The Great Gatsby.

 This blog is assigned by Dr. Dilip Sir Barad. This blog is about The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and how Jay Gatsby’s American Dream became a tragedy. For further information, here is the Teacher's blog.

the Book cover art and its connection to the novel's themes - and write your understanding of the symbolic significance of the book cover.

       The original cover art of The Great Gatsby, created by Francis Cugat, is a profound visual representation that encapsulates the novel's central themes and symbols. This iconic illustration, often referred to as "Celestial Eyes," features a pair of disembodied eyes and lips hovering against a deep blue background, with city lights below.

Disembodied Eyes and Lips:

            The most striking element of the cover is the pair of floating eyes, which are widely interpreted as representing the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg a billboard in the novel that symbolizes an omnipresent moral gaze. These eyes are often seen as a representation of God or society watching over the characters, highlighting themes of moral decay and the loss of spiritual values in the pursuit of the American Dream. The red lips beneath the eyes may symbolize the allure and seduction of wealth and pleasure, central to the novel's exploration of hedonism and excess.

City Lights and Blue Background:

             Below the disembodied face, the city lights resemble a carnival or party scene, reflecting the opulence and extravagance of Gatsby's parties. The dark blue background evokes a sense of melancholy and mystery, aligning with the novel's underlying themes of sadness, loneliness, and the elusive nature of the American Dream.

Green Tear:

            A subtle detail in the cover is a green tear beneath one of the eyes, which can be interpreted as a reference to the green light at the end of Daisy's dock a symbol of Gatsby's unattainable dreams and his longing for a future that remains just out of reach.

        Cugat's cover art encapsulates the central themes of The Great Gatsby, including the pursuit of the American Dream, the moral and spiritual decay hidden beneath the surface of wealth and glamour, and the pervasive sense of longing and loss that defines Gatsby's character.

Understanding Jay Gatsby’s Character: A Dreamer Trapped in Illusion

      Jay Gatsby, the enigmatic protagonist of The Great Gatsby, is one of the most fascinating characters in literature. His life is a story of reinvention, ambition, love, and ultimate tragedy. Gatsby is a man who builds an entire existence around a dream that can never be fulfilled the dream of wealth, social status, and, most importantly, of rekindling a lost love. His character is deeply tied to themes of the American Dream, idealization of the past, and psychological burdens of shame, guilt, and grief.

1. Jay Gatsby: The Man Who Created Himself :

      Jay Gatsby was not born into wealth. His real name was James Gatz, and he came from a poor farming family in North Dakota. However, Gatsby always believed he was meant for something greater. His dissatisfaction with his humble background led him to completely reinvent himself, turning James Gatz into the mysterious, wealthy Jay Gatsby.

        His first step toward this transformation happened when he met Dan Cody, a millionaire who introduced him to the world of luxury. Although Gatsby did not inherit Cody’s wealth, he learned an important lesson: money and appearance create power and respect. This realization became the foundation of Gatsby’s lifelong pursuit of wealth.

     Gatsby’s story is the embodiment of the American Dream the idea that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success through hard work. However, his dream is flawed because his true motivation is not just wealth but winning back Daisy Buchanan, his lost love.

2. Gatsby’s Pursuit of Wealth and Social Status :

    Gatsby’s mansion, extravagant parties, and luxurious lifestyle are not for his own pleasure. They are all part of his strategy to win Daisy back. He throws massive parties, hoping that one day she will walk through his doors. Every action he takes is calculated to impress her and prove that he is worthy of her love.

      However, there is a problem: Gatsby’s wealth does not come from old money he is a self-made millionaire. In the world of The Great Gatsby, old money (inherited wealth) is superior to new money (self-made wealth). Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan, come from old money and look down upon Gatsby’s background.

       No matter how much Gatsby achieves, he is still an outsider in the elite world of East Egg. This social divide exposes the flaws of the American Dream success alone is not enough; one must be born into privilege to truly belong.

3. The Idealization of Daisy: A Love Built on Illusion :

     Gatsby’s love for Daisy Buchanan is the driving force behind his every action. However, his love is not for the real Daisy, but for an idealized version of her.

        Five years before the events of the novel, Gatsby and Daisy fell in love. But Gatsby, being a poor soldier at the time, was not seen as a suitable match. While he was away at war, Daisy married Tom Buchanan, a wealthy and powerful man. Gatsby never recovered from this loss. Instead of moving on, he spent years building his fortune solely to win Daisy back.

        His famous green light, shining at the end of Daisy’s dock, symbolizes this dream. To Gatsby, the green light represents hope, love, and the promise of a future with Daisy. He truly believes that if he has enough money and status, he can erase the past and start over.

