Modern Short Story Blog

One thing that remains constant in American Literature is its constant critique of American society and values.  The Scarlet Letter was critical of some of the Puritanical ideals and values Americans hold, Walden and Thoreau believed in independence from government and self-reliance, Great Gatsby showed the sins and victims of the Roaring 20's, Death of a Salesman critiqued the classic American Dream, writers and poets in the Harlem Renaissance wrote in part to support civil rights, and many short stories today expose the consumerism culture or poke fun of the participation trophy generation.  In short, American literature has always striven to improve America by exposing the parts of our culture that need improving.  However, despite this common goal between writers of critiquing society, the biggest change is that the tone of the literature has changed from a positive outlook to a more pessimistic view.  Scarlet Letter, although Hester Prynne is put through a lot of hardships, ends on a positive note with her redemption.  Whereas in Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, the "heroes" both end up dying with little retribution for them.  This shift in the tone of literature reflects the idea that America, while seen as so great, has many fundamental problems in its society.

American Values in The Great Gatsby

The American Dream (the non-satirized, non-caricature version around in the early 20th century) is about obtaining freedom.  That has been one of American's earliest ideals, and complete freedom-to not be burdened by any trials, debts, or hardship-was most commonly achieved through wealth.  Fitzgerald seems to say through the Great Gatsby that after people achieve this American Dream and don't bow to anyone else's whim, they keep looking for wealth, to the point where they have license-the ability to do almost anything with little repercussions.  Fitzgerald uses both Tom and Gatsby to show how their wealth grants them license:  Tom takes a mistress and often cheats on his wife with other women without consequence.  He even breaks Myrtle's nose.  Gatsby throws parties with alcohol in prohibition era and even while he was speeding through New York all he had to do was show a policeman his name to not face charges.  Fitzgerald's message is that the American Dream isn't about earning enough money to achieve freedom, but rather is about the chase for the unattainable goal of infinite wealth to achieve complete license.