FINAL 6 PRINT GATSBY ESSAY Role of Character Dynamics in Literary Fiction

 

How does F. Scott Fitzgerald conveyideas and express his disapproval using a combination of characters?

Response by: Noah Nishihara E05

Prescribed Text: The Great Gatsby, 1925

 

F. Scott Fitzgerald, in his novel The Great Gatsby, explores society in the midst of post-war awakening that formed a transitional period between old and new values. The narrator Nick observes the summer of 1922 on Long Island. Fitzgerald uses various character types, their reactions to depict representations, and the consequence of the dynamic between characters to question the American Dream and express disapproval.It is however in Fitzgerald’s development of individuals and the evolving dynamic between them that we really see hisjudgement of disapproval and the solutions that he prescribes.

Fitzgerald presents contrasting characters to represent the people of the Jazz Age. Gatsby is the sole character without the mindless attitude of the other characters. He is an outsider to the society he is a part of, and his belief in his dream is unlike any other. Gatsby harbours an intensity of feeling that transcends time and allows him to remain faithful over five years. Through the different attitude to life that Gatsby leads, Fitzgerald is challenging an evolving society to improve both morally and spiritually. The narrator admires this attitude, or ‘inner beauty’ of the protagonist. This becomes apparent after Gatsby’s death. The antagonist Tom Buchanan represents the wealthy. His realism and emptiness, shared by most of the glamorous, defeats Gatsby’s dream which breaks up ‘like glass against…hard malice.’ As the perpetrator, he sees himself as the ‘last barrier of civilisation,’ which must defend unwritten laws of status against other social classes. The Wilsons of the working class are indirectly victimised as a result, along with Gatsby also. The deaths result from a lack of values in society. Nevertheless, circumstances and beliefs of the characters reflect the issues of American society.

Character relationships are formed to compare different personalities and motivations. Fitzgerald expresses contrast through Nick’s interactions with Tom and Gatsby. Both Tom and Daisy have no nobility or regret. They are unsatisfied, ‘drifting[ing] on forever’ seeking pleasure. Gatsby’s love for Daisy is juxtaposed against Tom’s relationship with Myrtle and Nick’s relationship with Jordan. Gatsby shows selflessness in his complete abandonment to love. Myrtle’s tragic run towards the car she thinks is Tom’s also challenges the shallowness of the era. By contrast, Nick’s relationship lacks the emotional impact. Similarly, Meyer Wolfshiem’s relationship with Gatsby exhibits corruption and loose morals, however it does not tarnish Gatsby’s purity. Rather, the persona of Gatsby opposes prevailing values of the age. The lack of a God and the emptiness of the people that results is apparent in the attitudes of all characters. Daisy asks, ‘What’ll we do…next thirty years?’ For characters representing the successful Establishment, the emptiness arises out of the corrupting quality of wealth. Once it is achieved, it is quickly tired of and more is sought. Daisy and the others are examples of this, however Tom also clearly represents the notion of reality. Fitzgerald expresses the issues of people in a godless age through Tom. For instance, Tom values money and power and is selfishly defensive of it. Judgements by Nick are accepted, given Nick’s moral authority. His honesty is shown by his refusal to partake in illegal dealings and in giving up Jordan when the charade becomes apparent. Wolfshiem is part of the corruption spawned by capitalism and loss of values. The clever portrayal allows Wolfshiemto evade Nick’s judgement but it is clear that he is an issue faced by America. Thus, the novel is a critique of the roaring twenties, during which moral emptiness prevailed.Furthermore, actions of contrasting characters must be complementary to lead into disapproval.

Disapproval is further underlined by Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the actions of characters in crises. Following the accident, Nick’s disgust changes to grudging admiration when it is strikingly revealed that Gatsby will take blame for the crime he never committed. In contrast to this, Tom manipulates Wilson with a self-serving qualityto evade suspicion. Gatsby is abandoned in death by everyone except Nick, further proving the moral vacuum of the era. The unlost innocence of Gatsby’s childhood is reminded; the incorrigibly selfish Tom again contrasts with Gatsby. Ultimately, the novel argues about a proper way to live. Rejecting status, power, consumption, but admiring the notion of idealism, it cautions against the reliability of ideals. Nick’s father’s moral advice, Nick’s ethical disgust of the East, and compassion towards Gatsby are used to reinforce this. Fitzgerald’s message is of human attitudes. For example, Tom’s realism is inhuman while Gatsby’s dream remains dignified. Consequently, Tom’s attitude is lesser than Gatsby’s. Moreover, Nick’s final judgement shows that human warmth and pity are more decent attitudes than mere condemnation. This forms part of the hope for the future which Gatsby finds real and the others can only vaguely yearn for. Gatsbyproves that wealth does not imply emptiness, since materialistic objects are mere accoutrements to him. The American Dream and democracy are disproved as myths when Gatsby is rejected by the Establishment. The nature of happiness is disputed and inconclusive, yet it is clear that purity of spirit rivals selfishness.

Fitzgerald uses character contrasts to shape his ideas about American society, thus expressing disapproval. The characterisation of the wealthy realists, the dreamers, and the working class reflect the Jazz Age lifestyle. Confrontations of differing personalities and motivations are ensured through character interactions. The resulting reactions lead to judgements of disapproval by the narrator. As a consequence, expressing disapproval is impossible without evidence created by the dynamic between characters.

Word Count: 818