Marxist criticism of F.

Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby” and Ta-Nehisi Coates’

“Between the World and Me”

What does a Marxist criticism of F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby” and Ta-

Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me” reveal about the concept of the

American Dream presented in each work?

Group 1 (English Language A)

Word Count: 3,950

Table of Contents

Introduction

Body

a. Character

Identification

b. Corruption and Superficiality of The American

Dream

c. Themes

d. Social, Political and Economic

influence

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e. Setting

12

Conclusion

14

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Bibliography

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Introduction:

The American Dream is not a new concept, it was initially created with the purpose

of letting each and every person have an equal chance of pursuing their idea of

happiness, all while letting society prosper; But as time went on, people were to come

face to face with a new reality - which would be that this dream is unattainable, and that

behind the curtains, powerful forces are making it so no matter how much blood, sweat

and tears we put into achieving our final goal, it won’t be able to lie within our grasps. In

literature published decades ago, we can see that authors were able to point out the flaws

in the false dream and claim it to be merely superficial; Nowadays, modern literature is

forcing society to be more aware of our current state, and encourages people of all

background to take a stand and let their voices be heard. The books “The Great Gatsby”,

by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and “Between the World and Me”, by Ta-Nehisi Coates both put

the American Dream into perspective for the general public to analyze and uncover

superficial truths, whether it be through deeper meanings within specific quotes or even

certain characters and events holding powerful and meaningful symbols that add insight

to the plot. From this we can formulate the research question “What does a Marxist

criticism of F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby” and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between the

World and Me” reveal about the concept of the American Dream presented in each

work?”, as it fully incase the purpose of this essay.

Over the course of this essay, a Marxist analysis will be implemented in order to

reinforce claims pertaining to the superficiality of the American Dream. Viewing literature

with a Marxist perspective requires the reader to relate its elements to class difference,

power distribution and the spread of wealth in society, which is all very prominent in the

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two pieces of text. A reason as to why such a method of analysis may be used is to further

broaden the knowledge of the readers and to help the question the reliability of their

current state in the society; possibly sparking change and inspiring those who relate to its

ideals. This essay will be covering the subjects regarding Social Hierarchy, corruption of

the American Dream, themes of power hunger, and the contextual background

surrounding the characters as well as the authors and how they fair in their respective

societies; as these points will prove to be crucial in a Marxist analysis. It is important to

use different lenses when analyzing such texts as it will help in uncovering different

perspectives that may then reveal various themes that might prove useful and spark

insight among readers.

Body:

Character Identification

One of the most integral parts to a Marxist analysis is to identify and determine

how high a character (or groups of characters) is on the social class hierarchy. The

placement and association of a character within the hierarchy will help uncover their

motives and unravel their pasts. Within Marxist ideology, the bourgeoisie are the wealthy

minority in society who has access and control the means of production; and proletariats

are the poor majority in society consisting of people from the working class. In Fitzgerald's

Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan is the one the most prime bourgeois figures among the

characters. His demeanor is arrogant, bigoted and ignorant, he is boastful of his wealth

and feels as though due to his economic status and the family he was born into, he is

able to obtain all he wants. The author throughout the book paints him in a negative light

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in order to let the reader feel more hostility towards him, and such is the nature of the

Marxist ideologies. “Society can no longer live under this bourgeoisie, in other words, its

existence is no longer compatible with society" (Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto).

The malice that the author wants to instill within the reader may have the intent of sparking

revolution and overthrowing bigoted individuals like Tom; His current status, to some, is

the personification of the American Dream; to onlookers, he is the result of hard work and

dedication. But behind the facade, the fruits of his labour actually came from the deception

of ones in power, as Gatsby himself made a business of selling drugs and alcohol illegally.

In “The Great Gatsby”, Tom Buchanan says, "He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of

side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. I

picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn't far wrong."(Fitzgerald 7).

This quote provides evidence that Gatsby himself obtained his wealth from illegal

transactions and overall criminal actions. The bourgeois figures that are found in Ta-

Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me are also similar to that of the Great Gatsby, as

the bourgeois are found in the upper rung of American Society and falls under the concept

(or reality in Coates’ case) of White supremacy. “America believes itself exceptional, the

greatest and noblest nation to ever exist, a lone champion standing between the white

city of democracy and the terrorists, despots, barbarians, and other enemies of

civilization.” (Coates 8). From this quote we can perpetuate how there are many points

in the book where he claims that people of color and those of the working class are not

able to attain the luxuries and respect of those in the upper classes because of White

Supremacy, in that the ones on the top of the ladder have the belief that people that are

white are superior to those of all other races and ignorant of the opinions of those below

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theme, therefore giving them privilege to dominate society however they may please.

