The Great Gatsby | Thinking Task

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This thinking activity examines The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a famous American author known for his novels, essays, and short stories. In this blog post, I will review and analyze couple articles related to The Great Gatsby in order to gain new perspectives and insights into the classic work. 

Unreliable Narrator in The Great Gatsby

In this article, Thomas E. Boyle explores the lack of reliability in Nick Carraway, the narrator of "The Great Gatsby." The use of first-person narration has become increasingly prevalent in the modern age and is a key feature of the post-modern era. In this narrative technique, the storyteller recounts the events from their own memories and perspective. Following the tumultuous aftermath of World War II, literature is significantly shaped by the rational ideas of figures like Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Karl Marx, fostering a climate of skepticism. Both modern and post-modern writers and critics tend to question various aspects, including the trustworthiness of the first-person narration in a text.

The term "unreliable narrator" was coined by Wayne C. Booth in his influential book "Rhetoric of Fiction" in 1961. Booth explores the concept of "Distance," referring to the gap between the author's perception and the reader's understanding. The novel's narrator, Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate from a well-established upper-class family with modest personal wealth, begins the story in a sanatorium due to mental issues. As readers, we must consider the reliability of Nick's narration, given his mental health, as he recounts his past experiences with Gatsby and Daisy.

Furthermore, Nick is captivated by Jay Gatsby's personality, which might lead to bias in his description. It is essential to go beyond the compliments and acknowledge the questionable aspects and the persona of Gatsby that Nick may overlook. The narrator could display bias in various aspects of the text. 

As Booth suggests, an unreliable narrator "makes stronger demands on the reader's power of inference than a reliable narrator."

Booth still considers Nick a reliable narrator, matured and informed, but I disagree, as does Thomas Boyle. Boyle contends that Nick is a cunning character who observes much but remains silent. Nick is also portrayed as an alcoholic attending Gatsby's parties. Relying on a narrator with alcohol issues raises concerns. There's a discrepancy between Nick's words and actions. Boyle sees Nick as shallow, confused, hypocritical, and immoral. Despite knowing about Tom and Myrtle's affair, Nick keeps it from his sister Daisy. He's also aware that Daisy accidentally killed Myrtle, not Gatsby, yet he takes no action. If Nick had exposed Daisy's crime to the police, Gatsby might not have been killed by Wilson.

Another way to see the difference between the usual standards in the novel and what the narrator thinks is to look at how Nick feels about Daisy, who, for Gatsby, represents the American dream. I argue that Nick is also in love with Daisy. How else can we explain Nick not noticing her self-centeredness and lack of intelligence? Nick is fascinated by Daisy's laughter and random comments, even when she believes they are clever, like when she says, "I'm p-paralyzed with happiness." He hears a compelling quality in her voice, a "low thrilling voice... that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget." According to Nick, "It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again."

Nick, the narrator, seems to know about Gatsby's corrupt behavior, but there's a contradiction in his conviction that the dream symbolized by Gatsby is "incorruptible." This inconsistency hints at the unreliability of Nick's point of view. In terms of the storyline, Nick appears to possess information beyond what he discloses, suggesting a purposeful decision in what details he reveals to the readers. This selectivity promotes doubts regarding the thoroughness and precision of the narrative. The way Nick talks in the story makes it seem like he says more than he really understands. This difference in how he speaks indicates a possible slant or exaggeration in how he tells the story, showing that we can't completely rely on what he says.

In conclusion, Nick the narrator is by no means a reliable narrator. Nick shares his own opinions, feelings, and details in his story, and he doesn't always realize that this colors how he tells it. This shows he's not a completely reliable narrator who just gives facts. As a reader, you need to be aware of his viewpoints and consider them while reading.

Gatsby: False Prophet of American Dream

What is American Dream?

The American Dream, or myth has become an archetypal image in American literary canon, dating back to some of the earliest colonial writing. It has become a literary expression of the concept of America, the land of opportunities. The historical American dream is promise of a land of freedom, with opportunity and equality for all. This dream need no challenge, only fulfillment. 

