This essay examines F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby through the lens of self-reinvention and the American Dream, situating Jay Gatsby's ambitions within the social and economic climate of the 1920s. Drawing on the decade's postwar prosperity, rampant consumerism, and tension between nostalgia and modernity, the paper traces how Gatsby's humble Midwestern origins fueled a lifelong drive to refashion himself into a wealthy socialite. The analysis explores key textual evidence—including Gatsby's childhood self-improvement schedule and the symbolic tilted clock—to argue that Gatsby's reinvention is fatally undermined by his simultaneous desire to erase the past and relive it, ultimately ensuring his tragic failure.
"The 1920s were characterized by conservatism, affluence, and cultural frivolity, yet it was also a time of social, economic, and political change. The first modern decade in American history paved the way for the reforms of the 1930s. American popular culture began to reflect an urban, industrial, consumer-oriented society" (Ingui, 89). The strong economic boom following the Great War gave birth to a time known as the Roaring Twenties — a prosperous era characterized largely by wealth and change. "President Calvin Coolidge declared that the business of America was business. In many ways, his statement defined the 1920s. Amid all the tensions, an unprecedented flood of new consumer items entered the marketplace, and progressive calls for government regulation were rejected in favor of a revival of the old free-enterprise individualism" (Hermansen). This summarized statement of the decade best encapsulates the conditions which created the mindset of Jay Gatsby.
Gatsby was driven very much by the spirit that created America — a rugged individualism and pioneer spirit, one which was willing to plunge himself into business, even if the dealings were shady. Gatsby was, after all, a bootlegger, as alcohol was illegal thanks to the Volstead Act.
The period after World War I represented a loss of American innocence and a frenzy among politicians and other leaders to reassure the public that the "good old days" were due to return and that "normalcy" would largely prevail (Bayan, 2). At the same time, the 1920s were a period where others clamored heatedly in the other direction, having no desire to return to what they considered the staleness of the past. Rather, "individuals looked forward and were only interested in fulfilling their desires. Fitzgerald coined the phrase 'jazz age' with the notion of excess in mind. Psychologist Robert Lifton's notion of historical dislocation plays a significant role in defining one's understanding of the twenties' friction between normalcy and the Jazz Age. Historical dislocation is the breakdown of social and institutional forces within a culture. In regard to the twenties, one can observe the breakdown of pre-war idealism and the ensuing tension between America's return to normal and its progression into the Jazz Age" (Bayan, 2). One could easily argue that Jay Gatsby represents a living characterization of this volatile tension. He is at once an emblem of the Jazz Age, as seen via his lavish parties and his homes built on the bricks of new money (Bayan, 2). At the same time, his parties are all thrown with the desire of reconnecting with Daisy Fay — essentially stepping backwards into the past and reliving it, something that is fundamentally impossible but which he doggedly remains determined to do.
The spirit of business that was alive in the 1920s represented a full financial resurgence, and it was in part responsible for giving birth to Jay Gatsby, as the era was characterized by opportunity — and he was indeed an opportunist. The tremors of opportunity are felt throughout the novel, not just via Gatsby but through all the characters, such as Nick Carraway when he crosses the 59th Street Bridge, a crossing that makes him feel as though anything is possible (Jackson & Dunbar, xv).
Gatsby was born into a poor farming family in the Midwest. After returning from the war, he is determined to elevate his social status in order to pursue his love, Daisy. In pursuing Daisy, he is also pursuing much more, either directly or indirectly. Daisy is essentially the old-money girl — a status that Gatsby will never quite attain no matter how successfully he reinvents himself. The reader glimpses the seeds of reinvention present in Gatsby via the early entries he had made in a copy of Poor Richard's Almanac, Benjamin Franklin's manual for self-improvement. Based on all these aspects, the reader can reasonably conclude that Gatsby grew up feeling inferior and that all of his efforts were aimed at shaking off the self that had grown up as a poor farm boy and reinventing himself, as much as humanly possible, into someone else. This devotion to reinvention was made all the more possible by the circumstances of the time, which created an environment — real or illusory — of prosperity, an atmosphere that can be absolutely intoxicating. An atmosphere of prosperity and rampant consumerism can make one feel as though anything is possible, no matter how lofty or unreasonable. The desire to recreate himself into something "better," something more palatable to his own ambitions, is the driving force behind all of Gatsby's actions throughout the novel.