           However, this dream is an illusion. When Gatsby finally reunites with Daisy, he expects her to tell him that she never loved Tom but she hesitates. This moment shatters Gatsby’s fantasy. He realizes that Daisy is not the perfect, faithful woman he imagined; she is flawed, materialistic, and unwilling to sacrifice her comfortable life for him.

        This moment is Gatsby’s greatest tragedy: he has built his entire life around an impossible dream.

4. A Psychoanalytic Perspective: Shame, Guilt, and Grief :

      Gatsby’s actions can be analyzed through the lens of psychology, particularly the emotions of shame, guilt, and grief.

Shame:

    Gatsby’s deep shame about his poor background drives him to completely erase his past.

     He fabricates a new identity and avoids any association with his former self, believing that wealth is the only way to gain respect.

Guilt:

     Gatsby’s guilt is evident in his illegal activities, which he justifies because they bring him closer to Daisy.

      He also feels guilt over trying to take Daisy away from her family.

Grief:

        Gatsby is trapped in eternal grief, mourning the past and refusing to accept the present.

     His grief isolates him; despite his wealth and social status, he has no real friends.

 

      This isolation is evident in his death despite his grand parties, almost no one attends his funeral.

      Gatsby is a man haunted by his own illusions, and his refusal to accept reality leads to his destruction.

5. Gatsby’s Tragic End: The Illusion Crumbles :

       In the end, Gatsby’s dream falls apart. Daisy chooses to stay with Tom, and Gatsby is left waiting for a call that never comes.

      When Myrtle Wilson is killed in a hit-and-run accident, Gatsby takes the blame to protect Daisy. However, this act of love is futile. Daisy and Tom leave town without a second thought, abandoning Gatsby completely.

     George Wilson, believing Gatsby was responsible for Myrtle’s death, shoots him while he is in his swimming pool. Gatsby dies alone, still clinging to the dream that Daisy will choose him.

     His death is a powerful statement on the failure of the American Dream no amount of wealth or reinvention can truly change who you are.

How Faithful is Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby to the Novel?

        Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby is a bold, visually extravagant retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, the film attempts to stay true to the plot and themes of the book while also making it appealing to a modern audience.

     While it follows the basic storyline, Luhrmann’s version takes creative liberties with the film’s tone, music, and character portrayals, sometimes enhancing and sometimes altering the novel’s impact. Let’s break it down.

1. The Plot: Staying True to Fitzgerald’s Story :

     Luhrmann’s film closely follows the main events of the novel.

     Nick Carraway, an aspiring writer and the novel’s narrator, moves to West Egg and becomes fascinated by his mysterious and wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby.

       Gatsby is deeply in love with Daisy Buchanan, Nick’s cousin, and has spent years building his fortune in hopes of winning her back.

     Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, a rich and arrogant man who is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, the wife of a struggling garage owner.

      Gatsby and Daisy reconnect, but she hesitates to leave Tom. A confrontation between Gatsby and Tom leads to a tragic chain of events.

     Myrtle is killed in a car accident, and Gatsby is falsely blamed for her death.

    George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, kills Gatsby, believing him to be responsible.

     In the end, Gatsby’s extravagant life ends in loneliness, with only Nick attending his funeral a stark commentary on the emptiness of the American Dream.

       Luhrmann does not change any major plot points, keeping the structure and key moments intact. However, he makes significant stylistic choices that impact the way the story is told.

2. The Visual Spectacle: Bigger, Brighter, Flashier :

     One of the biggest differences between the book and the film is the visual style. Luhrmann is known for his lavish, high-energy filmmaking, and he transforms Gatsby’s world into a dazzling spectacle.

     The parties at Gatsby’s mansion are wilder and more extravagant than in the book, featuring huge dance numbers, fireworks, and a modern soundtrack.

    Fast-paced editing and bright, saturated colors make the Jazz Age feel even more chaotic and thrilling.

     The use of CGI and slow-motion effects add to the film’s dreamlike quality, making Gatsby’s world seem larger-than-life.

     While these cinematic choices capture the excess of the Roaring Twenties, some critics argue that they distract from the novel’s deeper themes. Fitzgerald’s Gatsby was mysterious and refined, while Luhrmann’s version sometimes feels like a Hollywood fantasy.

4. Nick Carraway: A New Framing Device :

       In the novel, Nick Carraway is an observer, telling Gatsby’s story from a reflective and somewhat detached perspective. However, the film introduces a new framing device:

     Nick is shown writing the story from a sanitarium, where he is being treated for alcoholism and depression after Gatsby’s death.

     This adds a personal struggle for Nick that isn’t present in the book.

         While this change helps highlight the emotional impact Gatsby had on Nick, it also shifts the focus away from the social critique that Fitzgerald intended. In the novel, Nick is disillusioned by the corruption of wealth and privilege, but in the film, his personal breakdown becomes a central theme.

