Great Gatsby the Elusive American

¶ … Great Gatsby

The Elusive American Dream in the Great Gatsby

The history of America itself is the main inspiration for Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby. Since the discovery of the continent, America struggled between two polar tendencies: unalloyed idealism and absolute pragmatism. These opposites are not merely ideologies reflected in the American culture, but actual realities blended in the destiny of the nation. In the Great Gatsby, this opposition is reflected symbolically in the contrast between the Romantic Gatsby and the other characters in the novel, Tom Buchanan and Daisy especially. By contrast, Nick Carraway seems to represent orderliness and neutrality, while all the other characters lead a full and exuberant life. The steps of the narrative follow Gatsby's fall and that of the American Dream along with it.

Thus, in the exposition of the novel, the action is already at its climax as Nick abruptly plunges in Gatsby's mysterious world. It is only afterwards that the reader finds out the true story of Gatsby's rise as one of the wealthiest men in the land. Thus, the first part of the novel is a picture of the Roaring Twenties and its extraordinary opulence. In this context, Gatsby represents not only the grandiose American dream, but also the human dream in general. The lavish parties he throws are perfect instances of the excesses typical of the twenties. Consumerism is reflected in Gatsby's extravagant opulence: the expensive limousine that brings the guests, the jazz bands that play the music, the machine that is able to squeeze two hundred oranges in half an hour, Gatsby's generosity when one of the guests tears her dress on a chair. At Gatsby's parties, anyone can come without having been actually invited and sometimes without even getting to know the host: "There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars."(Fitzgerald, 25) This opulence paired by generosity is the perfect representation of the American dream, and stands in sharp contrast with the materialism symbolized by Tom Buchanan. Although Gatsby seems almost an illusionist at points, able to fulfill fabulous acts with his magic wand, he is actually a seeker of the deeper reality and the deeper truth in things. The incident in which Gatsby pays from a very expensive dress of one of his guests simply because the dress had been marred at one of his parties is very significant: Gatsby can work magic and create an illusion, as in fact his all invented life seems to be, but he is in fact the 'realist' of the story in so much as he is a seeker of truth and not of appearances like the others are.

In parallel with the fantastic world which Gatsby belongs to, the author introduces the opposite one. Although, on the outside the lives of Tom and Gatsby do not seem very different, as they are both characterized by extreme opulence and excess, in fact they are actually antithetical. Tom Buchanan is constructed as a foil for Gatsby, the representative of the emerging capitalism and corruption. He is violent and materialist, and seems to be the conventional symbol of self-sufficiency and safety. The opposition between Gatsby's and Tom's world is marked symbolic by the setting of the novel: the two egg-shaped parts of the Island are called the West and the East Egg. Gatsby lives, of course on the West Egg, since he represents the decline of the Western ideal. Daisy is caught between these two opposite worlds, and her choice of Tom is symbolic for the choice that the generation made between idealism and materialism. As the action progresses, Tom's and Gatsby's worlds can be more fully contrasted. Thus, while Gatsby is faithful to his dream and to his love for Daisy, and generously lavishes his money on other people, Tom Buchanan betrays his wife and mistreats his lover. In this context, Tom is actually the one who lives his life in idleness, without giving it any meaning. Moreover, Daisy's superficiality makes of her an exponent of the consumerist world as well. Daisy makes a choice between the ideal, represented by Gatsby and the conventional stability offered by Tom, symbolizing materialism in general: "She wanted her life shaped now, immediately -- and the decision must be made by some force -- of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality -- that was close at hand."(Fitzgerald, 89) the woman is indeed charming, but at the same time she seems artificial at some point, suggesting the shift from true idealism to mere superficiality and ornament: "For Daisy was young and her artificial world was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery and orchestras which set the rhythm of the year, summing up the sadness and suggestiveness of life in new tunes."(Fitzgerald, 78) Her wantonness and her lack of vividness perfectly express the slow and dead rhythm of her life. The fact that the Buchanan couple has spent a lot of time merely traveling pointlessly is also significant: they are aimless, compared to Gatsby who is a professed idealist and who tries to give shape and meaning to his life. As Fitzgerald emphasizes, the Buchanan family travels around randomly, even staying in Paris for an entire year without any particular reason. They simply go "wherever people played polo and were rich together"(Fitzgerald, 15). Also, Daisy's artificial manner is significant. Her particular statement at one point that she is "p-paralyzed with happiness" is also symbolic: the couple actually lives in a sort of state spiritual paralysis, in which they are literally trapped.