. The rise of the stock market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden increase
in the national wealth and a newfound materialism, as people began to spend and consume at
unprecedented levels. During this time of shallow happiness the Buchanans were what would be
typically seen as the perfect model of the American dream, however, though Tom and Daisy are
rich and powerful, they are unhappy and superficial; “They smashed up things and creatures,
retreated back into their money...and let other people clean up the mess they had made...”(179).
In this quote speaking of Tom and Daisy the narrator directly states their irresponsibility, and
falsehood. Not only were the Buchanans careless, heartless people, but they were also incredibly
unhappy with themselves and each other. The simple fact that people like the Buchanans have
the ideal life that other Americans looked up to is enough to show that during this time in the
century the American Dream had become tainted. The masses striving to become like Tom and
Daisy, to be rich and powerful and shallow, are best represented by Gatsby himself, attempting to
find a place in the upper class to woo Daisy and fulfill his own American dream. Now, in this
new sense of the American dream a person from any social background could, potentially, make
a fortune, but the American aristocracy—families with old wealth—scorned the newly rich
industrialists. Gatsby was what would be called “new money”, and the Buchanans were old
money. The clash between new money and old money manifests itself in the novel's symbolic
geography: East Egg represents the established aristocracy, and West Egg the self-made rich. “I
lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two...”(5). This shows how not only
does old money frown upon new money, but so does the rest of society. Yet, new money works to
become wealthy and old money simply inherits their fortune. The fact that new money would be
“less fashionable” exhibits society's greediness, and obsession with becoming wealthy by the
simplest means possible. Another symbol of the nation's disenchantment with a pure American
dream, is Gatsby's cream colored Rolls Royce. In the novel, cars represent a fast and reckless
life, while cream is a mixture of yellow and white. In this case, yellow stands for lies and deceit
and white is a symbol for virginity and purity, essentially, exemplifying a struggle between good
and evil. This was how Fitzgerald saw it , the American dream was originally about discovery,
individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. In the 1920s depicted in the novel, however, easy
money and relaxed social values have corrupted this dream;
“as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away...I became aware of the old
island here that flowered once for Dutch sailor's eyes—a fresh, green breast of the new world.”
(180). Here, the “fresh, green breast of the new world” represents a new life, a new hope for
happiness and success, a freshness that could no longer be found among the “inessential houses”,
representing all the unnecessary materialism in humanity during this time period. However, each
character, each human being has their own American dream, all striving for different but similar
objectives. George Wilson's American dream was to make the only thing he loved in life happy,
but Myrtle deceived him to fulfill her own American dream, to be wealthy and socially
acceptable. The combination of their dreams and the Buchanans influence led to both their deaths
and Gatsby's. In the end there is no archetypal American dream, for each human being has
weaknesses. And those weaknesses will lead them to either hide behind a false sense of
happiness like the Buchanans, or die like the Wilsons and Gatsby.
Anartia Gamboa
Pd. 1
Other Examples of Society's Corruption in
The Great Gatsby
“...I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting between the
sheets, clad in his underwear with a great portfolio in his hands.”
(38)
“People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere,
and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each
other a few feet away.” (37)
“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths
among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (39)
“They...came for the party, with a simplicity of heart that was its
own ticket of admission.”(41)
“'I like to come,' Lucille said. 'I never care what I do, so I always
have a good time.'” (43)
