Theme: The American Dream in the Jazz Age

Theme: The American Dream in the Jazz Age

Concept

  • The concept of the American Dream during the Jazz Age revolved around the idea that anyone, regardless of class or origin, could attain wealth and prosperity in America.
  • This dream was fuelled by a post-war economic boom, leading to a period of extravagance and indulgence known as the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age.

Gatsby’s Pursuit of the American Dream

  • Jay Gatsby is a representation of the American Dream. He is a self-made man who has accumulated great wealth through his own efforts.
  • Gatsby’s dream extends beyond material wealth to the pursuit of a romantic ideal – his love for Daisy Buchanan.
  • Gatsby believes that he can win Daisy back by proving that he can now provide for her, symbolising the belief that money and social status can buy happiness and love.

Criticisms of the American Dream

  • F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the character of Tom Buchanan to critique the American Dream.
  • Tom, born into wealth, appears to disapprove of Gatsby’s newly acquired status, suggesting that old wealth views new wealth with contempt.
  • Through the failed romance between Gatsby and Daisy, Fitzgerald suggests that the American Dream is unattainable and based on illusion.

Decline of the American Dream

  • The extravagant parties and recklessness of the Jazz Age represent the deterioration of the original American Dream into an obsession with wealth and material possessions.
  • The characters’ immorality, materialism, and their disregard for the true values of life signify a corruption of the American Dream.
  • The death of Gatsby and the tragic ending of the novel further emphasise this theme, reinforcing the idea that the American Dream is ultimately unattainable.

Summary

The Jazz Age’s American Dream, as depicted in ‘The Great Gatsby’, reflects a shift from the traditional ideals of hard work and honest success towards materialism, lavish excesses, and social recklessness. Fitzgerald offers a critique of the American Dream, illustrating its decline into empty materialism, broken relationships, and unfulfilled dreams.