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The Failure and Irony of the American Dream
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s use of irony in his writing can be seen in much of his work. One specific use of this technique was in his most popular novel, The Great Gatsby. In this novel, Fitzgerald used the American dream as his target for irony and show of failure. He also employed his own personal life as a basis for his work. He mocked the American dream and what it stands for. Fitzgerald utilized the character of Jay Gatsby to achieve his effectiveness in the novel. I believe Fitzgerald’s use of irony in The Great Gatsby was very successful in getting the point across to the reader.
Fitzgerald uses Gatsby’s character as a starting point to develop the irony readers can pick up about he and the American dream. Gatsby at the start is thought to be a wealthy and respected man. This is followed by the truth about him and the succeeding events that make the reader realize that Gatsby is wealthy but not actually happy. The foundation of the American dream is known to be wealth, happiness and freedom. By the American constitution every citizen is unrestricted to this. An irony of this is that Gatsby has always had two of these principles but never the third one to make him truly complete and happy. Gatsby believes Daisy is his third principle. Yet he has no idea how much trouble she brings him. (Freeman p. 00)
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Many critics view Gatsby as the personification of the American dream. He is noble, courageous, and a self made man. However he is naïve in believing that hard work and perseverance is all you need to accomplish what you want. No matter how hard Gatsby tries he can never truthfully enter the world of upper class. This connects to one of Plato’s analysis. Plato believed the working class had a soul of bronze and that nobility had a soul of gold. No matter how hard any one tried no one could ever move to another class. Even though Gatsby has achieved fortune he can never see himself as Tom who inherited his wealth. No matter how hard he tried, some people would view him as a failure because he had to work to get where he was. Unlike Tom, who was born rich. (Gallo p. 5)
Gatsby has an immense attachment to the past. He believes he can change it. Gatsby is trying to imitate the so-called old style nobility, which supposedly had everything people wanted. By Gatsby attempting to get Daisy back he strives to have everything he wants. He wanted wealth and now he has it. Gatsby’s dream now is Daisy, he believes he can get her back. He has no idea how much the present has changed from the past. Gatsby does not realize the modifications that have occurred on Daisy and her life. He still believes that Daisy is still the same person, as he knew her. By doing this he leaves himself open for failure and shows himself to be naïve. (Berman p. 0)
Gatsby is outwardly an ideal candidate for the American dream. At the time he would was considered a true gentleman suitable to his supposed upbringing and wealth. He started from nothing but persistently struggled to improve himself. This can be a key issue as why Gatsby is the portrayer of the American dream. Many people believe that they can become some one important from being a no body. Acquiring wealth and happiness is mostly the goal of people. This idea is the American dream. Gatsby attained this but he still was not content. He need it another piece of the puzzle for his dream to be fulfilled. Many individuals would have seen Gatsby’s life as it was without Daisy to be complete. Yet Gatsby believed for his dream to be satisfied it required Daisy. (Persosa p. 05)
In the case of The Great Gatsby, the greatness of the protagonist is emphasized by the sympathy and the love that the narrator, Nick gives Gatsby. It is thanks to his emotional reactions that Gatsby attains an almost fabulous dimension as a character. Nick’s view of Gatsby is important as he is the narrator. He appears to be one of the few characters in the novel that actually likes and respects Gatsby as a person and not for what the wealth he has. Some critics believed that maybe Fitzgerald designed Nick’s view of Gatsby in such a way that he is mocking American dream. (Elbe p. 110)
Beneath Gatsby’s flash exterior, he has a very different personality. He is timid and lonely which are the main reasons he holds extravagant parties to hide in. It is an exceptional use of dramatic irony to show that Gatsby is an unhappy wealthy man. These factors aren’t really the reason that Gatsby fails to achieve his dreams. The more important features of Gatsby’s failure are his naivety, loyalty, Tom, and Daisy. (Pasos p.14)
His wealth and loyalty are two traits that accelerated his failure. To begin with, his great wealth cut him off from society. He was different from the average person because of the money he had. Although he held these parties he was never a part of them because of his loyalty and love regarding Daisy. Most of his guests during his parties never even met Gatsby. Gatsby is so fascinated by Daisy that he can even remember the date that they last met as he said, “five years in November.” Like he has been counting down to the day they would once again meet. This could also been seen as irony because it is frequently the women who remember such things and the men who forget. (Pasos p. 15)
Gatsby lived for and breathed for the American dream and some critics say that when he lost Daisy he was essentially a lonely man waiting to die. But would he have recovered from this disappointment like he did during the war. We will never know because of his unnecessary death. He’s whole setback is full of irony. Perhaps if Tom had not taken Gatsby’s car to he enhance his image, Myrtle would not have run towards the car. The accident itself may still have happened but Gatsby would not have been involved and he might have won the girl and completed his dream after all. Gatsby and Myrtle are quite similar. They both wished to gain happiness and power through marriage with people they thought they loved. Even though their love appears in different forms. It is their desire to be with Daisy and Tom that leads to both their deaths. It is ironic that it can be said that Tom caused Myrtle death while Daisy instigated Gatsby death. The two people they loved and that might have completed their American dream. (Berman and Gallo)
The Great Gatsby shows us that money cannot buy used happiness. No matter how much you want something if it is not meant to be then it will not be. In the case of Jay Gatsby, he supposedly had everything you could ever want, except for the girl. It seemed that he had found her and completed his ambition. But instead of completing his life she actually destroyed it. What appeared like it was love for him was actual love for what he had. It looked like Gatsby had attained the American dream but it was just mirage for his actual failure caused by his desired of attaining his dream. Gatsby had the American dream until he decided to go for Daisy. The irony is that the person he thought would make his dream come true actually put an end to this dream and any of his future dreams. He’s own feelings caused his eventual failure.
Works Cited
Berman, Ronald “The Great Gatsby and Modern Times”
Urbana University of Illinois Press 14
Contemporary Literacy Criticism
Marie Lazzari CLC 55
Detroit Gale Research Inc. 15
Eble, Kenneth E., F. Scott Fitzgerald
Twayne Publishers, Boston, 17
Eble, Kenneth E., “The Last Tycoon”
New York Twayne Publishers, 16
Contemporary Literacy Criticism
Marie Lazzari CLC 55
Detroit Gale Research Inc. 15
Fitzgerald, Scott F. The Great Gatsby
New York Charles Scribner’s Sons 15
Freeman, David “The Great Hollywood Insider”
Los Angeles Times Book Review
Contemporary Literacy Criticism
Marie Lazzari CLC 55
Detroit Gale Research Inc. 15
Gallo, Adrienne Rose, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. New York 178
Minzener, Arthur, “The Maturity of Scott Fitzgerald”
Englewood Cliffs NJ Precentice Hall 16
Contemporary Literacy Criticism
Marie Lazzari CLC 55
Detroit Gale Research Inc. 15
Pasos, John Dos “A note on Fitzgerald”
A New Directions Book, 145
Contemporary Literacy Criticism
Marie Lazzari CLC 55
Detroit Gale Research Inc. 15
Perosa, Sergio “The Art of F. Scott Fitzgerald”
The University of Michigan Press 165
Contemporary Literacy Criticism
Marie Lazzari CLC 55
Detroit Gale Research Inc. 15
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