The Lasting Impact of The Great Gatsby

A Journey from Mixed Reviews to Cultural Icon

Despite initial mixed reviews, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has become a cultural touchstone. Critics initially dismissed it, questioning Fitzgerald’s status as a great American writer.

Although reviews were mixed, T.S. Eliot praised the book as a significant step in American fiction. Unfortunately, Fitzgerald died in 1940, believing his work had failed to make an impact.

Today, The Great Gatsby‘s exploration of the American Dream resonates strongly, inspiring numerous novels, movies, and plays, and shaping portrayals of the wealthy and famous.

The Novel’s Vision

The novel gained popularity when the US military distributed it to soldiers during World War II. Over time, it became a staple in American classrooms, bookstores, and libraries.

Fitzgerald’s vision for the novel, as outlined in a letter to his editor, Maxwell Perkins, was to create something “new, extraordinary, beautiful, simple, and intricately patterned.”

Film adaptations, particularly the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow and the 2013 adaptation featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, have significantly influenced modern perceptions of The Great Gatsby.

• Fashion houses like Ralph Lauren and Prada have released Gatsby-inspired couture.
• Musicians such as Jay-Z and Lana Del Rey have composed tracks about wealth, luxury, and romance.
• Restaurants, hair styling products, chocolates, and even a website generator bear the Gatsby name.

Materialism vs Idealism

The novel’s themes often get overshadowed by its glamorous portrayal. Critics argue that the focus on Gatsby’s extravagant lifestyle has obscured the book’s true intent.

Maxwell Perkins explained that Fitzgerald wrote the novel to highlight the tragic situation of people confused by their ideals, unable to distinguish good from bad.

Fitzgerald conceived Gatsby as a character following an evil path unknowingly, worshipping false gods, and accumulating wealth through any means necessary.

The novel offers an acute portrayal of class barriers and raises questions about meritocracy in America.

Critiques and Adaptations

Feminist critiques often point out the novel’s shallow depiction of women characters like Daisy and Myrtle, who are portrayed as objects of male desire with limited agency.

Recent theatrical adaptations, such as the one by London’s Scar Theatre Company, featuring a female Jay Gatsby, challenge the book’s gender dynamics.

Despite criticisms, The Great Gatsby remains relevant due to its examination of a society that has confused material enterprise with moral achievement.

Modern Relevance

The novel’s dark portrayal of dreams and their impact on ordinary, beautiful, and damned characters resonates today.

Themes such as the dark side of dreams, careless people causing destruction, and the confusion of material enterprise with moral achievement remain relevant.

Fitzgerald’s lush prose, inspired by Keats, continues to captivate readers, despite the modern preference for a plain style.

Influence on Other Authors

Authors like Rebecca Makkai and Amor Towles have been influenced by The Great Gatsby.

Nghi Vo, Jillian Cantor, and Michael Farris Smith have used the novel as a source text for their own works.

The theme of wealth and its effects on people resonates worldwide, as seen in Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians.

Economists have also been inspired by Fitzgerald, with the Gatsby Curve demonstrating the relationship between inequality and social mobility.