F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby vividly captures the essence of 20th-century America during the Jazz Age, offering a profound exploration of the characters' inner turmoil, relationships, and societal hierarchies, all while critically examining the notion of the American dream. The concept of the American Dream often involves a land of opportunity, where individuals can pursue their aspirations. However, The Great Gatsby illustrates how this pursuit can frequently lead to disappointment, as the last line of the book captures, “...we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald, F. Scott, The Great Gatsby (New York: Scribner, 2018), 180).
The main protagonist, Jay Gatsby, is a young man driven by ambition and longing, renowned for his extravagant parties at his West Egg mansion and his mysterious background. He hosts lavish parties out of a fervent hope to rekindle his romance with Daisy Buchanan, a beautiful yet shallow woman he fell in love with years ago. Daisy, now married to a wealthy man, embodies Gatsby’s desires and the so-called pinnacle of the American dream. In his relentless pursuit of love, Gatsby becomes wealthy, believing his riches will win Daisy’s heart. But despite his newfound wealth and growing social status, Gatsby remains an outsider; his obsessive love for Daisy blinds him from seeing her true character and the reality of the world he seeks to be part of. His continuous attempts to win Daisy over result in tragedy, revealing the darker side of the American dream—the illusion of success and the inevitable disillusionment that follows.
The prominent green light symbolizes Gatsby’s “Daisy-dream,” presenting both his hope and the fact that it is ultimately unattainable. This light always flickers in our own lives, when dreams seem close enough to grasp. However, Fitzgerald reminds us that when pursuing these idealized visions, we overlook the reality around us and the imperfections of those we admire. The light, always just out of reach, is a symbol of caution and danger, demonstrating how an obsession with a dream can cloud our judgment, leading us to ignore the present and the relationships that truly matter.
Gatsby’s story represents the unpredictability of life and the importance of learning from the disappointment that may come our way. Simultaneously, it’s essential to define the “achievable” dreams and reach for them. As we pursue our aspirations, continuously reflecting and adjusting the direction of our lives is vital; while ambition is important, it should never overshadow the values that define who we are.