Why has The Great Gatsby maintained a place in the canon of American literature?

Answer 1

The concept of the American dream is infinitely fascinating and ever-relevant, evolving over time; the general idea of chasing a dream guides almost every endeavor. When a meaningful theme joins forces with other important themes, evocative writing, impactful characters, and an interesting plot, it stands a good chance of weathering the proverbial test of time.

Answer 2

Hi -

This sounds like a "no-brainer" question - because Fitzgerald's novel, written in (and about) the moral degradation/ corruption of the "American Dream" -- in this case, in 1920s Jazz Age America -- has so many obviously wonderful qualities.

But it's actually a very profound question. At least I think so!

One test of a great novel, or great work of art in general, is that it bears repeated "visits".... Each time you read "The Great Gatsby," you find new, extraordinary things to admire. Fitzgerald's prose is "crystalline" for lack of a better term.... It "gleams" with both simplicity and complex nuance. The prose is almost a kind of poetry, it's so well crafted - and Fitzgerald's use of language is just amazing. His is a truly unique "voice" in American literature.

This novel is, on one hand, a portrait of America's 1920s Jazz Age...A reader finds him/herself in that time and place, in this case East Egg (actually Great Neck), Long Island, circa the mid-1920s. And yet! This book "speaks to" virtually any time in America. Why? Because Fitzgerald is not only describing the corruption to be found in a particular era, but also a "tragic" flaw, endemic to the capitalism-fueled American Dream. In The Great Gatsby, money - whether old or new -- is at the heart of that American Dream, and therefore the dream is tainted by the greed that can so easily creep into even the most well-intentioned capitalist life.

One aspect of "Gatsby" that is fascinating is how brilliantly (and subtly) Fitzgerald interweaves themes of the aspiration for "sparkling" wealth with the very basic, and beautiful, and more real, dream of love. Gatsby, the novel's protagonist, represents the former (and is therefore naively admired by his acolyte, Nick Carraway), but Gatsby fails in his quest for love - namely his quest to win over and marry Daisy. Gatsby fails in love, the only "dream" that really matters.

This is an extraordinary - and in it's way "difficult" novel. There are so many cross-cutting themes, and the way Fitzgerald chose to treat his subject is nothing short of brilliant.

I'd be happy to work with anyone who needs some help writing about this example of great American literature.