Lecture on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Introduction

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald critiques the American Dream.
Fitzgerald portrays the American society of the 1920s as decaying into chaotic materialism.
The book is both a reflection on America of Fitzgerald's time and a prediction of its future.
The term "American Dream" was coined after Fitzgerald wrote the book, but the myth existed long before.

Described as the ultimate dream for individual success and self-made prosperity.
For Fitzgerald, this dream decayed into mere propaganda by the 1920s.
The era was marked by rapid economic growth, but Fitzgerald and contemporaries saw danger in its materialism.

Oswald Spengler's "The Decline of the West" impacted Fitzgerald's worldview.
Spengler criticized urban materialism, which resonated with Fitzgerald as money overtook goods.

Narrated by Nick Carraway, the novel follows Jay Gatsby's pursuit of his idealized love for Daisy Buchanan.
Gatsby's life is defined by wealth obtained illegally as a bootlegger.
Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy and wealth represents the falsehood of the American Dream.

Gatsby's Parties: Represent the ostentation and superficiality of wealth.
Daisy Buchanan: Symbolizes the unattainable American Dream, valued more as a status symbol than a person.
The Green Light: Represents Gatsby's unreachable dreams, symbolizing the American Dream.
Valley of Ashes: Symbolizes the societal decay and exploitation underpinning the wealth of the new and old money.
Dr. T.J. Eckleberg's Eyes: Often interpreted as the eyes of God, watching over the moral decay.

Jay Gatsby: Embodies the American Dream and its ultimate failure.
Daisy Buchanan: Represents both the allure and emptiness of the dream.
Tom Buchanan: The brutal reality of old money, maintaining power through oppression.
Nick Carraway: Acts as an observer and critic of the American Dream.
Myrtle Wilson: Her pursuit of status leads to her demise, showing the destructive nature of the dream.

Fitzgerald's own life mirrored the rise and fall of Gatsby.
Experienced both the glamour and the subsequent disillusionment of the high society.

Fitzgerald critiques the American Dream as corrupt and unsustainable.
The Great Gatsby warns of the perils of materialism and the false promises of upward mobility.
The book remains a poignant critique of American society and its values, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive and genuine version of the American Dream.