Coates puts emphasis on how people have to be aware of how the American Dream is a

merely a false promise that is used to keep the underprivileged under the upper class

individuals, and he urges his son (and readers) to approach the realization of the false

promise from and economical and racial standpoint in order to broaden the knowledge of

those still tricked by the illusion that the American dream can be attained regardless of

race, class, gender or nationality. Knowing the distinct social classes of the characters in

both books creates deeper meaning as to why the American Dream is unattainable as

the people in power that reside in the upper class of society have the tools required to

sustain their social standing and keep the working class working to deepen their wallets.

Corruption and Superficiality of The American Dream

When viewed in a broad perspective, Gatsby can be considered the as The

corruption of the American Dream. His rise to fame and fortune was not due to the aching

joints, sleepless nights and determination to be successful (as most onlookers would

assume). His actions completely contradict the concept of the American dream and show

that he himself doesn’t represent bourgeoisie values. While in Between the World and

Me, the People of Color/African American community in America will symbolize the

superficiality of the American Dream and the idea being a false concept, only there so the

rich can be richer and the poor get poorer. “Specifically, the host wished to know why I

felt that white America’s progress, or rather the progress of those Americans who believe

that they are while, was built on looting and violence.”(Coates 6). From this quote, we can

gather that Coates is very aware of this fact and is not afraid to share his views to hopefully

incite more emotions on behalf of the reader to make a change in the real world; And the

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concept of ‘awareness’ is also very visible in The Great Gatsby as seen in the character

of “Daisy”. In the book, everyone is depicted to be discontent with their current standing

in the social class hierarchy, we can see from characters such as Tom and Nick that they

want to strive for more, become richer and possibly rise to the top of the ladder, as Daisy

has. Daisy’s character however, is shown to be very pessimistic and even nihilistic at

times. “What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon,”cried Daisy,”and the day after that,

and the next thirty years?”(Fitzgerald 7). From this quote we can see how Daisy is actually

very somber and negative on her outlook of life. Her ability to see the repulsiveness in the

most subtle of events and ideologies adhere to the Marxist concept that perceived human

history consisted of struggles amongst the oppressed and the oppressing. Daisy’s

awareness of a continuous struggle outlines the corruption of the upper classes on the

working classes and that in itself also parallels how Coates is able to perceive such

imperfections in society - as being pessimistic may be the best way to point out society’s

mistakes as it is a straightforward way to visualize and notice problems. One more very

prominent point in Coates’ BTWM is when he encounters the homes of humble black

people in the city that were “entering their tenth decade of life”. He notices that despite

their race, they are actually the very antithesis of the American dream he has encountered

that have lived full and wealthy lives. “They had worked two and three jobs, put children

through high school and college, and become pillars of their community. I admired them,

but i knew the whole time that I was merely encountering the survivors…”(Coates 110).

He claims that he is inspired by their accolades and emblems showing their honorable

and full lives they had lived, but says that these people are merely ‘survivors’. Similarly to

the American Dream, people of all races and ethnicities will look at them and feel as

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though ‘if they are able to do it, then anyone can’. Coates is very aware that this moment

can prove to be misleading to onlookers, as it is with the American Dream. “I saw the best

of us, but behind each of them i knew that there were so many millions gone” (Coates

110). He wants to highlight the fact that there were so many people who probably felt as

though their lives will be able to be as prosperous happy as theirs, and these people will

then fall prey to the false hope that is the American Dream.

Themes

A common theme that is shared amongst The Great Gatsby and Between the

World and me is the never-ending desire to obtain more, whether it be money, power or

even love. Tom Buchanan’s character is the epitome of ‘bourgeoisie’ in the novel (as

previously stated); a prime example of his hunger for more can be seen in his choice of

love interests; Daisy is a character that is portrayed to be superior to all other women

found in the story, she is constantly held on a pedestal (possibly due to Nick Carraway

having affectionate feelings towards her) and is described as a character that can do

nothing wrong. In the novel Fitzgerald seems to glorify Daisy and uses her as his depiction

of upper class women. Her affair with Gatsby isn’t seen as an action that is portrayed as

immoral by the narrator and her voice is shown to be excessively classy compared to the

rest of the women in the story; this can be seen when Nick says, “That was it. I’d never

understood before. It was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and

fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it. . . . High in a white palace the king’s

daughter, the golden girl. . .”(Fitzgerald 7). From this we can say that Daisy is the best

option as a spouse to flaunt around as a trophy for Tom; but even though he has obtained

the most ‘ideal’ woman, he still yearns for more. The satisfaction of owning Daisy is not

