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Essay: The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath – desire for the American dream

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Fictional texts are a window into an imaginative recreation of the world in which the attitudes and values are exposed. The classic, cynical, fictional novel, The Great Gatsby written by F.Scott Fitzgerald in 1925 retrospectively follows Nick in his journey as he observes his neighbour, Jay Gatsby, in his persevering attempts to attain the affection of Daisy Buchanan, the wife of Tom Buchanan. Written in first person point of view from the perspective of a Midwestern young man Nick Carraway, the novel explores the fallibility of the ‘American Dream’ and the deeply entrenched social welfare between classes. Set in 1922, the heart of the American Jazz age, post World War I, the novel acts as a portrait of the consumeristic American society, that encapsulates the obstreperous mood of a generation breaking the shackles of traditional values. During this time of dramatic, social and economic changes, America emerged as world industrial leaders. The introduction of new labour saving inventions and jazz music, led to the rise of consumerism and materialism. This fabricated a society associated with modernism, sophistication and decadence as Americans became notorious for their hedonistic values. The second text The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck in 1939 is about Tom Joad and his family being removed from their farm in the Great Depression era in Oklahoma Dust Bowl. They embark on a journey to California in search for a more secure future consisting of a job and land. It took place in the 1930s also referred to as the Dirty Thirties, characterised by hardships, depression and the suffering experienced by many Americans. Both texts explore the attitude of the desire to achieve the American Dream, the value of the importance of family and the development of the attitude of materialism though symbolism, similes, choice of diction, dialogue and metaphors.

Both texts explore the attitude towards the pursuit of the American Dream. Firstly, in The Great Gatsby, since it is set in the 1920s American society, the society was introduced into a world of glamour where many adopted the aspiration to achieve the American Dream. The American Dream is described as a belief that if you worked hard enough, you would achieve satisfaction and happiness. To Gatsby, the American Dream was his desire to reunite with Daisy, in which he owned a gigantic mansion and threw lavish parties where “men and girls came and went like moths” to fulfil his unrealistic dream of Daisy. The simile describing the people as “moths”, further encompasses vacuous and superficial nature of the guests as they are blindly attracted to things that bring them pleasure. She represented what he thought would bring him fulfilment and joy, which essentially is what the American Dream was all about. However this dream, has been deconstructed to be futile as it had turned to be an aspiration for wealth. This is evident through Jay Gatsby’s thwarted love for Daisy Buchanan. He is seen to be “reaching [towards] a single green light that might’ve been at the end of a dock”. The colour green is symbolic of the futility of the American Dream as well as Gatsby’s Dream towards obtaining Daisy. The colour green can also be symbolic for the envy for the people of the East Egg who didn’t have to work so hard to achieve what they had.  Gatsby is “reaching” for something which Nick describes as an “enchanted object” that is “not tangible”. The “reaching” is also symbolic for his yearning to be apart of the elite class where Daisy lives, but is also proven to be metaphorically unachievable as the gap between classes cannot be crossed. In contrast, the concept of the American Dream presented in the novel The Grapes of Wrath is much simpler, it included escaping from the hardships experienced from the Great Depression, in hopes of acquiring a job for a better life. As a result of the Dust Bowl, which was a sequence of severe dust storms that afflicted the society, the Joad family were steered away from their home forcing them to move elsewhere. The mother, Ma Joad describes the American Dream as a chance to obtain a full, good, rich life. Her encouragement and faith drives the family’s hope and determination that eventually things will get better soon. The Joad’s as well as the Oakie’s believe that through hardworking and honesty they can achieve the American  Dream. Rather than focusing on the material possessions and wealth, they desire the basic necessities of life including a house, food as well as security. Steinbeck employs   the symbol of a turtle to represent the struggle for survival as well as the pursuit of  the American Dream. The turtle is a metaphor for the Joads and migrants as the turtle is tough and strong willed. The turtle was “turning aside for nothing, dragging his high domed shell over the grass,” this symbolises the turtles slow pace and ability to overcome obstacles while carrying his home on his back. This is symbolic for the dispossessed migrants and the Joads family aspiration for the American Dream in which they have the strength to keep on going in hopes that one day they would reach their destination to achieve happiness.  However their home town, Oklahoma is described as being dusty, barren and lifeless, symbolising the death and withering of the American Dream. California is described as being “green” with fruitful valleys as well as the promised land, symbolising hope and the chance to achieve the dream

