“Once again, to Zelda.” It is possible to analyze and try to interpret the nature of society throughout the early 1920s or the symbolism within The Great Gatsby, yet this short dedication puts more meaning behind the novel than anything. F. Scott Fitzgerald seems, most likely, to be like Nick to the casual reader. By choosing Nick to provide first-person narration, Fitzgerald should show that this is the character he is most able to connect with. However, Fitzgerald is not just Nick. In learning about Fitzgerald’s personal life, one can realize that he is also Jay, and even Mr. Wilson. Emotionally, Fitzgerald could easily have been described as a psychotic mess. He embraced his fears, admirations, and reality in each of the different characters. It seems that Fitzgerald had reached a personal breaking point in his life and turned to what he knew best, his writing, to find comfort and security while devising a plan to hold on to his ideal of the American Dream. Through The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald approaches the concept of wealth and social status corrupting society by sorting out his emotions towards where he fits into society and, more prominently, the dynamics of his relationship with his wife, Zelda.
While the background information of Fitzgerald’s love life is not the first thing that one learns in order to understand The Great Gatsby, it easily can be key to processing the thoughts that Fitzgerald potentially had during his writing. In order to truly understand an author’s purpose, one must have a grasp on the thoughts that fueled the author’s words. The relationship turmoil within The Great Gatsby closely mirrors Fitzgerald’s own life, resulting in the assumption that his expression in the novel was to release his own inner heartache. Writing was Fitzgerald’s greatest skill and passion, so it logically makes sense he would turn to it to express his tension. Through the character of Jay Gatz, one can see a similarity between Jay’s courting of Daisy to that of Fitzgerald when initially courting Zelda. Both were young men who did not have much established for themselves at the time, but had a strong potential and ambition that made them charming possibilities. Just like Daisy and Jay, Fitzgerald and Zelda’s meeting revolved around a dance during the time when the both men, respectively, were enlisted in the military. The chance meetings connect the significance of the idea of finding one’s true love amidst unexpected circumstances.
Even after the initial stages of courtship, the relationships continue to resemble each other. Both Daisy and Zelda were put into positions where they needed to wait for their men, yet, ultimately, neither did. Daisy resists waiting to marry Jay, due to his financial and social status, and winds up, instead, marrying Tom. She wishes to remain in the elite social class she has been used to, rather than setting for a less wealthy husband such as Jay. Zelda also refused to marry Fitzgerald, calling off their relationship several times. She had many suitors competing for her attention, instilling the potential for unfaithfulness later on. After Fitzgerald published his popular novel, This Side of Paradise, Zelda agreed to marry Fitzgerald. The financial success from this publication was so crucial to Zelda’s agreement to married that Fitzgerald is quoted as having told his publisher that “so many things dependent on its success—including of course a girl.” The girls both were seeking for the best option to suit them at the moment and truly had a hard time trying to be content being patient for those that loved them. The result was both Jay and Fitzgerald striving to be something they were not in order to attempt fulfilling the conditions Daisy and Zelda were holding in exchange for their love.
Through the infatuation with the girls they lusted over, both men started to form their entire lives around them. Jay hustles dirty money in order to gain the finances he would need to impress Daisy. He bought the house across the lake from her and constantly throws lavish parties that attracted the entire area in hope that one day she would attend. Fitzgerald also tried to constantly keep his writing progressing to provide an adequate income for Zelda. His attraction to Zelda dictated what he wrote, even to the point of rewriting his heroines to be more like her. Fitzgerald is known to have stolen Zelda’s dairy in order to capture and become inspired by her deepest, inner desires. He became so consumed by her essence that Zelda was the reason behind everything Fitzgerald tried to do in his life during their marriage. Fitzgerald was just as obsessed with Zelda as Jay was with Daisy, creating a connection between the two men. It could be that Jay was the hopeful drive within Fitzgerald that if he could make something good enough of himself, he could win back the love he desired. The ambition of Fitzgerald begins to appear in the form of Jay Gatsby.
Fitzgerald’s fears appear to shine through the character of Tom Buchanan. After falling into a point of financial hardship, Fitzgerald and Zelda moved to Paris. There, she began a rather scandalous affair with a Frenchman while, simultaneously, Fitzgerald began writing The Great Gatsby. Disagreements had been boiling between Fitzgerald and Zelda, creating the harsh image shown through Tom. It appears that the tough, abusive figure showed components of what Fitzgerald did not want to become. He wanted Zelda to care about him rather than stay with him out of fear. Daisy was unhappy with Tom’s behavior and affairs, yet still played along with the scheme. Tom was very controlling and accomplished this through physical intimidation and harsh verbal judgment. Fitzgerald gives the impression that he is trying to avoid turning into the cruel husband that he creates Tom to be. Fitzgerald had avoided confronting the Frenchman, but contributes the anger he must have felt into further developing Tom’s character. Just as Jay dislikes Tom for being his competition for Daisy, Fitzgerald’s ambition to keep Zelda clashes with the other men she becomes involved with. The tempting forceful nature combined with frustration showcases the fears Fitzgerald has regarding losing Zelda to a “better option,” or morphing into something retched in order to quiet her resistance to escape.