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enough for him, and thus he claims myrtle to be his mistress. Such bourgeoisie values

and themes help emphasize the superficiality of the American Dream and greediness of

the upper class. With people like Tom in power, it will be almost impossible for someone

who is born in lower class to strive to be an upper class citizen. The theme of an incessant

hunger for power is also implicitly present in Coates’ BTWM, as it is one of the most

touched upon subject to enforce the false truth and superficiality of the American Dream;

Police Brutality is the topic that is prominent when speaking of power, as to some, police

officers are treated with utmost respect and honor, but to others, such power is only

respected due to the presence of a firearm. “Dad did what every parent I knew would

have done-he reached for his belt...I would hear it in Dad’s voice-”Either I can beat him,

or the police.”Maybe that saved me. Maybe it didn’t”.(Coates 16).The fear that stems from

a force that was originally made to protect the innocent is a very influential factor in

Coates’ view of the current social justice system. From the quote we can see how the

father would try to instill fear into his own child in order to protect him from the police.

They view cops as people with a lust for power and dominance that use the tools at their

disposal, whether it be their firearms or their own fists, to obtain more authority, therefore

seeing the cops as a dangerous entity that he has to avoid at all costs, as it may cost him

his life. “The truth is that the police reflect America in all of its will and fear, and whatever

we might make of this country’s criminal justice policy, it cannot be said that it was

imposed by a repressive minority.”(Coates 33). This further shows that the police, to most

black families, are just as evil as those who are pulling their strings higher up, they are

figures in society that will do the most heinous of acts to establish power and fear. As they

are merely pawns that those in the higher levels of the social hierarchy are able to control

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freely, it can be said that they are one of the major factors contributing to the fact that the

American Dream is a mere ploy to satisfy those in power.

Social, Political and Economic influence

The lives of the characters in both texts share similarities in that they are all mostly

affected (and even determined) by social, political and economic forces, and thus the

American Dream may affect their lives in different ways. In Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby, we

can see how most of the main characters are all well endowed economically, whether it

be from family wealth, or from mere grit and hard work. Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby

are two characters that are polar opposites in this regard. Tom was born into his wealth,

as his family comes from old money and he merely inherited most of his wealth but Gatsby

on the other hand, comes from very humble beginnings. Even though most of his wealth

and fame comes from his bootlegging and overall mysterious demeanor respectively, it

can’t be argued that his rise to the upper class was, in itself, an uphill battle to attain his

dreams and aspirations in life. While both characters were shown to be successful in their

respective futures, it is a completely different story for Coates’ Between the World and

Me as the elements of ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ play a very impactful and crucial role that

decides their futures from birth. From Coates’ Between the World and Me, we can see

that people that are born in black bodies are already set on a path of struggle. They are

exposed to media that depicts the lavish lives of those in the upper class, and forced to

try their best to grasp at it, while all their efforts and endeavors are for naught. “But race

is the child of racism, not the father. And the process of naming “the people” has never

been a matter of genealogy and physiognomy so much as one of hierarchy.” (Coates 7).

In this quote, Coates explains how race is merely an imaginary boundary put forth by

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those in power in order to divide and unevenly distribute power; throughout the book he

makes sure that the audience realizes that race is not a tangible object painted by the

hue of the skin and shape of the hair, and that this myth needs to dismantled and taken

down in order for the future generations can live their lives without fear of segregation.

The quote makes the notion that the word - race, is but a construct that was created in

order to make sure that those in power and with privilege are able to put a clear boundary

and secure a large enough gap in strength. All types of oppression are born out of greed

and economic exploitation found in a capitalist society. An important thing to note is that

in a Marxist criticism, racism is dealt with in similar manners as to other socioeconomic

and class related issues, as it holds close resemblance; They are all concepts that are

used to justify the inequality within society, and pushes the notion on how modern

capitalist ideals enrich the minority, while living off of the labor of the majority, further

relating to the quote - “But modern bourgeois private property is the final and most

complete expression of the system of producing and appropriating products, that is based

on class antagonisms, on the exploitation of the many by the few.”(Karl Marx, The

Communist Manifesto). While Marx did not exclusively mention how race was taken into

account in a capitalist society and social hierarchy, he did put emphasis on how European

capitalism was formed via rape, slavery, destruction and pillaging, further enforced from

the quote stating, ”It is slavery that has given the colonies their value; it is the colonies

that have created world trade, and it is world trade that is the pre-condition of large-scale

industry. Thus slavery is an economic category of the greatest importance.” Thus, still

having very similar parallels to themes of racial injustice in capitalist societies. While there

may be some issues found within a Communist System, the American Dream, as a

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concept needs to be dismantled as soon as possible, as it is causing despair upon those

that cling onto it and put their heart and soul into something while getting nothing in return.