Additionally, both texts explore the value of family to some extent. In this case, the value placed on family in The Great Gatsby is not treasured. The Buchanan family is seen as disconnected as family is not important to Daisy or Tom. The fact that “Tom was God knows where,” Daisy‘s dialogue  shows that during the birth of his daughter,   he was having an affair with Myrtle instead , this shows his carefree nature and his lack of value towards anything important. Through Daisy‘s dialogue, she realises it’s a girl, as she hoped “she‘ll be a fool-that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world- a beautiful little fool,” this indicates that appearances were important and the sexism prevalent in the 1920s. Daisy is rather sad because girls were regarded as inferior within the patriarchal society. This captures society’s view on women and the emphasis placed on beauty, also revealing how Daisy  was aware of Tom‘s affair, and if she didn’t know she would be regarded as a “fool”. This also depicts how even though she knew about the affair, refused to do anything about it, as rather than marrying someone she loves, she is blinded by her desire for wealth and decides to marry Tom as he provides financial security. Thus instead of following her heart, she instead chooses wealth over love.As their daughter was taken care of by servants, this reveals the neglect  of care towards their own child and is only brought out so that Daisy could show her off. Tom and Daisy’s marriage is not seen as important, as both characters have affairs and are only with each other for the wealth they have. In contrast, the value of family explored in the Grapes of Wrath is very different. Their common goal to reach the American Dream, brought them united and closer together as a family as they journeyed west and endured the struggles they faced together. Ma Joad; the mother is the pillar of the family in which she keeps them  together as she displays acts of selflessness in order to protect and shelter her family from harm. She is described to be “the glue that holds this family together,” this metaphor reveals how she maintains family unity through her attempts to connect everyone together even in the times of crisis. When Tom suggests to split up for a while, Ma refuses and argues that “the money we’d make wouldn’t do no good…All we got is the family unbroken. Like a bunch of cows when lobos are ranging, stick all together. I ain’t scared while we’re all here, all that’s alive, but I ain’t gonna see us bust up.”  Through her dialogue she emphasises the importance of sticking together and survival through the unity they share. It also reveals how Ma‘s main objective was to keep the family together despite the many challenges they may face. The “lobos” represents the need for the family members to seek a job and because they have no jobs, it is metaphorically hunting down on the cows, referring to the Joad family. Although the Joad family may never find work, they still have each other no matter what.

Finally, both texts explore the value people place on money and as a result develop materialistic attitudes. In The Great Gatsby, after Gatsby and Daisy’s blissful reunion at Nick’s house, Gatsby wastes no time in displaying his ostentatious wealth to capture Daisy’s love. Gatsby appears to flaunt his wealth to Daisy, as he uses his ‘new money’ as a leverage in his attempt to imitate the life of a European aristocrat to be accepted into the elite class by consuming imported goods from England. This is particularly evident through his display of shirts as he “began throwing them.” The choice of diction of the “throwing”is emblematic of his tendency to exhibit his wealth as he is “throwing” luxury goods to show Daisy.  As a result of this, Gatsby manages to peel back Daisy‘s gill and self absorbed veneer to reveal a materialistic and shallow girl. She “began to cry stormily” at the piles of expensive English shirts which is indicative of how she is moved by Gatsby‘s display of wealth. Thus revealing how Gatsby has not unveiled Daisy’s love for him, but her love for materialistic goods.As well as revealing how Gatsby tried to grasp Daisy‘s love for the completion of the American Dream, however Daisy only loved the things he could buy with his wealth. Gatsby mentions how “her voice was full of money,” his dialogue suggests how he realises Daisy is infatuated as well as connected with money. Daisy is shown to be materialistic and is attracted to Gatsby for his newly-acquired money referred to as ‘new money’, in the same way, Gatsby is also attracted to her  for the status and money she portrays. As a result of the value placed on money, Daisy takes no consequences for her actions, as she believes money will solve everything. Even after Gatsby‘s death, Tom and Daisy are not punished as they “retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness…and let other people clean up the mess,” this indicates that  the Buchanans are so engrossed in their material items and money, it is used as an excuse to avoid responsibility in which they can get away with everything. This enables both Tom and Daisy to behave recklessly without concern, while others suffer in the failed pursuit of their dreams. The attitude of materialism affects their personalities to the extent in which they believe they are superior and have the ability to criticise others, whilst living selfish and greedy lives. Also having the mindset that their own happiness and success can only exist through their riches. Similarly, in the Grapes of Wrath, the bank owners were driven by their value of materialism and their own greed, in which they were inconsiderate towards the landowners and farmers and took their land away from them. Steinbeck personifies  the banks as “monsters” who feed on the hardships of the farmers and land owners, and the bank is said to be an unsympathetic entity created by men. The banks valued the wealth  in which “if a bank or finance company owned the land, the owner man said,“The Bank– or the Company–needs–and–wants–insists–must have–as though the Bank or the Company were a monster, with thought and feeling which had ensnared them.”  The landowners dialogue describes   the banks as a monster which used people to achieve their own needs and desires, he bank monsters fed on the payments, labour and the taxes of tenants and landowners and had an unquenchable thirst for wealth. The societies in which both novels take place unravel the misuse of wealth by both societies as well as the importance they placed on their wealth. The idea that “every man in a bank hates what the bank does, and yet the bank [still] does it… they can’t control it,” reveals how how the oppressive and  authoritarianism of the bank cannot be stopped as it was made by the powerful and wealthy. Also indicating how when there’s wealth there comes power.

Overall, Fitzgerald and Steinbeck, have both explored the attitude to pursue the American Dream through whatever means possible. In the Great Gatsby, it explores the how the value of family is meaningless and unimportant to them, and this is evident through the affairs they have and when it comes to looking after their own child. It also explores the value they place on money and how money drives them to become selfish and greedy resulting in reckless behaviour. The Grapes of Wrath explores the value of the importance of family and how through the many obstacles they face, through unity, they overcome these and carry on strong willed. It also explores the value the banks place on money as they too become greedy and take advantage of the hard workers.

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