American Dream is dead in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The American Dream is dead. This is the main theme in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. In the novel Fitzgerald gives us a glimpse into the life of the high class during the roaring twenties through the eyes of a moralistic young man named Nick Carraway. It is through the narrator's dealings with high society that readers are shown how modern values have transformed the American Dream's pure ideals into a scheme for materialistic power and further, how the world of high society lacks any sense of morals or consequence. In order to support this message, Fitzgerald presents the original aspects of the American Dream along with its modern face to show that the once impervious dream is now lost forever to the American people.

The main qualities of the American Dream presented in The Great Gatsby are perseverance and hope. Another famous characteristic of the American dream is the idea of success against all odds. This is shown through the life of James Gatz, who focused all his attention to living the dream and becoming an American hero. Ever since he was young, Gatz worked hard on becoming a great man. This is documented in Gatz's copy of the adventures of Hopalong Cassidy, who was another romantic American figure. While showing this journal to Nick, Mr. Gatz professed, "Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he's got about improving his mind? He was always great for that." (Pg. 175) James Gatz connection to the American dream is further illustrated by the fact that his program for self-improvement is right out of Ben Franklin's Autobiography, right down to the smallest details. The content of the schedule and what it was written on sho! was
two more of the qualities that are part of being an American hero: hard-working ambition and a thirst for adventure.

The product of all of James Gatz's hard work is the longing Jay Gatsby, who epitomizes one of the main characteristics of the American dream: everlasting hope. Gatsby desire to win Daisy's love is his version of the old American dream: an incredible goal and a constant search for the opportunity to reach this goal. This is shown when Gatsby is first introduced into the novel. It is late at night and we find him "with his hands in his pockets… out to determine what share was his of our local heavens." While Nick continues to watch Gatsby's movements he says: "-he [Gatsby] stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock" (Pg. 21-22) The green light that Gatsby reaches out for symbolizes his longing; his longing for Daisy, for money, for acceptance and no matter how much he has he never feels complete. This green light is part of the American Dream. It symbolizes our constant searching for a way to reach that goal just of in the distance, as Nick described it, "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms farther…. And one fine morning-" (Pg. 182) Gatsby's goal gave him a purpose in life, which sets him apart from the rest of the upper class. He is constantly chasing his dream of being with Daisy, from the moment he stretches toward her house to his finial days of life when he patiently waits for hours outside her house even though she has already abandoned her affair with him. Gatsby is a man who has all of the purest traits of the old American hero, hope, perseverance, hard working ambition, and a thirst for adventure, but he loses them by wearing the dream's modern face.

F. Scott Fitzgerald credits the destruction of the American Dream to wealth, privilege, and the lack of humanity that those aspects create. Money is clearly identified as the main culprit in the dream's death. It becomes easily entangled with hope and success and replacing their positions in the American Dream with materialism. This is shown through Gatsby's use of illegal practices and underground connections to make money. His lavish parties, huge mansion, and giant collection of clothing all represent his corruption. His use of status and privilege is demonstrated when his traffic violation is ignored by the police officer. But the worst qualities of the dream's modern face are evident in Tom and Daisy Buchanan, who live without any hopes or regrets because the foundation of their character is money and wealth. Nick describes the Buchanan's as such: "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made…" (Pg. 180-181) An example of the Buchanan's carelessness and lack of regret comes when Nicks runs into Tom one last time. When confronted with Gatsby's death Tom merely responds "I told him the truth…What If I did tell him? That fellow had it coming to him" (Pg. 187) Even though Tom admits to the fact that he is responsible for Gatsby's murder and Wilson's suicide, he continues to claim innocence because he has never known guilt or shame as a member of the established elite. This upper class is shown to be made-up of heartless citizens who have achieved success at the cost of dehumanization and the selling of their souls.

