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Literature review of ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald

‘The Great Gatsby’ is an American novel published in 1925. Despite being a novel of fictional

genre ‘The Great Gatsby’ connects the complex lifestyle of the American society during the late

19th century and early 20th century and presents a true and realistic image of causes leading to

the corruption in the society of America. Through the novel the author has in depth focussed on

the morality of high class, the corruptness prevailed in America after world war one ended.

Fitzgerald’s novel is the mirror of the society which presents the true image of what actually lies

behind the shiny and prosperous life style of high class society, he himsself was a part of. After

W.W. one it was a time of growth and prosperity as well as corruptness. After World War ended

in 1919 B. Harding choose business as as a means to rebuilt America , which led to labours

strike for equal wages, labour rights etc and in this Management wassupported. Harding’s

successor Calvin Cooidge enacted tax legislation which benifitted the wealthy more. Other

occupation like textiles, farming etc suffered due to this administrative policy. It led to shifting

of population towards urbanized states in the hope of having good fortune. Due to rapid

commercial growt, people blindly started spending on materialistic goods. It became a important

part of high class American society, As they started spending more on their materialistic aspects

of life, more spending of income on goods increased manufacturing which gave rise to economy

and more expenditure, more of careless expenditure uprised which became an implrtant source of

money in the administration and all this materialism made it blurry for the people to see the real

reaosons of happinness as money had become a prominet source of it. Fitzgerald also hinted in

his novel, how this will lead to downfall of American society. Due to this lifestyle approachh the

age was known as ‘Jazz Age’ .

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During this age social status of women also increased; the fact that men were a part of military

fighting for their country during W.W. one gave women the chance to go out and work and earn.

Women started having bob haircuts symbolizing masculinity. They gave up wearing crosets as a

symbol of reinventing themselves. They had received voting rights which placed their position

in the society and made them a necessary part of the formation of the same.

These historical facts are very well approched and prsented by the author in his story which

makes it a true classic, reflecting light upon crash of American dream and it's downfall.

Through the characters of the novel –Tom Buchnan who is a mirror image of corrupted high

class men and his wife Daisy, who would do anything to prevent their status and maintain their

wealthiness no matter what it takes, both of their characters show how they are blinded by their

wealth and status and the moral degradation of people during the ‘Jazz Age’.

When we read the novel we realize that the novel presents a storyline somewhat similar to 'The

Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens in 1843. Similar to the main protagonist of the novel

Pip, Gatsby was also a boy from a lower class family who is ready to do every possible thing he

can to make that one girl from higher class society the love of his life. Pip wanted to be

gentleman not because he wanted to be a better person in life and have an easy life, he wanted to

be rich because he wanted Estella to fall in love with him, his path in life was decided by how

Estella would want him to be like. His whole motive behind every thing he did was Estella's

love. When Pip says Quoted- “ In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as

I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong” the readers understand that

both Pip and Gatsby didn’t care whether they choose right or wrong paths to be with the love of

their lives, they just chose whatever came to them as opportunity to come a step closer in making

the one they loved fall in love with them too. Fitzgerald’s 'Great Gastbsy's main protagonist Jay
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Gatsby’s life goals, we see they run parrarel to what Pip dreamt of. Like Pip, Gatsby also wanted

to conquer over his lost love Daisy- a lady belonging to upper class American society. Before

going for World War- I, Gatsby was promised by Daisy that she'll marry him and will wait for

him till he comes back from war but knowing Daisy’s personality and attitude we knew this was

something which is unlikely to happen. Daisy marries to Tom, an upper class aristocrate and

Gatsby was left heart broken. To achieve his unrequited love Gatsby does every possible thing,

so that he can become a part of that high class society to which Daisy belonged to. He thought

that becoming rich would make Daisy fall on love with him. This became his 'American dream'

but he failed to achieve it because Daisy never loved him. Daisy was a type of person who was

shallow from the inside and was nothing but a puppet of high class American society. She may

have thought she loves Gatsby but she never did. His money and wealth was a mere curtain for

her to hide the fact that she fell in love with someone who was part of a lower class society. She

never wanted to be known as someone mingling with people of class lower than hers. That’s why

she left Gatsby at the first place, but when Gatsby acquired wealth and fortune, she started

spending time with him because there’s no shame in spending time with a wealthy man and

whatever society will godssip regarding this won’t affect her status. What Gatsby thought was

love for Daisy it was just a fling and a way to make her boring life entertaining. The novel

foreshadows the fact that a person like Daisy would never leave the name and fame she has

because she is Tom's wife for Gatsby who has acquired this by wrong means. Tom was a heir of

royalty which Gatsby can never become. Even after Gatsby took the blame of Mrytle's murder,

Daisy's heart never melted for him and she went on a vacation with her husband. Keeping herself

away,.making herself feel it never happened. Gatsby’s American dream was crushed by the love

of his life. His life ended with the end of his dream which made him a tragic hero. Unlike, Pip,
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Gatsby was never able to forgive himself and move on for a better future in life. He died doing

everything to live his American dream. The author has criticized the 'American dream' by

symoblizing 'Valley of Ashes' to America's obsession with Wealth. The ‘Green light' reflects the

love of Daisy. Daisy who is wealthy, beautiful, unattainable and far from the reach of Gatsby.