Through the character of Mr. Wilson, the reality of Fitzgerald is shown. He is showing his most realistic self rather than his hopes or fears. Mr. Wilson does not have much to offer his wife, just as Fitzgerald had been financially unstable at the time. Myrtle, like Zelda, searched elsewhere for excitement and entertainment, leaving her husband working diligently to be good enough for her again. Myrtle felt neglected by Mr. Wilson and was intrigued by the attention and lavish amenities Tom gave her. This is similar to Zelda, who became bored with Fitzgerald for spending large sections of his time writing in order to advance economically. Zelda went off with the Frenchman in order to spend her nights dancing and in casinos, which she felt was more thrilling than staying settled with Fitzgerald. Another key similarity is the way that Mr. Wilson and Fitzgerald handled the behaviors of their wives. The only way Mr. Wilson had ever “abused” his wife was by locking her in her room after accepting that Myrtle had been cheating on him. He felt his last resort to keeping a hold of his wife was physically, detaining her as long as she had the potential of going back to Tom. Similarly, Fitzgerald locked Zelda in their home when she requested to divorce him in order to further pursue her relationship with the Frenchman. He kept her locked up until her lover had left and she agreed to stay married to Fitzgerald. These behaviors connect the dejection of Mr. Wilson and Fitzgerald in a way that gives a realistic formation of Fitzgerald’s position in his circumstances.
Being the narrator, Nick was a very crucial role in The Great Gatsby. He leads readers through the tragic love story trying to be objective about each side and persona he encounters. Nick and Fitzgerald are one in the same as the views expressed by Nick are how Fitzgerald is analyzing the different elements of his life. Nick is observing Gatsby, Tom, and Mr. Wilson, and coming to conclusions about each, while still trying to show that each character is strengthened or belittled by the actions of the other. Gatsby becomes more lavishing when Tom is becoming more furious. This represents Fitzgerald’s dreams growing to try to offset his fear. Conversely, with bigger dreams, or a more appealing Gatsby, Tom, or fear, feels the need to rise in order to give a “reality check” to each new ounce of hope. Tom and Gatsby both, however, make Mr. Wilson feel more inferior. Feeling threatened by their wealth and elite status, Mr. Wilson feels horrible as he knows he is losing his wife to the likeability of this image. Fitzgerald is realizing that the more he hopes or fears different outcomes regarding his success to determine the future of his relationship, the more overwhelmed he is getting. Nick’s, or Fitzgerald’s, views on the character’s choices show the outlook on society as a whole that Fitzgerald is concluding. He is seeing how influenced everyone is by wealth and power. This relation serves to present the most common purpose readers interpret from The Great Gatsby: the message that nothing is ever enough as one always desires to be superior to another.
Just as Fitzgerald is shown through the male protagonists in The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the many sides of Zelda through his female characters. In the position of Daisy, Zelda is an innocent victim that one can lust endlessly over. Just as Jay overestimates Daisy, Fitzgerald overestimates Zelda to be a miraculous woman that she truly is not. Regardless of their many flaws, Zelda and Daisy are viewed to be perfect angels who suffer because of the men in their lives. This shows Fitzgerald battling the guilt he feels, assuming that he is the true because of Zelda’s unhappiness. Jordan is also an important side of Zelda, though one that Fitzgerald approaches with indifference. Just as it is hard for readers to interpret if Jordan is a hero or a villain, Fitzgerald is unsure how to cope with Zelda’s desire for attention and independence. Jordan is often shown bored with her surroundings, which is much like Zelda when Fitzgerald is consumed with his writing. As a result, she branches into trying to find her own expertise in art and dance, similar to Jordan’s athletic career. Neither of the girls truly has much talent, Jordan having cheated in her matches and often appearing she does not truly care about the sport, but they still pursue the hobbies to try to feel as if they can excel at something in their lives. Fitzgerald is trying to analyze not only himself, but the behaviors of his wife to explore the best way he can possible cope with his failing marriage.
