Today I'm going to do something a bit different.
A book review, of sorts.
Have you ever read 'The Great Gatsby' by Scott Fitzgerald?
Or seen the film, which stars a certain Leonardo DiCaprio as the protagonist?
You should. I'd say read the book first, then watch the film.
WARNING: this post will give spoilers.
For a novel published in 1925, many of Gatsby's societal lessons are remarkably relevant today.
A gripping plot, intriguing characters and (of course) a superb background setting all contribute to making it, in my opinion, one of the greatest American novels ever written.
It is so multi-dimensional, so ambiguous, and so engrossing that people have debated over its meaning and purpose for nearly a century.
Let me explain.
'The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world'.
A truly inspiring quote for any current or Aspiring New Yorker.
It advocates the potential, excitement and hope of living in The City That Never Sleeps - to many, the greatest city on earth. In the words of John Steinbeck, 'once you have lived in New York and made it your home, no place else is good enough'.
It is, in various ways, the centre of the world, and it is most certainly the centre of action and drama that unfolds in Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby'.
Now regarded as brilliant didactic literature of 1920s America, Scott Fitzgerald's timeless masterpiece is undoubtedly a tale of contrasts.
His eponymous hero, the 'Great' Gatsby, represents money, ambition and (at times) corruption - yet his drive is fuelled by a love so pure and untainted it is actually unattainable.
Perhaps it is not surprising then, that all ends in tragedy, and that Gatsby's tremendous dream dies with his character.
Put simply, the novel is a love story; the tale of young James Gatz (aka Jay Gatsby) from a modest Midwestern background, who falls for the socially superior Daisy Fay, the fairy of Louisville.
Separated from her by war, Gatsby returns home five years later as a renowned army Major but completely penniless, and having lost Daisy to the obscenely wealthy Tom Buchanan.
It is through the portrayal of his characters that Fitzgerald offers his social criticism, and never is this criticism more apparent than in Tom, whose crudity is matched only by his ignorance.
In a letter to his editor, Fitzgerald said that 'I suppose he's the best character I've ever done', and there is no doubt that the masterful characterisation of Tom addresses the bigotry of the American upper classes.
Through him, Fitzgerald integrates a plethora of racist remarks throughout (particularly regarding the rise of the 'coloured race') to explicitly depict one of many negative factors prevalent in the 1920s American society.
However, Fitzgerald's exploration of anti-Semitism is far more equivocal...
Described through the lens of Nick Carraway - the novel's narrator - the Jewish gangster Meyer Wolfsheim is a character subject to much discussion among academics.
Some say that the descriptions of Wolfsheim's illicit business dealings and over-focus on his stereotypical Jewish facial features ('small, flat-nosed') indicate an anti-Semitic prejudice from Fitzgerald himself.
Supposedly, upon hearing these accusations, Fitzgerald was outraged and offended, maintaining that Wolfsheim 'fulfilled a function in the story and had nothing to do with race or religion'.
Despite Fitzgerald's clarity in his convictions concerning the excessive frivolity, consumerism and modernisation of the 'Roaring 20s' (in America), in other regards he is conspicuously inconclusive.
Arguably, one of the things that makes Gatsby such a classic is its infuriatingly ambiguous nature - one which is not simply limited to the theme of race.
The intrusive narrative from the good-natured but unreliable Nick leaves the novel intriguingly open to interpretation.
Only one thing is definite: Gatsby's story is eerily reflective to that of Fitzgerald himself.
Both men desired a woman who demanded they be rich and successful.
Both men went off and obtained riches and success.
Both men's quests for love ended in their downfall.
Ultimately, the excessive power of imagination is what defeats Gatsby, not by any fault of Daisy's, but because of the 'colossal vitality' of his dream.
He, like so many of us in society, builds up such a utopian image of what he desires that the reality could never live up to his expectations.
However, if you as a reader must take away only one thing from this iconic novel let it be this: Fitzgerald does not seek to portray people who dream big as reckless.
True, the characters with ambition and tenacity (Gatsby, Myrtle, Wilson) all meet their ends.
But the lack of direction, purpose and excitement in the lives of the other key characters (notably Tom and Daisy) is, disputably, Fitzgerald's way of saying this:
If you haven't got a dream, you haven't got anything.
I personally couldn't agree more.
But that's my thing, isn't it?
I Aspire.
So why not take a risk, set huge goals, and have enormous dreams?
The alternative is living a life devoid of passion and lacking fulfilment.
F**k that! Is that really what you want?
Undoubtedly, Fitzgerald sought to critique a society in which the dreamers and believers were restrained by the privileged and entitled.
Did he count himself amongst the dreamers, who are everywhere in New York?
Or, perhaps, if the novel is a self-criticism as well as a societal one, Fitzgerald belonged to the group who - like Tom and Daisy - 'smashed up things and creatures then retreated back into their money'?
More importantly, would you say that this sort of restrictive society still exists today?
This quality of thought-provoking ambiguity is what has made 'The Great Gatsby' such a fervent topic of discussion for the last century.
There is little doubt that it will continue to be so for many centuries to come.
BOOM.
There you have it.
I won't post this sort of thing very often, I don't think.
Just something a bit different for you all.
Even if you aren't a New York Aspirer or a big Gatsby fan like myself, I hope you can appreciate the points I'm trying to make.
They're extremely relevant to your own growth, and can help you a lot.
But for now keep at it; keep dreaming and working towards those dreams, and remember that You'll Never Walk Alone.
Until the next time...
Alex (N.Y.A.)
Something Extra
This is going to be more of a two-part shoutout, and personal.
No tips or tricks today.
Four days ago, I had to say goodbye to one of my closest friends as he left England to fly to America, embarking on a four-year football scholarship and degree at a university in Maine.
I am so proud of him, and so excited for this new, incredible opportunity he has, which I know he's going to absolutely smash.
I was also gutted at the same time; I love him like a brother, and we've spent so much time together, shared so many great moments, that not being able to see him everyday anymore is heart-wrenching.
Make sure you value the closest people in your life, and treat them with all the love and affection they deserve.
You can never guarantee that they'll always be there.
I know this well.
Like most of us, I've lost loved ones, but I've also got someone who I don't get to see in person.
No, he's not in prison; he simply lives on the other side of the world.
England to Australia isn't a short or cheap trip, so we've only been able to be with each other in person a few times.
Until this Thursday.
As I write this, it's 12:07pm, on Tuesday, August 13th.
At 6:35am, on Thursday, August 15th, he's coming to England.
I'll be reunited with my fellow New York Aspirer (N.Y.A.), as he'll be staying with me and my family for around three weeks!!!
Excited is an understatement; together, we've been eagerly, impatiently, fervently counting down the days.
As it so happens, that same day he arrives will be when I get my A-Level results, and I'll know where I'll be spending the next three years of my life!
It should be a thrilling day; I can't wait to spend it with him, my family and closest friends.
Now, I also wish I could spend it with my friend who's just gone to America, and bring all the closest people in my life together.
That would be perfect.
But it's not always how things work out.
It's funny how things do work out, though...
Right now, as I continue down the page, my friend is enjoying the enchanting brilliance of none other than New York City, as he spends a few days there before he goes to university further north.
As we speak, he might be strolling down Fifth Avenue, or cycling through Central Park.
I wish he could've got to meet my friend from Australia, but - in a way - this sets things up nicely.
One day, sometime in the next four years, we can all meet in New York.
One flies down from Maine; the other up from Australia; me, from England.
I can introduce two of the most important people in my life to one another.
We Aspirers can touch our dreams by visiting that amazing city we will one day live in.
Bring on the future.
Comments