She is Gatsby's American dream, which Gatsby fails to achieve. The difference between social

class, Gatsby’s mysterious past and the decline of American Dream makes Gatsby a tragic hero.

The novel though is a fictional but truly reflects the leap holes in the fundamental formation of

the American society, which made them corrupt and materialistic. Their very own lifestyle and

the desires they had from their life reflects how dishonest, divided by class and emotionless the

society was. The way the author has presented it is really commendable. He is able to reflect the

real of the society and how it functions degrading the basic human values.

The author F. Scott Fitzgerald was himself a part of this society and the characters he presented

were inspired from the people who were a part of his own life. The narrator’s cousin Daist was

Fitzgerald's girlfriend – Ginevra King, who is known as someone who had the most important

and special relationship the author experienced. More important than the one he had with his

wife. The character Jordan who is a good friend of Daisy in the novel is none other than – Edith

Cummings, who was a famous ameature Golfer of her time. She even won U.S. women’s

Ameature golfer award. The novel not only has characters taken from the real life of the suthor

but also the scenario presented. The real estate business and the moral corruptness prevalent in

the parts of America is taken from the real life experiences of the author. That’s why the narrator

of the story says that he is not only the narrator of the story but also is the author of the same.

Giving it’s readers a clue that the story is taken from real life experiences of the author which he

presented in his own way , targeting the American society. Though the novel was not an
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immense hit but it became popular with time. Slowly and gradually the readers started releasing

what the novel showcases. When the novel first hit the market it didn’t gain immense popularity.

It was even criticized by the critics. The novel didn’t have even one good female character which

disinterested the critics and the pseudo feminist. The author was criticized as someone who is

not able to produce good works and something which is catchy. But today the novel is taken as a

piece of work which maybe or may not be a great classic but something which is worth your

read.

The novel is partly inspired by Le Grand Meaulness, 1913. In the novel Françios a fifteen year

old boy is searching for his long lost love- Augustin Meaulness. Augustin symbolizes a

romantic . The story presents the theme of 'search for unobtainable'.

Even the Gatsby mansion is an imitation of ' Hôtel de Ville ' in Normandy.

The author has referred to the Great War in the novel. More than some other creator, F. Scott

Fitzgerald can be said to have caught the turbulent decade known as the ‘Roaring Twenties',

from its wild gatherings, moving and illicit toasting its post-war flourishing and its new

opportunities for ladies.

However, in the midst of that time of recently discovered success and financial development,

Fitzgerald—like different writers of the alleged "Lost Generation"— thought about whether

America had lost its ethical values in the race to grasp post-war realism and materialistic culture.

While ‘The Great Gatsby’ catches the extravagance of the 1920s, it's at last a depiction of the

darker side of the period, and a pointed analysis of the unethical behavior hiding underneath the

charm and fabulousness of American culture.

In the novel we can see that the author gave a hint of jealousy and superiority complex in Tom's

behavior and attitude towards everyone. When Tom said that the Civilization is going into
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pieces, at that time Tom himself said that he was reading a racist novel and was afraid if nothing

is done at earliest his Race – The Nordic race, which is according to the book he's reading is the

most superior race, will lose it’s place. Tom, despite being someone who’s family has never seen

poverty is afraid and feels victimized. He is a muscular , giant looking strong guy with a bulky

body . His actions are hypocrite so is his behavior. He wanted to rule over other races and feels

that he is superior than others. Belonging to white race, with his this behaviour we can say than

Tom represents the common occident personality, who had that cliché ideology of a white race

citizen of that time, who wants to conquer over others and not let them rise and become

successful in life. Who always wanted to show himself as superior than others. The ideology to

suppress, the ideology to rule over others, the ideology to teach others a lesson. He felt

victimized when his wife cheated on him, ignoring the fact that he himself has always done

nothing but cheated his wife. Since the beginning , even when they were on their honeymoon he

cheated on her with a maid of the hotel they were residing in, and after that he kept cheating on

her. Tom married her because she was the heiress of a royal big budget family which would have

given him popularity, name and fame. He was jealous of Gatsby and wanted to show him his true

place. From Gatsby's name which was 'Gats' which is a Jewish name, we can conclude that

maybe Gatsby was a Jewish and if he was, The fact that Tom hated him in clear through this.

