We find Gatsby's mansion at the beginning of chapter eight not the lively, vivacious, rowdy palace full of interesting and amoral individuals; no, we find it bare, empty, and desolate, much like Gatsby's heart. He tells Nick a story of how he met Daisy and found himself surprised to fall in love with her. Nick says that he "took what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously - eventually he took Daisy one still October night, took her because he had no real right to touch her hand" (156). Daisy represents to Gatsby something impossible, a lifestyle of wealth and innocence, protection and ignorance. She represents all that he saw in Dan Cody and more - money, grace, but without the hang-ups. Fitzgerald calls her Gatsby's "grail" (156). It's the idea of wanting what he cannot have. She is "out of his league," but he becomes obsessed with her, on a number of different levels. One, she is beautiful and young and fresh, but more importantly, she represents everything that he did not have growing up, a lifestyle that he longs to be a part of. And if we have learned anything from this book, it's the fact that different classes don't mix. Daisy stays with Tom - as empty as that marriage is - because they are cut from the same cloth. She cannot ever be with Gatsby because he isn't one of her kind, even if he does have the money now. When I introduced the book earlier, I told you that Fitzgerald is critiquing the American Dream in his novel. We see that critique at work in chapter eight. As individuals, we have the ability to educate ourselves, make money, and become success stories, but we cannot ever change where we come from, and unfortunately, among these upper-classes, that seems to be all that matters. That is why the idea of being an "Oxford Man" is so important to these rich people. An Oxford graduate is more than rich and successful, he has class! Gatsby is caught in the trap of thinking he can transcend social classes with money. Yeah, he went to Oxford, but he isn't an "Oxford Man." In fact, we find out in chapter eight that he didn't even want to go there. He really wanted to be back home with Daisy. He doesn't realize that he came from poor roots, and will remain there, at least in the eyes of the East Eggers. He is hanging on to a dream that no longer exists. Poor guy. I'd like to hear your opinion on this matter. Do you think that Fitzgerald believes the American Dream is dead? Or is it only dead for those out East with so much money that dreaming isn't even on their radar anymore? How about life today? Does the dream still exist through hard work and perseverance, or does Fitzgerald's assertion that one cannot transcend class still ring true? Chime in!!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Holding On...
We find Gatsby's mansion at the beginning of chapter eight not the lively, vivacious, rowdy palace full of interesting and amoral individuals; no, we find it bare, empty, and desolate, much like Gatsby's heart. He tells Nick a story of how he met Daisy and found himself surprised to fall in love with her. Nick says that he "took what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously - eventually he took Daisy one still October night, took her because he had no real right to touch her hand" (156). Daisy represents to Gatsby something impossible, a lifestyle of wealth and innocence, protection and ignorance. She represents all that he saw in Dan Cody and more - money, grace, but without the hang-ups. Fitzgerald calls her Gatsby's "grail" (156). It's the idea of wanting what he cannot have. She is "out of his league," but he becomes obsessed with her, on a number of different levels. One, she is beautiful and young and fresh, but more importantly, she represents everything that he did not have growing up, a lifestyle that he longs to be a part of. And if we have learned anything from this book, it's the fact that different classes don't mix. Daisy stays with Tom - as empty as that marriage is - because they are cut from the same cloth. She cannot ever be with Gatsby because he isn't one of her kind, even if he does have the money now. When I introduced the book earlier, I told you that Fitzgerald is critiquing the American Dream in his novel. We see that critique at work in chapter eight. As individuals, we have the ability to educate ourselves, make money, and become success stories, but we cannot ever change where we come from, and unfortunately, among these upper-classes, that seems to be all that matters. That is why the idea of being an "Oxford Man" is so important to these rich people. An Oxford graduate is more than rich and successful, he has class! Gatsby is caught in the trap of thinking he can transcend social classes with money. Yeah, he went to Oxford, but he isn't an "Oxford Man." In fact, we find out in chapter eight that he didn't even want to go there. He really wanted to be back home with Daisy. He doesn't realize that he came from poor roots, and will remain there, at least in the eyes of the East Eggers. He is hanging on to a dream that no longer exists. Poor guy. I'd like to hear your opinion on this matter. Do you think that Fitzgerald believes the American Dream is dead? Or is it only dead for those out East with so much money that dreaming isn't even on their radar anymore? How about life today? Does the dream still exist through hard work and perseverance, or does Fitzgerald's assertion that one cannot transcend class still ring true? Chime in!!
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I believe that the american dream is one still true to those that can dream it. Gatsby went for the big dream, but my light on the situation shines on that Nick has the dream too. Now, he did come from the west like Jay, and maybe that's why they both dream more than the eastern people. However going back to Nick- when Gatsby offers him a side job, and Nick declines, i feel that it was more for than just the reason being he didn't want to associate with Gatsby's sketchy business people breaking prohibition laws. Nick goes to work in an office building, working on selling bonds in a wholesome, legal, and fair way of making a profit. My feelings on eastern people not having the dream cant quite be made because the only people arguably without the dream are the eastern people we know most about- Tom and Daisy. They don't have a dream because they don't have to work for it, it was just given to them. One could argue that Wilson had a dream. Wilson wanted to buy the car from Tom to fix up and sell to make a profit in order to make something for himself, or at least have enough to get away out west so that he could build his dream elsewhere when he would have a chance, or even a fair gamble to succeed. All in all, Fitzgerald finds the american dream living on, but only in those that can dream and then work for it; and only in those that see the value of the dollar and have to work. With hard work comes success, and with success comes a legacy.
ReplyDeleteGreat Post ! Personally I don't think the american dream is dead because I believe that whatever you're fighting for or your "dream" , if it's worth having it's worth fighting for. It's not dead for the east either because money can't bring you happiness and most people over east aren't truly happy.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Mr. Sutton! I liked your analogy in the beginning comparing Gatsby's empty mansion to his empty heart. I do think the Fitzgerald is calling the American dream dead for those with so much money they don't know what to do with it. The American dream is about working and earning your living from scratch and when you are born with your money and never have to work for it, you never can truly understand the value of money. I disagree, however, with your points on how one can not change his social class. Gatsby went from dirt poor to filthy rich. His social class did change. Even though he was from west egg and not easy egg, that is not what kept Daisy and him apart. Her husband and child did. If Gatsby had just decided to throw parties and be friends with all his fellow rich people he would of changed social classes. It was his desire for something he could not have that kept him from being with Daisy.
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