The Great Gatsby

Though all of its action takes place over a mere few months during the summer of 1922 and
is set in a circumscribed geographical area in the vicinity of Long Island, New York, The
Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a whole, in particular the
disintegration of the American dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material
excess.

Context
When World War I ended in 1918, the generation of young Americans who had fought the war became
intensely disillusioned, as the brutal carnage that they had just faced made the Victorian social morality of
early-twentieth-century America seem like stuffy, empty hypocrisy.
The dizzying rise of the stock market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden, sustained increase in the
national wealth and a newfound materialism, as people began to spend and consume at unprecedented levels.
A person from any social background could, potentially, make a fortune, but the American aristocracy—
families with old wealth—scorned the newly rich industrialists and speculators.
Additionally, the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, which banned the sale of alcohol, created a
thriving underworld designed to satisfy the massive demand for bootleg liquor among rich and poor alike.

Symbols
 Tj. Eckleburg:
o "above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you
perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg" Chapter 2 page 20 these are
“desolate” and “grotesque”
 Wealth vs poverty
 Gatsby’s lavish parties contrast with the scenery.
 "watchful vigil"(Nick); and then, George takes Myrtle to the window (from which,
we know, the billboard is visible) and tells her she can't fool God.
 There is a continuous allusion to this billboard as God
 God has been replaced by capitalism. Instead of a truly religious
representation, the best this world can do is manifest God in a billboard –
an advertisement.
 Capitalism
 The green light
o “his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it”
o “orgastic future” pg. 148
o Unattainable dream
o Future
 The owl-eyed man
o Wisdom, truly seeing: "It's a bona-fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella's a
regular Belasco. It's a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop, too -
didn't cut the pages. pg. 38 chapter 3
 David Belasco, a theater producer known for his super realistic sets. He expected to
be the books fake, but the books were real, but Gatsby never have read them.
 This man was the only one that could see clearly and understand who Gatsby was,
by looking further in detail, and not lost in materialism as the others.
 Gatsby knows how much he has to do to fool people, and he knows that he
doesn't need to cut the pages. Nobody in this crowd is going to check,
because they're just as fake as he is.
 books used to come with their pages uncut, the sheets aren't sliced open on the top.
You'd have to cut them open before reading. If you didn't, everyone would know
that you hadn't actually read the book.
  He wants people to think that he's well-read, but he's never even cracked the
covers. So, the simple answer is that the books represent the fact that
Gatsby is a fraud.
 Appearances vs reality
o Was the only one who come to Gatsby’s funeral
 The valley of ashes
o First introduced in chapter 2
o It is between West Egg and New York City
o It is a long stretch of desolate land created by the dumping industrial ashes. It is an industrial
area called Queens, were the smoke creates a gray atmosphere.
 Represents moral and social decay from the reckless pursuit of wealth.
o Desolate area of land
o A fantastic farm were ashes grow like wheat
 Irony, fantastic is used to describe unimaginable places usually in fairy tales.
Positive connotation.
o the phrase "the valley of ashes" connects to the Biblical "the valley of the shadow of death"
found in Psalm 23. In the psalm, this terrifying place is made safe by the presence of God.
But in the novel, the valley has no divine presence or higher moral authority. Instead, the
ashes point to the inexorable march toward death and dissolution, linking this valley with the
Anglican burial services reminder that the body is "ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Even when
George tries to sense a divine presence through the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, the fact
that no one else is impacted by this billboard's inanimate presence ultimately dooms George
as well.

Themes
 The American Dream
Definition: the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in
America (read: rich) if they just work hard enough. originally about discovery, individualism, and the pursuit
of happiness.
o Context: The 1920s in particular was a pretty tumultuous time due to increased immigration
(and the accompanying xenophobia), changing women's roles (spurred by the right to vote,
which was won in 1919), and extraordinary income inequality. Economic boom fueled the
belief that anyone could “strike it rich”.
o As we crossed Blackwell's Island a limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in
which sat three modish Negroes, two bucks and a girl.
o The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge (…) in its first wild promise of all the mystery and
the beauty in the world.
 Early in the novel there is an optimistic illustration of the American Dream
 People of different origins heading towards NYC.
Gatsby

o The opulent parties that Gatsby throws every Saturday night—resulted ultimately in the
corruption of the American dream, as the unrestrained desire for money and pleasure
surpassed more noble goals.
o Gatsby’s house had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams;
(…) man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent.
 Pessimistic and mournful tone. Change in Nick’s thoughts of the city.
o his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know
that it was already behind him
 His dream was impossible to attain
 Gatsby is the personification of the unachievable and failure of the American
Dream. He acquired a large amount of money through crime to achieve this
American dream which it only led to his death.
 o Daisy: personification of the American Dream
 She is unable to embody the huge fantasy Gatsby projects onto her. American
Dream just a fantasy.
 “Her voice is full of money” (Gatsby said): she is explicitly linked to wealth
 Golden Girl (Nick says): Golden associated with gold.

George and Myrtle Wilson

o They both strive to achieve the American Dream however they both end up dead. It is
dangerous to strive for more than you are given.
o Myrtle: tries to achieve this American dream through Tom, even though she has to deal with
his abuse.
 His gifts and presents are prioritized over her own well-being.
o George: also tries to achieve this dream by running his car shop. However, he is unavailable
to do this as he lacks funds.

Tom and Daisy

o Antagonist to the American Dream, they have old money thus they do not need the
American dream
o They end up instigating a large amount of tragedy through their own recklessness
 There is no consequences for them for their action.
 Tom: drives Myrtle
 Daisy: drives Gatsby

o In the 1920s depicted in the novel, however, easy money and relaxed social values have
corrupted this dream, especially on the East Coast. The main plotline of the novel reflects
this assessment, as Gatsby’s dream of loving Daisy is ruined by the difference in their
respective social statuses, his resorting to crime to make enough money to impress her, and
the rampant materialism that characterizes her lifestyle