Blue Red & White Lie: An “American’s Dream”
Coined by James Truslow Adams, an American writer and historian, in 1931, the term “American Dream” stated that “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.” To this day, the desired “American dream” prevails throughout society: Driven immigrant parents desiring better opportunities for their children, young adults wanting to define their worth, and every American is affected. However, critics of Adams’ term have claimed that the so-called “American dream” is completely unattainable. By creating an imaginary society of elite socialites, Fitzgerald is one of these critics. Thus, in The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s use of color and diction argues that the idea of the “American dream” is, in fact, a narrative that instills a false sense of hope into ambitious Americans.
Using color as a symbol of ambition and wealth, Fitzgerald reveals the sense of false hope that the idolized “American dream” claims to bring. As Nick observes from the beach of Gatsby’s mansions, he fantasizes about the untouched lands that appeared in front of “Dutch sailors’ eyes—a fresh, green breast of the new world” (Fitzgerald 8). While the “green” paints the land as fruitful and untouched, the “green” also represents the unimaginable wealth that comes with this discovery. By describing the Dutch’s newly discovered land as “fresh, green,” Fitzgerald establishes the connection between wealth and opportunity in the Americas from the get-go. In reality, Nick could see “hardly any lights except the shadowy, moving glow of a ferryboat” (5-6). The single source of light of the ferryboat, contrasted by the surrounding darkness, alludes to Gatsby’s ambition for success—to break away from the financial hierarchy that keeps the love of his life out of reach. While the majority of non-upper class workers remain impoverished (relative to the elite society), for example, George Wilson, Gatsby successfully integrated himself with the socialite status. However, Gatsby did not realize that this opportunity to become self-sufficient had already passed, where “the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night” (16-17). Where Gatsby represents the light in the darkness, Fitzgerald erases this glimmer of hope by washing away Gatsby’s ambition with “the dark fields.” The heavy emphasis on darkness represents the reality that Fitzgerald hopes to paint: That while there are glimmers of hope to succeed, in light and green, the inevitable darkness that “rolled on under the night” will eventually take over. The idea of the “American dream” where ambition and hard work guarantee success will eventually reveal itself to be false. Thus, Fitzgerald's use of color critiques the false narrative of what the “American dream” entails, evident in Gatsby’s failure and Nick’s vision.
Fitzgerald additionally uses diction to argue that the desired idea of an “American dream” only instills a sense of false purpose in an already corrupt and elitist society. As Nick fantasizes over the land in front of him, Nick comments how “for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent…” (9-10). At first glance, the illustration of the explorers' “moment” seems to simply describe the joyous feeling of discovery. However, the cumulative adjectives that express the “moment” as “transitory” and “enchanted” allude to the fantasy that Nick conveys: For an idea to be “enchanted” seems hopeful, but this adjective subjects the “moment,” the idolized “American dream,” to be imaginary. While the “moment” seemed to be enchanting, this “greatest human desire” of opportunity is just that—an “enchanting” fantasy. And by referring to this enchanting moment in Nick’s world, the overarching American romanticization of dreaming is tied to Gatsby: the fantasy of achieving the “American dream.” Continuing, Gatsby’s fantasy vanishes like the “Dutch sailors’ eyes” (8), “the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night” (16-17). These two phrases of the “Dutch” and the “republic” imply Fitzgerald’s politicization of his message. The “Dutch” indirectly references the early Americans as a whole, and as a “republic,” Fitzgerald argues that the country in which power is held by the people fails as the “dark fields…rolled on under the night.” In this hierarchical society, a false sense of ambition is portrayed to the non-elites, where a lie is being told that hard work will inevitably lead to success. Nick’s narration ends with “it eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further” (18-19). The “it” referencing Gatsby’s hope to succeed, this sentence generalizes the painful yet realistic fault of the “American dream”; although opportunities to become an elite in society have and will never succeed, Americans purposely turn a blind eye to this reality. “We will,” in such a commanding tone, demonstrates the people’s inability to quit. This toxic positivity reinforces Fitzgerald's critique of the overall longing to achieve the impossible “American dream.” By opening up the dialogue to “us”, Fitzgerald demonstrates that this false narrative prevails to all: Gatsby, Long Islanders, and the reader alike.
In this fictitious world of hedonistic elites and the diligent, but hopeless common class, Fitzgerald displays the dangers of believing in the unfaithful idea of the “American dream.” Gatsby’s journey from a poor child to a wealthy socialite translates into the human innate desire to chase opportunities and become what each one of us defines as “successful.” However, Fitzgerald uses the stylistic devices of color symbolism and diction to argue that James Adams’ term of the “American Dream,” or how this term has been used in the context of the American people, are inherently flawed. Gatsby is only one of an uncountable number of stories that fall prey to the fraudulent “American dream,” prevalent in both Nick and Gatsby’s society and the society that Fitzgerald himself partook in. Overall, The Great Gatsby challenges the very foundation of the “American dream” where hard work will simply never ensure self-sufficiency, ultimately pushing Fitzgereald’s audience to redefine what true success means to themselves. Where Gatsby failed, perhaps we can thrive.