5. Jay Gatsby: Leonardo DiCaprio’s Performance

    Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Gatsby is one of the film’s strongest aspects.

    He captures Gatsby’s charm, nervous energy, and deep yearning for Daisy.

     His delivery of the famous phrase "Old sport" is both playful and slightly obsessive, emphasizing Gatsby’s desire to reinvent himself.

    His awkward, boyish excitement when meeting Daisy again is more pronounced in the film, making him seem more vulnerable than in the novel.

      However, some critics argue that DiCaprio’s Gatsby is too visibly anxious and desperate, whereas Fitzgerald’s Gatsby maintained a cool, mysterious exterior for most of the novel.

6. The Symbolism: Green Light & Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s Eyes :

      Luhrmann keeps many of the novel’s key symbols, though he presents them in a more dramatic way.

     The Green Light: In the book, the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock is a subtle but powerful symbol of Gatsby’s dreams and unattainable future. In the film, it is emphasized with glowing effects and slow-motion shots, making it feel almost supernatural.

      Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s Eyes: The film features several close-ups of the billboard, reinforcing the idea that the eyes symbolize a judgmental, godlike presence over the characters. However, its meaning is left a bit vague compared to the novel.

      While these symbols remain important in both versions, the film’s dramatic visual presentation makes them more obvious, rather than leaving them open to interpretation.

7. Daisy Buchanan: More Emotional, Less Mysterious :

     Carey Mulligan’s Daisy is portrayed as more emotional and conflicted than in the book.

      In the novel, Daisy is often seen as shallow and materialistic, choosing Tom over Gatsby because of his money and status.

     In the film, she appears genuinely torn between Gatsby and Tom, making her decision seem more like an emotional struggle than a selfish choice.

      This change makes Daisy more sympathetic, but it also reduces Fitzgerald’s critique of materialism, making her seem like a victim rather than an active participant in Gatsby’s downfall.

8. The Ending: Tragic, but with Added Emotion :

        The final scenes of the film stay very close to the book, but with a heightened sense of drama.

       Gatsby’s death is beautifully shot, with rain falling and his dreams slipping away in a poetic, tragic moment.

        Nick’s final reflections on Gatsby are narrated directly from the book, preserving Fitzgerald’s original words.

      However, the film adds more emotional weight to Gatsby’s funeral, focusing on his father’s grief, which is a minor detail in the novel. This makes Gatsby’s loneliness feel more personal and sentimental, rather than simply a reflection of society’s cruelty.

Symbolic Significance of the Green Light and the Billboard of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s Eyes

       F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is filled with powerful symbols that deepen its themes of dreams, illusions, and the corruption of the American Dream. Two of the most significant symbols in the novel are the green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock and the billboard of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes. These symbols represent Gatsby’s unattainable dream, moral decay, and the empty promises of wealth and success.

1. The Green Light: The Illusion of the American Dream :

      The green light is one of the most famous symbols in American literature. It appears at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock, across the bay from Gatsby’s mansion.

What Does the Green Light Represent?

1. Gatsby’s Dream of Daisy

    Gatsby reaches out toward the green light in the novel’s early chapters, longing for Daisy.

     It symbolizes his belief that he can recreate the past and win back Daisy’s love, despite the time and obstacles between them.

2. The American Dream

    The green light represents the dream of success, wealth, and happiness that Gatsby (and many others) chase.

     Just as Gatsby believes he can reclaim his lost love through wealth, the American Dream promises that hard work leads to success but for many, this dream remains just out of reach.

3. Illusion vs. Reality

       Gatsby never truly reaches Daisy, just as many people never achieve the American Dream.

    The light is always distant, always fading, showing that dreams can be illusions they drive people forward but may never be realized.

Fitzgerald’s Message Through the Green Light

    At the end of the novel, Nick reflects on Gatsby’s dream, saying:

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us."

    This suggests that human beings are always chasing something just beyond their reach, believing in a future that may never come. The green light is not just Gatsby’s personal dream, but a universal human experience the pursuit of something better, even when it’s impossible to attain.

2. The Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg: The Moral Decay of Society

       The billboard of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes is another powerful symbol in The Great Gatsby. This giant, fading advertisement for an old optometrist stands over the Valley of Ashes, a desolate wasteland between West Egg and New York City.

What Do the Eyes Symbolize?

1. The Loss of Morality and Spirituality

      The eyes look down on the characters and their actions but do nothing just like a forgotten God.

        In a world driven by greed and materialism, traditional morals and values have been replaced by wealth and power.

2. A Judgmental, God-Like Presence

    George Wilson, devastated after Myrtle’s death, looks at the billboard and says:

“God sees everything.”

