Celebration in The Great Gatsby: Symbolism of the Decadence of the American Dream
Symbolism of the Decadence of the American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby
With his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald created a vivid depiction of the breakdown of the American Dream in the early twentieth century. The novel is considered a masterpiece of American literature. In spite of the fact that Fitzgerald’s modernist masterpiece did not earn widespread critical acclaim during his lifetime, it has come to be regarded as one of the most influential American novels of all time. The complex concepts Fitzgerald weaves into the story of The Great Gatsby, themes that correctly reflect the societal conventions of the 1920s, are a large part of the reason for the novel’s ongoing popularity. The story revolves around the entrepreneur Jay Gatsby and his feelings for Daisy Buchanan, a married woman. To get closer to Daisy, Gatsby utilizes an acquaintance, the novel’s protagonist Nick Carraway (who also happens to be Daisy’s cousin), to his advantage. Gatsby had been looking for Daisy for a long time. Fitzgerald illustrates the decadence of the American Dream through Gatsby’s tragic pursuit of Daisy, demonstrating how the American Dream’s primary foundations are founded on a fabrication.
Fitzgerald illustrates the shallow vanity of the American Dream and the rotten nature of the American Dream by depicting different joyful social occasions throughout the novel’s plot.
Tom Buchanan and his mistress Myrtle invite Nick to their hideaway apartment on 158th Street in New York City, where they will drink and have a good time. This is the first large party Fitzgerald uses to demonstrate the decadence of the American Dream. Because Tom is clearly cheating on his wife Daisy, the entire situation has a purposely strange and disrespectful air to it, which is compounded by the fact that Daisy is Nick’s cousin (though Tom does not seem to care). Because of the manner in which Tom and Myrtle go about their business in public as if nothing is wrong or as if they have nothing to hide, the reader is able to experience the full force of Fitzgerald’s critique of the decadence of the American Dream and the loss of morality that follow its waning. The happy scene is interrupted short by Tom’s violent conduct, as depicted here: “‘Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ screamed Myrtle, causing Tom to strike her out of frustration when she kept repeating Daisy’s name.” ‘I’ll say it whenever I want! Daisy! Dai—’, says the author. The extended palm of Tom Buchanan smashed the bridge of her nose in a quick and swift movement” (Fitzgerald 41). The violent ferocity of this incident puts an end to any merriment that the characters may have been having previously. The dishonesty, combined with the violence towards women, demonstrates to the reader that, despite Tom’s wealth and achievement of the American Dream, he is a corrupt and morally degenerate individual at his core.
The second celebration will take place in Gatsby’s estate on the West Egg, which is owned by the Fitzgerald family. Fitzgerald places the mansion on the West Egg to demonstrate the distinction between those who come from “old” money and those who come from “new” money. The wealthy families who live on East Egg, such as the Buchanans, have been wealthy for quite some time. For many generations, wealth has been passed down via the family. For their part, individuals who dwell on West Egg, such as Gatsby, are considered the nouveau riche (newly wealthy), or those who have lately come into financial success, This distinction becomes essential later in the book because persons who have just gotten wealthy are often looked down upon by others who have accumulated “old” wealth. This results in a direct conflict between Daisy and her husband Tom, as well as between Daisy and Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. As soon as Gatsby invites Nick to his weekly party, it turns into an outrageous celebration of unneeded wealth, and it becomes clear that Gatsby is simply trying to impress Nick (in the hopes that Daisy will come to his house). It is fair to say that this first great party represents the decadence of the American Dream, as well as the shaky basis on which it is built. This first big celebration, for example, serves as an illustration of the wasteful nature of Gatsby’s wealth, as evidenced by the following quote from the novel: “At least once a fortnight, a corps of caterers came down with several hundred feet of canvas and enough colored lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby’s enormous garden.” Nick, through his ironic tone and description of the circus-like proceedings, Fitzgerald makes the reader feel the ridiculousness of the affair and its wasteful extravagance. “On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors-d’oeuvre, spiced baked hams crammed against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold” (Fitzgerald 44). Nick, through his ironic tone and description of
This is the final “celebration” of significance that demonstrates Fitzgerald’s metaphorical treatment of the American Dream, and it occurs during Gatsby’s burial, which serves as a stark contrast to the wealth of the previous party, which was filled with Gatsby’s “friends.” One would assume that, given his popularity during his lifetime, Gatsby would continue to be popular after his death; yet, this is not the case. Those same people who came to Gatsby’s parties to drink his booze and eat his food did not care enough to turn up for his funeral, leaving Nick to grieve his friend alone with Mr. Gatz, who was a stranger to Nick during his life. Despite the fact that Gatsby’s “friends” could not be bothered to attend his burial, the entire scene is dreary and depressing, demonstrating how shallow Gatsby and his “friends” really are. Fitzgerald uses this scene to highlight the hypocrisy of the individuals who are living the American Dream; despite their wealth and social standing, they lack even the most basic sense of decency or respect for the dead. Even Daisy fails to show up at the funeral, highlighting the fact that she is, like the rest of them, a shallow individual with no sense of morality, as Nick himself notes in this passage from the text: “I tried to think about Gatsby then, but he was already too far away, and all I could remember was that Daisy hadn’t sent a message or a flower, and I couldn’t remember why.” ‘Blessed are the dead on whom the rain falls,’ I overheard someone say in hushed tones (Fitzgerald 183). Nick is exhausted and disillusioned in this moment, and he is unable to feel much resentment toward Daisy for failing to appear at the funeral. Towards the end of the story, he sees through her superficial persona and realizes that wealth and social standing have perverted her nature, just as they did with everyone else in the novel. When Daisy and Tom arrive at Gatsby’s burial, Fitzgerald makes the declaration that “the American Dream is corrupt and in decline.” This is because those who have achieved the American Dream, i.e., Daisy and Tom, are the most morally corrupt characters in the novel.
Fitzgerald depicts the decadence of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby by using several forms of celebrations to illustrate the theme. Individuals who have achieved the American Dream, as depicted in the novel, have lost any sense of self and have no moral compass to guide their conduct. Tom is known for flaunting his mistress in public and abusing females. Gatsby amassed his wealth through shady dealings, and he used deception to achieve his objectives. Daisy, on the other hand, is shallow and chooses to remain with Tom because she lacks the confidence or drive to embark on a more meaningful life of her own. This group of personalities, as well as their outward displays of riches, demonstrate that the American Dream is less about achievement than it is about using wealth as an instrument of control and manipulation. When it comes to characters in the narrative, Nick Carraway is the only one who appears to be motivated by something other than greed and petty want. Fitzgerald makes it a point to demonstrate the illusory nature of the American Dream through the several parties that Gatsby and Tom host throughout the novel.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott, is credited with the following work: The Great Gatsby, published by Scribner’s in New York in 1925.
