The Great Gatsby
By F. Scott Fitzgerald
“’It takes two to make an accident (Fitzgerald, Page 58).’”
Already, the themes of the novel begin to develop and become evident. Through
Jordan’s simple phrase about cautious driving, Fitzgerald implies that the
social changes of the 1920s were a matter involving all people and the themes
of the novel were aimed at all readers.
During a period of economic crisis as the stock markets
crashed and social class became more definitive, Fitzgerald addresses the
growing issue of wealth and politics. Through Gatsby’s success gained by deceit
rather than honest work, Fitzgerald additionally presents a theme of lying and
trickery among the aristocratic and elite. Through the troubled relationships of the main
characters, Fitzgerald forces the reader to examine society’s morality and
perception of marriage. In addressing marriage, gender roles and expectations
arise. When dwelling in the past, Tom’s observations of the changes in society
and acceptable actions raises the themes of the role of the past and social
expectations. Additionally, in the presence of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, religion becomes an emphasized matter. The most prevalent theme, however, is the view of the American
dream. The decline in its expectations and achievability challenge Americans as
a society to look at their values and morals. Rather than selfishness,
Fitzgerald encourages friendship and loyalty, rather than deceit, Fitzgerald
encourages honesty and hopefulness, rather than wealth, Fitzgerald encourages
human interactions and relationships.
While these themes were initially addressed at the people of
the 1900s, the themes continue to be influential today as many of the issues
faced then still exist. The novel still challenges the reader to formulate
strong moral standards and to fix the problems of society. For, it takes more
than one person to make an accident and it takes more than one person to make a
change.
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