One of the most interesting and significant connections to Zelda, however, is with the character of Myrtle. Myrtle is not developed very well in The Great Gatsby, as readers do not fully experience her personal thoughts, but she shows the flaws that Zelda possesses. Myrtle throws Tom’s money around as if it is nothing, taking the elite lifestyle as if it is something that should be expected. She is crazy enough to jump to whatever circumstance can give her more to benefit from, even if it is achieved by cheating on her husband. Fitzgerald creates the gold-digging, self-absorbed side of Zelda through Myrtle, and through her, begins to see that his wife may not actually be as flawless as he believed she was. Through the use of the name Myrtle, as well as the name Daisy, Fitzgerald instills flowers to be a realization of how society changes people to become rather vapid and useless. Just like flowers, Daisy and Myrtle have no true value other than looking pretty and serving as amusement for the men in their lives. There is no true purpose to them as they are very bland, static characters. There is no true mental capacity to Daisy as she is not able to think for herself, she constantly needs Tom or Jay to make decisions for her. Myrtle shows the more schizophrenic tendencies that Zelda began suffering from, which also serves to prove that she mentally had no true intellect to contribute. The symbolism of flowers in relation to the women of The Great Gatsby, shows how fitting in and being superior within society takes the individuality and potential out of citizens. Fitzgerald explores the idea that without passion and the courage to be unique, one becomes as useless as a flower, which only is something to look at, for there is no depth to one’s personality anymore.
The green light at the end of the pier serves as the distant desire within the novel. For Jay, it is the light of Daisy. He can see her and feel he is getting closer, but at the end of the day, the light is still far in the distance. Fitzgerald is battling the same desire in regards to happiness with Zelda. The continuing triumph shows a crucial component of the American Dream. The premise of the American Dream is to flourish in life. One wishes to find success, happiness, opportunity, and love. While the specifics vary, there is nearly always something that one feels is the missing piece to feeling complete; if they have something more, everything will suddenly feel perfect. The moral is that no matter how much one has, there will always be something desired that cannot be attained, which dictates the ideal of the American Dream to make it unachievable. The light at the end of the dock tries to serve as a lesson to readers that no matter how close you think you are to perfection, there is always some way to improve or something that can be gained. However, it becomes both an evil and a blessing. The constant desire becomes a fueling ambition to persevere in life, yet it also consumes the searcher to never be content with the present. No matter what serves as one’s light, Fitzgerald approaches accepting, and then teaching, that its effect of greed on citizens both develops and corrupts society. This directly correlates with the interpretation of the eyes on the barn, showing that there is a constant overlooking judgment within society, making the ideal of success crucial to being accepted by one’s peers. The materialistic nature of Fitzgerald’s expression of his turmoil serves to teach readers that they must prioritize their life to avoid getting caught up in the harsh economical whirlwind.
It does not seem that Fitzgerald intentionally tried to use symbolism to further his purpose of the novel. He does not even seem to truly have an intended purpose for his readers. The philosophy he appears to approach is that he is writing for himself: to express himself, to find himself, to end his problems. Fitzgerald shares himself and his opinions through his writing, but there seems to be an emphasized message: lessons through literature are primarily interpreted and created only in the minds of characters and readers. The character of Nick explores the ideas of meaningless messages put on objects when trying to imagine Jay’s final thoughts about his life. There was not a set goal for writing The Great Gatsby; it just took Fitzgerald on a journey to further understand himself. By sharing his writing, the concept of the American Dream is posed in the same essence. One can have everything in the world, but until one finds one’s passion, one is nothing. The inner battle to comprehend his emotions left Fitzgerald learning a lot about life and who he was as a person, which easily transpires into advice for readers. The purest purpose of the novel is to find one’s own purpose and take the path of Fitzgerald’s realizations to begin finding the path to one’s own inner contentment.
One of the most noticeable traits of Fitzgerald’s writing is how clear and simple it is. However, it is still mystifying in the sense that anything can be made out of it that readers need to hear or learn. For example, one may realize they need to worry less about having a boyfriend at the moment, and instead focus on waiting for the perfect soul mate. For another, it may teach one they need to be less arrogant and superficial in order to truly benefit from love. Or possibly one interpreted a message that one needs to stand up for oneself rather than falling into the restrictions of society’s acceptance. The novel exhibits pure ambiguity through its complexity and speaks a message to the heart of the reader, regardless of what the exact moral is. The American Dream is one of freedom and the ability to choose, including choosing the messages and purpose to infer from The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald used each of his characters in The Great Gatsby to portray the purpose of expressing his own opinions on his life and love as well as how society’s pressures impacted him, resulting in a timeless masterpiece that can vary in influence to readers in order to assist in reevaluating one’s own place in the world.
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