Introduction
Past experiences, achievements, and challenges will influence people’s lives and the decisions they make. Individuals who acquire appropriate guidance or support will eventually develop a powerful philosophy that can inform most of their actions and aims. Many authors and novelists focus on their past observations and experiences in an attempt to develop high-quality arguments and themes.
For instance, the novel The Great Gatsby is an outstanding work of art that gives a detailed analysis of the author’s past expectations and troubles that resonate with his thoughts of the infamous American dream. This paper uses this book to describe the major events and experiences that influenced Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s beliefs and values. The discussion also presents alternative analyses regarding the writer’s themes and how he could have failed in developing them.
Background Information
Having grown up as a member of the upper-middle class, Fitzgerald received quality advice, learned in prestigious institutions, and developed powerful values that would guide him throughout his life. In the selected novel, he writes: “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father game me some advice…whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Fitzgerald 2).
From this observation, it is evident that this author acquired timely ideas from the wider society and his immediate family. During the late 19th century, the elite in society was able to pursue their goals and make the necessary decisions regarding their future expectations. Fitzgerald had the opportunity to interact with many individuals, stay indifferent to learning institutions and government organizations, and associate with more citizens with diverse backgrounds. Consequently, he learned powerful beliefs that would eventually influence the kind of person he would become in life.
For instance, he understood the importance of remaining courteous and “desiring great things in life” (Bloom 18). His father explained to him the relevance of decorum and how it could take him to the next level. Consequently, he developed the belief that the right time would soon come for him to pursue wealth and romance as part of the infamous American dream.
The theme of romance stands out in the selected novel. Fitzgerald writes in his novel: “I enjoyed looking at her. She was a slender, small-breasted girl, with an erect carriage which she accentuated by throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet” (Fitzgerald 13-14). This kind of theme is attributable to the author’s experience with Ginevra King, the lady he had a romantic affair with from the year 1915 to 1917. He would eventually consider this kind of personal love affair to develop a similar theme in the selected novel (Newlin 39). The connection between love and wealth was a major question that continued to “amaze him while he was in the army” (Dickstein 65). Due to the complexities experienced during the time, he went further to venture into writing in an attempt to become wealthy.
Having grown up in a senior society, the author managed to learn the importance of education and how it would eventually make it possible for him to achieve his goals. He indicates clearly that “My family has been prominent, well-to-do people in this middle western city for three generations” (Fitzgerald 4). This kind of assertion explains why it was easy for the author to develop specific traits that were seen as a preserve for the rich, such as courtesy and decorum. Whenever pursuing a specific goal in life, Fitzgerald had understood that it was always necessary to remain charismatic and always be ready to make desirable decisions (Tanner 63).
With this kind of knowledge, he was willing to pursue quality education and formulate a clear philosophy of life. He experimented with ‘different activities and goals, such as football and writing” (Berman 41). He continued to experiment with the ideology of a fashionable gentleman throughout his days as a youth. Coincidentally, this kind of knowledge would eventually guide him to develop most of the characters he depicts in his famous novels.
The Great Gatsby: Analysis
One of the outstanding themes from The Great Gatsby is the American dream. He examines how this concept informed the ideas and actions of many people in the 1920s. In this novel, the author indicates: “who is this Gatsby anyway… I didn’t hear it. I imagined it. A lot of these newly rich people are just bootleggers, you know” (Fitzgerald 115). Throughout this book, it is evident that every character was inspired and willing to focus on the American dream and be able to overcome all forms of challenges experienced in the past. As described in the above section, Fitzgerald was convinced that the attainment of this objective would make it possible for more people to become more successful and empower their children accordingly.
Such a form of knowledge would guide him to pursue his future objectives. With this kind of information, the reader realizes that Gatsby was someone ‘whose past was less wealthy and unsuccessful” (Igarashi 27). However, his dedication and ingenuity made it possible for him to find some form of shortcut to this kind of greatness. This kind of portrayal explains why Gatsby should be studied or analyzed as a person who was constantly pursuing both romance and wealth as an American citizen.
In the above discussion, it is evident that the connection between the desire for greatness and romance remained undeniable in Fitzgerald’s life. This fact explains why he used his personal experience to depict Daisy by stating that: “After all, in the very casualness of Gatsby’s party there were romantic possibilities totally absent from her (Daisy) world” (Fitzgerald 117). What Fitzgerald manages to portray is that Daisy seemed to be Gatsby’s personification of this infamous dream. However, the subsequent chapters in the novel reveal that majority of the people were unable to achieve their goals in life. Instead, they had “to encounter diverse obstacles that make it hard for them to become part of this reality (Batchelor 56). The reader realizes that Gatsby is eventually unable to marry Daisy since she finds it hard to get rid of Tom as her lover.
Just like the way Fitzgerald’s dreams and aims remain unachieved, it is evident that the majority of the characters in the selected novel fail to make it in life despite the fact that they got the desired money. Gatsby fails to find the intended romance and eventually dies prematurely despite being wealthy. Fitzgerald concludes his novel using this quote: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald 193).