There is a sense of hopelessness at the end of the novel to prove that the purity of the American dream is dead with Daisy's baby, Gatsby's death, and Wilson's suicide all examples. The first hint of tragedy begins at the introduction of the Buchanan's daughter. When the girl is brought into the salon Nick observes an obvious disturbance in Gatsby's attitude and thinking, "Gatsby and I in turn leaned down and took the small reluctant hand. Afterward he kept looking at the child with surprise. I don't think he had ever really believed in its existence before." (Pg. 117) Daisy then calls her child an "absolute little dream", crushing all of Gatsby's hopes of recreating the past. Then the replacement of the American dream with materialism is pointed out moments later when Nick and Gatsby try to discern the charm in Daisy's voice. At that moment Gatsby says, "Her voice is full of money", and Nicks reaches a revelation about society: "That was it. I'd never understood it before. It was full of money-that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it…. High in a white palace the golden girl…." (Pg. 120) With this revelation all of Daisy's charm and beauty is stripped away and only money is left to be admired. Gatsby then realizes that his dream he has been pursing is not that of love but of money hidden behind a human face. Afterwards, When Gatsby dies, any chance of the old American Dream of surviving in the dehumanized modern world id destroyed with him. All of the hopes and dreams that strengthened and uplifted Gatsby are shattered as he lies in his pool, dazed and confused about the world he is living in and about to leave. After shooting Gatsby, George Wilson, the symbol of the common man who is trying to achieve his own success in the modern dream, commits suicide. The deaths of both the rich and poor man trying to achieve their goals symbolize the death of the old American Dream. The dream is now completely lost and can never be restored. Through the tragic story of Jay Gatsby and his failed attempt to reach his dream, F. Scott Fitzgerald also describes the tragic death of American values. The characters in The Great Gatsby are mere examples of Fitzgerald's message- the old American dream and all of its pure ideals have been replaced with money, greed, and materialism. Nick Carraway conveys this message as an outsider, an honest man from the mid-west who witnessed the whole affair as an observer. The Great Gatsby is not about the life and death of James Gatz, but about what James Gatz stood for. It is about the life and death of the old American Dream.

Diaspora

Introduction:

Diaspora (Greek, “dispersion”), is a term used for large scale migration of people from the country of their origin to other countries, either voluntarily or due to economic or political compulsions. When we speak of the Indian Diaspora we mean Indians settled in England, America, Africa, and the Caribbean. Similarly one can discuss the Caribbean Diaspora to England, Canada and France. Diaspora studies also became an academic discipline. In literature too the text composed of such displacement constitutes the Diaspora Literature.

Characteristic Features of Diaspora Literature:

      Displacement: “Over all the world  Men move undoing, and eternally
Concerned: a swarm of bees who have lost their queen.”---- Christopher Fry (1907 - ) British playwright. Venus Observed.

 Displacement, whether forced or self-imposed, is in many ways a calamity. Yet, a peculiar but a potent point to note is that writers in their displaced existence generally tend to excel in their work, as if the changed atmosphere acts as a stimulant for them. These writings in dislocated circumstances are often termed as exile literature. The word “exile” has negative connotations but if the self-exile of a Byron is considered, then the response to that very word becomes ambivalent. If a holistic view of the word “exile” is taken, the definition would include migrant writers and non-resident writers and even gallivanting writers who roam about for better pastures to graze and fill their oeuvre. World literature has an abundance of writers whose writings have prospered while they were in exile.

      Multicultural identities: Since no human society exists in complete isolation, different societies also exchange and share culture. In fact, all societies have some interactions with others, both out of curiosity and because even highly self-sufficient societies sometimes need assistance from their neighbors.  The study of world literature might be the study of the way in which cultures recognize themselves through their projections of ‘otherness.’ Where, once, the transmission of national traditions was the major theme of a world literature, perhaps we can now suggest that transnational histories of migrants, the colonized or political refugees - these border and frontier conditions - may be the terrains of world literature.

   

      Diaspora and Utopia: While some writers have created fictional places that embody their ideal societies, others have written satires that ridicule existing conditions of society, or anti-utopia, which show possible future societies that are anything but ideal. The diasporic production of cultural meanings occurs in many areas, such as contemporary music, film, theatre and dance, but writing is one of the most interesting and strategic ways in which diaspora might disrupt the binary of local and global and problematize national, racial and ethnic formulations of identity.

   Hybridity: The concept of cultural hybridity, in which an individual’s physical self and cultural self can be two different halves of the same whole, is a uniquely American phenomenon. Asian American authors such as Chang-Rae Lee and Eric Liu have been among the most active in developing this theme. No doubt diaspora and hybridity in cultures of the diaspora community pave the way for the formation of Diaspora Literature.

      Historical Understanding: The history and cultural influence of books also became a subject of scholarly study. Literature is a useful resource which provides an understanding as to how settlements were established, illustrates the daily conduct of trade, explores the relationship between diverse people and also depicts the conflicting and heartrending emotions felt by a particular migrant community.

Diaspora Writers- A Brief Survey:

      Ahad Ha-am, pseudonym of Asher Ginzberg (1856-1927), Russian writer, immigrated to England in 1906, living there until 1921. His writings, concerned with the problem of the Jewish peoples dispersed throughout the world, express his belief in the desirability of a Jewish homeland in Palestine based upon the common cultural and ethical heritage of the Jews. Ahad Ha-am wrote a collection of essays, At the Crossroads (1895; trans. 1913), and a collection of letters, Igeroth (1923).