Setting

An insightful way to analyze how the American Dream has influence on the

socioeconomic state of the characters in the two literary texts is by taking a step back and

looking at the setting of the novels, to be more specific, the location of the stories. In The

Great Gatsby there are 2 main areas that are crucial to the underlying plot of the story:

West Egg, which is associated with ‘new money’, and East Egg, which is associated with

‘old money’. While Gatsby lives in what is considered, the more lavish side of town, those

who reside in West Egg are not as elite and luxurious as those who live in the East Egg,

which in this case, is Tom and Daisy. We know that Daisy is Gatsby’s ideal woman, and

that in some cases, she is Gatsby’s American Dream, and she is what he has been trying

to work towards for most of his life-”unattainable dream”, the “the dream that must have

seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it” (Fitzgerald 1). In the chapter, Gatsby

is depicted trying to grasp a green light on the other side of the docks; the green light

symbolizes the ‘unattainable dream’ which also symbolizes Daisy, and the fact that it is

miles away and out of reach proves to be foreshadowing on the authors part, as he is still

unable to take hold of what he loved most in his life. The American Dream continues to

be a beacon of despair to any of those who wish to follow its brightened path towards

ruin, as Jay Gatsby has, leading to his unwieldy demise. In Coates’ Between the World

and Me, we can see how the author makes use of his recollections and past experiences

to shed light on a part of history everyone seems to disregard. Growing up on the streets

of Baltimore, Coates had a lot to say about how the hostile environment of certain places

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can cause people to put more attention on how they look and how they act in front of

others. “The crews walked the blocks of the neighborhood, loud and rude, because it was

only through their loud rudeness that they might feel any sense of security and power.”

(Coates 22) We can see that Coates’ illustration of the streets he grew up in is both

enlightening and sympathetic, showing that he has a strong connection to this place.

Young Black males on the street that show off their jewelry, intimidate others with guns,

sell drugs and act all tough are all doing so in order to protect themselves. To Coates,

they aren’t thugs, but they are all just human beings that were brought up in a more hostile

environment; their need to display their strength and wealth comes from a life living in

fear and needing some form of power and a means to protect themselves. We can see

that due to various economic variables (such as the poorer majority of the working class

that lives in and around the ghetto) people feel the need to arm themselves with emblems

to show others that they are succeeding in their lives. From this we can see how the

importances of locations are able to create more depth and reason to the motives of the

author as well as their characters.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Between the World

and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates both communicate their message emphasizing the

superficiality of the American Dream very well through themes, characters and

symbolism. The two literary texts end on a very somber note- The Great Gatsby ends

with Jay Gatsby 6 feet under; George and Myrtle Wilson dead, and Tom and Daisy

escaping back to their abode in West Egg; Between the World and Me takes the misery

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one step further and concludes that the future of America is looking bleak for the centuries

to come; He claims that nothing will change in society for the communities of People of

Color (POC) unless citizens found a reliable way of speaking and calling out the

wrongdoings of the American Judicial and Justice system when pertaining to the

treatment of POC.

The endings to these two pieces of literary text completely juxtapose the idea and

belief of the American Dream, as the dream states that ‘when one works hard enough,

achieving true happiness won’t be a problem”, and from the two literary texts we can see

that the plots completely contrasts the ideology. With the utilization of a Marxist Analysis,

the underlying socioeconomic themes are brought to light and the superficiality of the

American Dream is further scrutinized. With the use of passages and underlying motives

(and characterizations), the two books are able to communicate the themes of social

injustice in present-day America, therefore solidifying the fact that literature, when created

with a certain purpose will always be timeless, as it addresses certain issues to tackle

them head on, raise awareness, as well as empower the readers to be more active for

the sake of their own community.

Bibliography

Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me. First Edition. New York: Spiegel & Grau,

2015.

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Fitzgerald, F. Scott 1896-1940., and Alexander Scourby. The Great Gatsby. Unabridged.

North Kingstown, R.I.: BBC Audiobooks America, 2002.

Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. Manifesto of the Communist Party. Moscow: Progress

Publishers, 1966.

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