The Great Gatsby

Then wear the gold hat, if it will move her;
                If you can bounce high, bounce for her too;
Till she cry ‘Lover, gold-hatted, high bouncing lover,
                I must have you!’

Thomas Parke D’invilliers

The Great Gatsby is a fictional representation of 1920s America – consumerism, colour and chaos. Fitzgerald’s writing is evocative, highlighting the darker side of the Jazz Age and the apparent illusion that was the American Dream.

Jay Gatsby is a powerful vessel, embodying all the aspects of the American Dream – money, wealth and popularity. Gatsby’s values do not appear to lie beyond the American Dream, as he hosts extravagant parties without a care in the world. There is an air of mystery about Jay Gatsby, as his background is unclear. There is much gossip about him, with a common rumour suggesting that he has killed a man. Even Nick, Gatsby’s only real friend, states that young men didn’t just ‘drift coolly out of nowhere and buy a palace on Long Island Sound.’ But Gatsby’s frivolity is soon uncovered. The reality is that Gatsby is simply trying to win over a past lover, Daisy Buchanan.

Daisy is solely influenced by materialism. Daisy claims to love Gatsby, but, after his death, she turns to her everyday affairs with her husband, Tom Buchanan, and ignores the tragic events that have taken place. It may be that Daisy’s love for Gatsby is idealised and the fact that her main desire is wealth has influenced her view of their romance. Furthermore, as Daisy seems to be stuck in an unhappy marriage with Tom (who is involved in an affair with Myrtle, who Daisy eventually kills), it may be that she just loves being adored and fawned over.

The main characters in the novel illustrate the corruption that was produced as a result of the unhealthy greed many Americans had, in the decade of the 20s. Fitzgerald uncovers the beauty and the horror of the 1920s through Gatsby. The novel is bipolar and this emphasises the harsh reality of the decade.

I would recommend reading The Great Gatsby, as Fitzgerald’s writing is captivating. His own experiences of the time are highlighted in the novel, through his understanding of the corruption beneath the illusional ‘roaring’ 20s.