The outstanding message from this novel is that the American dream is a higher goal that symbolizes money and romance (Newlin 42). During his days as a child, Fitzgerald learned that it was always necessary to be a gentle human being who focused on love, equality, and happiness for all. The death of the major characters and their inability to achieve their specific objectives should become a grim reminder “that the American dream remained a mirage” (Kruse 62). This is a clear indication that it was unattainable or unavailable to the greatest number of Americans.
Opposing Views
The last chapter of this book gives a detailed conclusion of the lives and experiences of the major characters the author develops. He writes: “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (Fitzgerald 193). This kind of argument appears to explain why Gatsby believed that he had the potential to succeed and eventually achieve the American dream. However, this portrayal in the novel reveals that the author was unable to develop the American dream theme effectively and guide more people to focus on it. The reader realizes that “wealth was not the final goal of many citizens in the selected region” (Newlin 19). The life of Gatsby followed such a path since he eventually failed to achieve his aims. The outstanding argument is that such a development never brought them closer to happiness in their lives.
The novel appears to indicate that the American dream was something meaningful but unattainable. This is the reason why Fitzgerald indicates: “It eluded us then, but that’s no matter tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther” (193). From this passage, the reader agrees that many people in America during the time only focused on a future that never arrived. While this period in question was characterized by memorable achievements and gains that transformed the lives of many people in a positive manner, some citizens failed to record meaningful social mobilities.
The characters appear to come to a grim conclusion that money is only a tool different “individuals use to achieve their romantic gains” (Tanner 39). For instance, Gatsby eventually became a dreamer who found it extremely hard to come to terms with reality. Consequently, he had to incur numerous costs without being able to fall in love with Daisy.
Throughout the 1920s, many Americans who were guided by this form of dream wanted to acquire immense wealth and become richer every day. However, the author writes: “With my trunk packed and my car sold to the grocer, I went over and looked at that huge incoherent failure of a house once more” (Fitzgerald 192). This line appears to describe the uncertainty of the American dream and how those who chose to pursue it eventually became disoriented and unable to emerge successful in their lives.
This analysis indicates that this author’s version of the American dream is something that makes it impossible for many people to come to terms with reality. Gatsby becomes disillusioned even after amassing wealth and even “fails to leave something meaningful behind” (McGuire 83). This is a clear indication that analysts who want to get a clear picture of the American dream and its implications on the experiences of many citizens should consider reading additional novels. They can combine this book and other texts in order to get a clear picture of this theme.
Conclusion
The above discussion has revealed that Fitzgerald manages to give a detailed analysis of the events and challenges that many Americans faced during the first quarter of the 20th century. The themes of romance and the American dream stand out in the selected novel. From a personal perspective, I agree that he has used the topics effectively throughout the text. Although there are some cases of weaknesses that have been outlined above, the best thing is for Americans to read widely and appreciate the fact that some concerned citizens were unable to succeed despite the values associated with the dream, such as commitment, honor, and hard work.
The manner in which the author pursues the question of love and how those behind it fail is a true reflection of the unique issues that many people encounter in their lives (Fitzgerald 187). The extended analysis and description of the American dream is something that readers can study carefully in order to acquire the intended meaning.
The questions emerging from this book can make it possible for more citizens to relate their experiences with those of the major characters. This kind of practice can equip them with additional ideas for examining the nature of the American dream. The presented insights can guide them to overcome the emotional and financial challenges that affected the outcomes of Gatsby. The portrayal of this subject can become a powerful model for developing a powerful philosophy that can result in problem resolution (McGuire 54).
Those who understand or appreciate the selected text will go further to study additional novels that focus on the implications of the American dream on the experiences and outcomes of Gatsby. Such a practice will equip them with additional insights into the challenges many people experienced in their lives during the period in question. In conclusion, Fitzgerald’s novel remains an inspirational and timeless work that will continue to influence people’s discussions and opinions regarding the position of the American dream in the United States.
Works Cited
Batchelor, Bob. Gatsby: The Cultural History of the Great American Novel. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.
Berman, Ronald. The Great Gatsby and Modern Times. University of Illinois Press, 2004.
Bloom, Harold. Gatsby. Chelsea House Publishers, 1991.
Dickstein, Morris. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Salem Press, 2010.
Fitzgerald, Francis S. The Great Gatsby. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1993.
Igarashi, Hayley. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Hyperlink Publishing, 2011.
Kruse, Horst H. F. Scott Fitzgerald at Work: The Making of “The Great Gatsby”. University Alabama Press, 2014.
McGuire, Dawn. American Dream with Exit Wound. IFSF Publishing, 2017.
Newlin, Keith. Critical Insights: The American Dream. Salem Press, 2013.
Tanner, Bernard R. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Odyssey: A Reader’s Guide to the Gospels in The Great Gatsby. University Press of America, 2003.