Tom was a racist, and he could not digest the fact that someone who is a Jewish is rich and at the

same levels or maybe more than that, when it comes to money, than him. He wanted to make

Gatsby feel that Gatsby whatever he does, how much he try, he will always be below Tom.

That’s why he sent one of his colleagues to find about Gatsby’s past and from where did he

became rich and got money. He sent Daisy with him together home in Gatsby’s car because, he

was not anymore afraid of Daisy running with him. Daisy was an hypocrite and two-faced parson
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just like Tom. She Never left Tom, even when she knew he was cheating on her and has cheated

on her in the past. The were both equally sinners, both of them had cheated on each other. That’s

why Tom knew she cannot leave him. Tom wanted to show Gatsby his place and he somewhat

became successful in making that happen. We don’t know whether Tom knew about Daisy being

the murder of his mistress Myrtle or not. Maybe Tom knew that his wife was driving but he

never said anything because he was able to achieve what he wanted.

The novel gives us a slight idea of the position of women in the society. We never read about

Tom ever mentioning his daughter, nor do we ever read about him going to her room. In the

beginning of the novel Daisy mentions that when her daughter was born, Tom was nowhere to be

found. He couldn’t care less. Daisy herself talks about whispering to her little daughter that '

women in this man made world are nothing but a fool'. According to her that’s the true identity

of a woman in this world and wants her daughter to live by this truth. She never tried to even

uplift her value and position in her husband’s eyes. She never mentioned about her true feelings

which shows how women were treated during that time. It also reflects upon the fact that women

had become used go to the fact of men being the 'in-charge' and women adhering to the rules and

regulations made by men for them. Raising no question against it. Not even taking it as a

problem. This had become a part of their lives and they were okay with it. Though as I

mentioned earlier that women of this time starting demolishing certain conditions applied on

them like wearing Corsets and going out to work but his was little when we compare this to the

Man made rules most of which till that time had not hit women as something to be questioned or

termed as 'misogynistic supremacy of one gender over the other' . The female characters of the

novel were themselves involved in this ‘corruption of gender-equality' . By making these type of
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female characters F. Scott Fitzgerald has pointed out some things which were waiting to be

changed in the man made society.

When we read 'Norwegian Wood’ by Haruki Murakami, we realize how fond Murakami was of

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s this work. The novel's main protagonist mentions the name of Fitzgerald’s

'Great Gatsby’ quite many a times. He relates to Jay Gatsby on a personal level. The main

protagonist Toru Watanabe feels that just like Gatsby’s love, Daisy was unobtainable for him,

despite the fact that he tried every possible thing to make her his own, at the end he failed

miserably. Toru feels that his love for Naoko is similar to that of Gatsby's 'unobtainable'. He

never mentions it clearly but somewhere deep inside knows that how much he tries, Naoko will

not be able to get over his deceased boyfriend who was Toru's best friend. He mentions

Fitzgerald's novel a lot of times, always saying that it’s a masterpiece, and a great work of art.

Maybe he felt the same pain he read about, the pain of losing a loved one who is so dear to you.

In the novel when he says, Quoted (page–92) “No truth can cure the sorrow we feel from losing

a loved one. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, no kindness can cure that sorrow. All we can do

is see it through to the end and learn something from it, but what we learn will be no help in

facing the next sorrow.” The readers understand the fact that Toru had and always will show

empathy towards the fictional character Jay Gatsby, he feels that him and Gatsby are on the same

page when it comes to love. He feels the same pain which he believes that Jay Gatsby has felt

and maybe that’s why unlike Gatsby he doesn’t lose hope from life when his beloved dies , in

fact he tries to find happiness in someone who loves him dearly.

Him mentioning the novel so many times makes the reader ponder over the question that what

made Murakami feel so special about Fitzgerald’s this work when Fitzgerald in fact has written

so many other wonderful piece of works, what’s special about this novel of him that made
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Murakami mention it so many times. I read 'Norwegian Wood’ before I had read 'The Great

Gatsby’ and protagonist's love for the novel made me read it and after reading it I realize, that

there’s so much more in 'The Great Gatsby’ than just a protagonist with a broken heart. It is so

much more than that. The novel takes you back to the time which you've never lived nor did , it

is a novel about those who belonged to the so-called superior race of the world. It’s not just

about their choices leading to their corrupt minds but about the lifestyle they lived, the life they

chose for themselves and most importantly it’s about the question of ‘identity of a female in the

American society'.