The Great Gatsby

This blog is a response to a task assigned by Dilip Barad sir, Department of English (MKBU). This blog is about a novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this blog I  will write a review on the article: ‘Gatsby: False Prophet of the American Dream’ written by Roger L. Pearson.

'The Great Gatsby' is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. It's set during the Jazz Age in Long Island, near New York City. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, who tells about his encounters with the enigmatic millionaire Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is deeply fixated on reuniting with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.

The novel "The Great Gatsby" was inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald's own experiences, including his youthful romance with socialite Ginevra King and the extravagant parties he attended on Long Island's North Shore in 1922. Fitzgerald began writing the novel while living on the French Riviera and completed a rough draft in 1924. His editor, Maxwell Perkins, encouraged him to revise the manuscript during the following winter. Although Fitzgerald was unsure about the title, he was satisfied with the text after revisions. The striking dust jacket art by Francis Cugat made a strong impression on Fitzgerald, and he incorporated its imagery into the novel.

In the preface Pearson talks about the American dream. Anyone can attain one's goals in America if one works hard. This concept can be found in the letters of William Bradford and Walt Whitman, St. Jean de Crevecoeur and Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.

F. Scott Fitzgerald has liked the American dream more than any other writer of the 20th century. Similar to how Ernest Hemingway focused on the theme of a separate peace, the American dream was central to Fitzgerald's work. In his works the American dream lacked the optimism and fulfilment that can be observed in the other writers.

Further the writer compares the idea of the American Dream to a metaphor involving prophets from the Old Testament. The American Dream is seen as a vision of a golden age, with a messiah figure that looks the ideal American. According to the writer Fitzgerald presents Gatsby as this messiah figure, representing the fulfilment of the American Dream during the extravagant period after World War I, known as the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald himself saw this era as the realization of the American Dream, and he portrayed Gatsby as its central figure in his novel. For this argument he says that Gatsby fits in this role because he lives the American dream. There are so many similarities in the story of Jesus Christ and Gatsby as well as the characters and their names. However the character of Gatsby is not a stereotypical character, he has his own uniqueness.

In the novel there is a reference that Jay Gatsby is the son of God and he is also compared with Mammon, who is a symbol of wealth and materialistic things in the world. The beauty of this image of Gatsby's house is a dual one that seems that Fitzgerald has created a twentieth century replica imitation of Milton's Pandemonium. Fitzgerald has deliberately made the God-like image of Gatsby by withholding him from the novel, while surrounding him with different myths. Some believe him to have been a double spy during the war, others that he once killed a man, while some see him as a criminal lord of the underworld, dealing in bootleg liquor, among other things. Our first sight of Gatsby comes late one night when Nick sees him emerge from the shadows of his mansion. Nick sees that Gatsby's appearance gave the suggestion that he had come out to determine what share was his of our local heavens. Gatsby's arm is stretched seaward, and Nick sights along it to the green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan's dock. When he looks back to Gatsby, he has disappeared. Gatsby has come and gone as a ghost.

In this part, critics have different ideas about a scene in the wasteland between West Egg and New York City. They talk about how the big eyes of Dr. Eckleburg might be connected to another reference of Owl Eyes. Owl Eyes is the one who says sad words at Gatsby's grave. One critic thinks Dr. Eckleburg's eyes might represent a powerful god-like figure. This makes sense because George Wilson calls them the eyes of God. He says this when talking about how God sees everything, like when Myrtle was not being faithful.

Further Pearson talks about the "valley of ashes" in "The Great Gatsby" and compares it to T.S. Eliot's "Waste Land'' poem. It suggests that the world portrayed in the novel is spiritually empty and doomed to failure because of its focus on materialism. The valley of ashes symbolize this emptiness, similar to a dump outside Jerusalem called Hinnon in the Old Testament. The valley of ashes represents the corrupted American dream, influenced by false gods like Mammon represented by Gatsby. Meyer Wolfsheim, a character in "The Great Gatsby" who is associated with shady dealings like fixing the 1919 World Series. Wolfsheim claims to have helped Gatsby become successful and calls him a person of good upbringing, but this praise comes from someone who has questionable morals himself. Wolfsheim's character serves as a contrast to Gatsby's supposed nobility, highlighting the theme of moral corruption in the story.

There is a discussion of how Gatsby has a distorted view of what makes a person good. He admires Meyer Wolfsheim and Jordan Baker, despite their questionable behavior. Gatsby's lifestyle, including his extravagant parties and pursuit of a married woman like Daisy, reflects his belief in living for pleasure. He sees Daisy as the epitome of his American dream, even though she is portrayed as shallow and morally compromised. Gatsby's downfall comes from his arrogance and belief that he can manipulate fate and morality to get what he wants, ultimately leading to his tragic end. Again Pearson compares Gatsby to Mammon, a character from "Paradise Lost" by John Milton, who seeks wealth and power. Gatsby also tries to achieve his goals through his riches, believing that money can solve everything. At first, Gatsby's wealth helps him gain acceptance and even Daisy's affection, but eventually, he is abandoned by those who once admired him. Gatsby's loneliness is highlighted at his funeral when nobody shows up, symbolizing the emptiness of his pursuit of wealth and status. In the end, Gatsby is left alone, watching over his broken dream, much like Milton's Mammon who ultimately fails in his pursuit of power.

There is a description of Gatsby's death, which occurs around four o'clock when his chauffeur hears gunshots. Gatsby is killed by someone described as an "ashen fantastic figure," likely George Wilson, who lives in the valley of ashes and represents the negative consequences of Gatsby's pursuit of wealth and status. The imagery of passion and crucifixion is used to portray Gatsby as a rejected messianic figure, emphasizing his tragic end. Owl Eyes, a character in the story, sums up Gatsby's life with the words "The poor son-of-a-bitch," highlighting the tragic nature of his existence, born and ultimately destroyed by the hedonistic society he lived in. Nick, the narrator, reflects on Gatsby's upbringing, suggesting that he never truly belonged to his parents or the world he lived in.

There is a man named Flick, contrasting his past potential with his present reality. Flick never progressed beyond his job selling gas, checking oil, and changing flats. The word "just" emphasizes the simplicity and limitation of his occupation. Despite once having potential, Flick seems resigned to his current situation and often reminisces about his past achievements, which now seem irrelevant. Even off the job, Flick spends his time at the luncheonette, appearing worn down and insignificant, symbolized by the imagery of being "grease-grey and kind of coiled," reflecting his unfulfilled potential and sense of futility.

The discussion continues to describe Flick's sense of futility and entrapment in his life. The imagery of being "grease-grey and kind of coiled" suggests that Flick is trapped in a world symbolized by mechanic's grease, representing his symbolic death and entanglement in his circumstances. He feels caught between his past glory and his uncertain future, unable to find his place in the world. Flick is disconnected from both his past achievements and present surroundings, spending his time reminiscing rather than striving for a better future. The mention of Mae and the candy in the luncheonette highlights Flick's alienation from society and the fleeting nature of his past glory. The paragraph ends with a reflection on the tragic fate of many young people today who face similar challenges and are cut off from reaching their full potential.

(I took some help from ChatGPT for better understanding and organizing my thoughts)

Words:1459

Images: 02

References: 

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby.

Prakash Book Depot, 2014.

OpenAI. "Explanation of Paragraphs from 'Gatsby: False Prophet of the American Dream'." OpenAI GPT-3, OpenAI, 2024.

Pearson, Roger L. “Gatsby: False Prophet of the American Dream.” The English Journal, vol. 59, no. 5, 1970, pp. 638–45. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/813939. Accessed 25 Feb. 2024.