Social Constructs of the American Society on the Narrative "The Great Gatsby"

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The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is a narration about an individual struggling to create an identity for himself that will elevate his status to that of a wealthy man of stature and hence realizing his American dream that takes the form of a woman he so desires to marry. It is, however, Fitzgerald’s characterization of the narrative’s protagonist, Jay Gatsby, and its unorthodox ending that creates conflicting ideas on the representation or misrepresentation of the American dream by the main character. A section of the narrative’s critics is of the view that Gatsby’s relentless struggles towards happiness represent the American dream, while a section of others scorns at his unsavory and shadowy activities which are perceivably unacceptable to the American cultural and social constructs. Jay Gatsby represents the American dream only at the point of winning back Daisy to whom he is so desirous but fails to uphold the American ideals of hard work, integrity, honesty, and equal opportunity as fundamental values in pursuit of happiness and thus his moral decadence erodes the nobility of his determination to live his dream.
The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald provides an intrinsic analysis of the social constructs defining the American society during the early 1920’s. The need for a dominance by the White community was at a high and the political wing of the time further exacerbated the situation by further calling for a review of the immigration law into the country where dreams allegedly turn into possibilities (Hermanson, 1). The analogy behind the American dream was not articulate or elaborate enough to those seeking asylum or assimilation into the country with the hope of a better life on how such ideals were achieved. The fruits of civilization in America created a perception about the nation’s fortunes and the ability to enhance a person’s life that would be revered and admired by many people within the country itself and the world at large. However, the benefits of civilization brought with them social constructs that divided the society on the basis of racial identities at the community level and valued social status classified by the accumulation of wealth, power, or recognition (Hermanson, 2).
Fitzgerald’s description of Jay Gatsby portrays an individual of undesirable character traits that the society abhors. He is perceived to be an adulterer and a highly corrupt individual who engages in criminal activities such as bootlegging and easily identifies with immoral people such as Wolfshiem. Wolfshiem confesses to Nick Carraway that he knew Gatsby was of fine breeding just after...