Essentially, Gatsby's desire to reinvent himself is almost a desire to "father" himself. "This romantic ambition to father himself — to make himself out of nothing — is inspired by three main sources. These are, first, the American culture of 'self-help'; second, the 'chivalrous' literature typified by Horatio Alger-type stories of the self-made man, who, overcoming great poverty, becomes 'successful' (that is, wealthy) beyond his wildest dreams — only to run into the rude obstruction of people who are born into that condition… Thus Gatsby acts out a boyhood dream driven by quixotic and characteristically American fantasies of the democratic David defeating the blue-blooded bully Goliath who blocks his path to self-improvement. Daisy serves to complete this image, to serve its truth" (Palaver & Steinmair-Posel, 280).
The first example of Gatsby's desire to construct a new self is revealed at the end of the novel. Gatsby's father has brought a copy of Hop-Along Cassidy — a book Gatsby owned as a boy — and before the funeral he shows Nick Carraway the notes Gatsby had printed on the inside cover:
"On the last flyleaf was printed the word SCHEDULE, and the date September 12, 1906, and underneath:
Rise from bed … 6 AM. Dumb-bell exercises and wall-scaling … 6.15–6.30. Study electricity, etc. … 7.15–8.15. Work … 8.30–4:30 PM. Baseball and sports … Practice elocution, poise and how to attain it 5.00–6.00. Study needed inventions … 7.00–9.00. GENERAL RESOLVES No wasting time at Shafters or [a name, indecipherable] No more smoking or chewing Bath every other day Read one improving book or magazine per week Save $5.00 {crossed out} $3.00 per week Be better to parents.
'I came across this book by accident,' said the old man. 'It just shows you, don't it?'
'It just shows you.'
'Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he's got about improving his mind? He was always great for that. He told me once I et like a hog and I beat him for it'" (Fitzgerald).
This example demonstrates how even as a young person, Gatsby was trying to achieve more than just self-improvement — he was trying to change who he was. This is most clearly revealed in the remark his father makes about how Jay once told him that he ate like a hog. The comment reflects a degree of contempt and embarrassment toward his family and roots, making it more likely that Gatsby's concerted efforts at such a young age stemmed from more than a desire to improve himself, but from a desire not to be like his father and to leave behind the world he came from. As alluded to earlier, this is a deeply American ideal: "American culture is predicated on liberty and freedom — grandiose abstract notions that, naively or not, guide us to believe that we can become anything we want and that greatness is out there for our taking. To read about Jay Gatsby's ascent from vagabond Minnesotan to new-money iconoclast is to read the story of America" (Bayan, 2001).
"Cody mentorship deepens Gatsby's pursuit of wealth"
"Gatsby's quest to defeat old-money class privilege"
"Internal contradiction dooms Gatsby's reinvention project"
The very specific and opportunistic environment of the 1920s helped to create Jay Gatsby — his dreams and his actions. It was a time of prosperity and possibility, and these were elements that he believed in wholeheartedly. The bulk of Gatsby's desires revolved around the goal of reinventing himself and shaking off the shackles of his old life in order to leap to a higher level of prestigious social standing. This was motivated in part by his love for Daisy, the old-money girl, but driven more fundamentally by a desire to simultaneously relive the past and burn up the ashes of his former self. It is precisely this impossible contradiction — the wish to both escape the past and reclaim it — that seals his fate and transforms his story into one of the most enduring American tragedies in literary history.
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