      Jhumpa Lahiri: Although Jhumpa Lahiri has never lived anywhere but America, India continues to form part of her fictional landscape. As most of the characters have an Indian background. India keeps cropping up as a setting, sometimes more figuratively, the memory of the characters. In her Interpreter of Maladies the story remains attached to India. All of the central characters in the title story suffer from the feeling of alienation. The Das family is a visitor to India and theirs are the passage to the heart of India. It is more a journey of introspection, expurgation and purification.In fact, the Das family is asunder and they are mechanically living with individual goals. However, such is not the real chemistry of love. Despite of this, the wife likes to patch up her wound so to refresh herself in familial bond. Her journey to India and thereby meeting Kapasi and telling him her agonized heart is itself a journey to happiness. Thus, India and Kapasi both are metaphoric presentation of solace and peace for the Das family. India has become a metaphoric presentation of peace whereas Kapasi for interpreter of agony.

      Salman Rushdie, British novelist of Indian descent.

His notable books  The Satanic Verses (1988) ,The Ground Beneath Her Feet (1999), Grimus (1974), Midnight‘s Children (1981), and Shame (1983), The Jaguar Smile (1987), and in 1990 his children’s book Haroun and the Sea of,

The Ground Beneath Her Feet (1999) and Fury (2001) etc.

Grammar Quizz 2

1. She -------------------- the railway station before the train came.
a) had reached
b) has reached
c) reached
d) was reached
2. His uncle does not --------------------- here.
a) live
b) lives
c) living
d) lived
3. Peter ------------------------- editing this magazine for twenty five years by next January.
a) will be
b) will have been
c) is
d) would be
4. Peter --------------------- two wickets before rain interrupted play.
a) took
b) has taken
c) had taken
d) had took
5. I ----------------------- him twice before he left for New York.
a) saw
b) have seen
c) had seen
d) seen
6. Edison ---------------------------- newspapers before he became a famous inventor.
a) sold
b) had sold
c) was selling
d) had been selling
7. In my youth I ------------------------- exercise every day.
a) had taken
b) took
c) was taking
d) had been taking
8. She --------------------- for Delhi this evening.
a) is leaving
b) was leaving
c) have been leaving
d) had left
9. Heat ---------------------- bodies.
a) expanded
b) would expand
c) expands
d) is expanding
10. We --------------------------- living here since 1990.
a) were
b) are
c) have been
d) had been
11. We ------------------------- here for ten years now.
a) lived
b) have lived
c) had lived
d) were living
12. Did you ------------------- him?
a) seen
b) see
c) saw
d) were seeing
13. Nobody will ever ----------------------- what happened to her.
a) know
b) knew
c) had known
d) be knowing
14. I could ----------------------- her if I wanted to.
a) have married
b) marry
c) married
d) be marrying
15. Does she ---------------------- what she is doing?
a) knows
b) know
c) knew
d) had known

Answers

1. had reached
2. live
3. will have been
4. had taken
5. had seen
6. sold (= used to sell)
7. took (= used to take)
8. is leaving
9. expands
10. have been
11. have lived
12. see
13. know
14. have married
15. know

Grammar Quizz

1. We ----------------------------- waiting here for two hours.

a) have been
b) has been
c) are
d) were

2. We ------------------------- them yesterday.

a) visited
b) have visited
c) had visited
d) was visiting

3. He ----------------------- from London last week.

a) has returned
b) have returned
c) had returned
d) returned

4. See that you ----------------------- for the meeting in time.

a) will come
b) come
c) would come
d) came

5. They will come if we ------------------------ them.

a) invite
b) will invite
c) invited
d) would invite

6. I --------------------- to Tokyo recently.

a) had been
b) went
c) have been
d) was

7. The doctor concluded that the man ------------------------ killed ten hours ago.

a) had been
b) was
c) has been
d) is

8. I ----------------------- waiting for his reply for two weeks now.

a) have been
b) has been
c) had been
d) was

9. The train ------------------------- by the time we reach the station.

a) will leave
b) will have
c) left
d) would

10. Every morning, I -------------------------- the paper.

a) will read
b) am reading
c) read
d) was reading

11. When I visited him he --------------------- bed-ridden for two months.

a) was
b) has been
c) had been
d) were

12. I -------------------- school last year.

a) left
b) had left
c) leaved
d) was leaving

13. There --------------------- a famine in Bengal in 1982.

a) was
b) has been
c) were
d) had been

14. Akbar -------------------------- the Moghul power paramount in India.

a) had made
b) has made
c) made
d) would make

15. John has ---------------------- home.

a) went
b) go
c) gone
d) going

Answers

1. have been
2. visited
3. returned
4. come
5. invite
6. went
7. had been
8. have been
9. will leave
10. read
11. had been
12. left
13. was
14. made

15. gone