James Truslow Adams, who first introduced the term American Dream  as, 

" Dream of a land in which life should better and richer and fuller for everyone". 

It is a belief that every man, regardless of his origin, can pursue and attain his chosen goals, whether they are political, monetary, or social. Many American writers, such as William Bradford, Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, Thomas Jefferson, and Arthur Miller, have incorporated the American dream into their works.

American Dream and The Great Gatsby

For Fitzgerald, the American dream has been the focal point or building block for much, if not all, of his works. Fitzgerald's works are associated with the concept of the American dream like no other writers of that time. However, his vision of the American dream often lacks the optimism and fulfillment found in his predecessors, as evident in his novel "The Great Gatsby." To Fitzgerald, the long-prophesized American dream found its fulfillment in the orgiastic post-World War I period known as the Roaring Twenties. He was a self-proclaimed spokesperson of the Jazz Age.

Gatsby is the embodiment of the Jazz Age and the hedonism of the Roaring Twenties. He lives in a large, opulent house and hosts extravagant parties. His sole purpose is to achieve his American dream, which revolves around Daisy. Once loved but now seemingly unattainable for Gatsby. Throughout the novel, Gatsby's main goal is to persuade Daisy to leave her husband, Tom, and elope with him, but he ultimately fails to convince her.

Gatsby experience financial hardship in his early years and pursue the elusive goal of material success as a crucial aspect of his American Dream. Gatsby wanted to recreate his idealized past, and for that he chose wrong path of criminality with Meyer Wolfsheim. Gatsby seems to be more obsessed with money and status. Gatsby's hedonism is reflected in his house, wild parties, clothing, roadster and particularly in his blatant wooing of another man's wife. 

This obsession can be interpreted through the character of Daisy. She has a very materialistic mindset, which may be the reason for her sudden marriage to Tom. Gatsby's extravagant house parties can be justified through her character; he throws parties in the hope that one day Daisy would notice Gatsby's fame and glory and come to meet him. So, in a way, the love between Gatsby and Daisy is a form of materialistic love.

In the article, the author employs a metaphor akin to the prophets of the Old Testament who made prophecies about the golden age. It seems that for Fitzgerald, the golden age is the Roaring Twenties, and this era is considered the best for the fulfillment of the American dream. Gatsby is portrayed as the one who will achieve his dream during the Roaring Twenties. The metaphor extends to present Jay Gatsby as the messiah figure of the golden age, suggesting that Gatsby is perceived as the ultimate embodiment of the American dream, representing the idealized concept of achievement and prosperity. Gatsby aims to attain his goals solely through materialistic means, relying on the perceived influence his wealth grants him.

To sum up, Pearson describes Gatsby's house as "Huge incoherent failure", Gatsby's life and his efforts both are futile, and he is failed to achieve his dream. Despite of his efforts, rather materialistic he was failed to convince money minded Daisy. The rude message written on Gatsby's memorial by a neighborhood kid shows how harshly Gatsby's life turned out. It reflects how society doesn't appreciate or care about what Gatsby achieved or dreamed of. It also hints that Gatsby's legacy doesn't hold much value or meaning.

Gatsby's relentless pursuit of the American Dream, driven by warped ideals, results in his own downfall, illustrating the dream's transformation into a destructive nightmare for those clinging to unrealistic notions of success.

I hope you have discovered some valuable insights, and I turned to ChatGPT for assistance in comprehending certain passages from articles.

Word count:1486

Images used:3 

References

- Boyle, Thomas E. “Unreliable Narration in ‘The Great Gatsby.’” The Bulletin of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association, vol. 23, no. 1, 1969, pp. 21–26. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1346578. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.

- Pearson, Roger L. “Gatsby: False Prophet of the American Dream.” The English Journal, vol. 59, no. 5, 1970, pp. 638–45. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/813939. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.