           This suggests that even in a world where morality has been abandoned, some kind of higher judgment still exists—even if it is only a faded billboard.

3. The Corruption of the American Dream

       The billboard is located in the Valley of Ashes, a place where the poor struggle while the rich live extravagantly.

     The American Dream has become a lie, benefiting only the wealthy while leaving others behind.

     The lifeless, abandoned eyes represent how society ignores those who suffer in pursuit of wealth and pleasure.

Fitzgerald’s Message Through Dr. Eckleburg’s Eyes

        The billboard symbolizes the decay of American values. The rich characters in the novel escape consequences for their actions, showing how money protects the powerful while the poor suffer. The eyes remain passive, reflecting a world where morality has no place, and people are only judged by their wealth.

The American Dream and Class Conflict in The Great Gatsby

      Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a sharp critique of the American Dream and the rigid class system of the 1920s. The novel explores how wealth, status, and privilege create divisions between people, making the dream of success impossible for many.

1. The American Dream: A Broken Promise

      The American Dream is the idea that anyone, regardless of their background, can achieve success through hard work. However, in The Great Gatsby, this dream is shown to be a lie.

How Gatsby Represents the American Dream

      Gatsby is a self-made man he was born poor but builds his fortune to win back Daisy.

     However, his wealth comes from illegal activities (bootlegging), showing that honest hard work doesn’t always lead to success.

     No matter how rich Gatsby becomes, he can never be accepted by the old-money elite, proving that class barriers remain unbreakable.

       Gatsby’s death at the hands of a poor man (George Wilson) symbolizes the failure of the American Dream both for the rich and the poor.

How Fitzgerald Criticizes the American Dream

         The rich characters (Daisy, Tom, Jordan) inherited their wealth and do nothing to earn it, yet they live in luxury while others suffer.

       The Valley of Ashes, where the working class struggles, represents the true reality of the American Dream suffering, poverty, and broken hopes.

      Gatsby believes money will bring him happiness, but in the end, he is left alone and dies without achieving his dream.

      The American Dream is an illusion a hope that drives people forward but ultimately fails them.

2. Class Conflict: The Divide Between Old Money, New Money, and the Poor

    The novel divides society into three main classes, showing how wealth determines fate.

1. Old Money (Tom & Daisy Buchanan)

   Inherited wealth, born into luxury. Live in East Egg, representing tradition and privilege.

    Feel superior to Gatsby, despite his wealth, because he comes from a lower-class background. Tom sees Gatsby as inferior, calling him “Mr. Nobody from Nowhere.”

2. New Money (Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway)

  Earned wealth through business and hard work. Live in West Egg, symbolizing ambition and self-made success.

       Are never truly accepted by old money Gatsby throws extravagant parties, but the elite mock him behind his back.

3. The Working Class (George & Myrtle Wilson, the People of the Valley of Ashes)

       Struggle to survive while the rich live in luxury. Myrtle dreams of escaping her poor life, believing Tom will save her but she is used and discarded.

     George Wilson works tirelessly, but poverty and desperation lead him to commit murder and suicide.

How Fitzgerald Criticizes Class Divisions

      The rich have power but no morals Daisy and Tom cause destruction but face no consequences.

     The poor are powerless and suffer unfairly George and Myrtle Wilson lose everything while the rich continue their lives unchanged.

       Gatsby, despite all his money, is still an outsider his story proves that money alone cannot buy acceptance or happiness.

      Class determines fate in The Great Gatsby. The rich live carelessly, while the poor suffer under a system designed to keep them down.

Conclusion :

          The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock symbolizes Gatsby’s unreachable dream, reflecting both his longing for Daisy and the larger illusion of the American Dream the belief that wealth and ambition can overcome social barriers. It represents hope, desire, and the idea that the past can be reclaimed, yet it remains distant and unattainable, just like Gatsby’s dream of rekindling his lost love. Similarly, the billboard of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes serves as a haunting symbol of moral decay and the loss of spiritual values, watching over the Valley of Ashes, where the poor struggle while the wealthy thrive. These symbols reinforce the novel’s central themes of class conflict and the failure of the American Dream, showing how money dictates fate but cannot buy true happiness or moral integrity. Fitzgerald presents a world where privilege protects the careless rich, while the poor suffer under a system designed to keep them down, ultimately exposing the emptiness behind material success.

Thank you for reading..

Reference:

  Samuels, C. T. (1966). The Greatness of “Gatsby.” The Massachusetts Review, 7(4), 783–794. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25087514http://www.jstor.org/stable/25087514

  SparkNotes. The Great Gatsby: Study Guide. SparkNotes,https://www.sparknotes.com. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.