In 1925, Mr. Francis Scott Fitzgerald set off for Paris, France, to escape the imminent reviews of his new novel, The Great Gatsby.  In fact, by the time of his death in 1940, many readers had nearly forgotten his work, according to npr.org.  Yet,  a century after its original publication, the text has become a staple in many high school curriculums across the United States (US), and book manufacturers around the world print centennial editions of Mr. Fitzgerald’s “failure,” according to cbsnews.com.  Today, many literary critics deem his novel as the “Great American Novel” and a work that encapsulates the “American Dream.”

After the novel’s initial publication, The Great Gatsby only went on to sell less than 25,000 copies in its initial push and was soon forgotten by much of the public.  Mr. Fitzgerald would only go on to publish one more complete novel, Tender is the Night, before his death in Los Angeles, California at age 44.  Hence, he died believing that The Great Gatsby was a failure, according to cbsnews.com.  Dr. Cristina Baptista, Upper School English Teacher, Committee on Community and Belonging Chair, and Perspectives Advisor, spoke to the Upper School about the irony behind Mr. Fitzgerald’s notable novel.

“It’s ironic that a novel about failure was initially reviewed as such because perhaps we have more in common with those who strive and fail, desire and do not get, love and lose than we realize,” Dr. Baptista said.  “Because, here we are, 100 years later, reading Gatsby, discussing and writing about Gatsby, seeing it turned into countless film adaptations, referenced in songs, remade into a ballet and Carnegie Hall concert.  It is currently a Broadway musical.  It persists and reminds us to persist.”

It was not until World War Two (WWII) that the novel revived itself.  Publishers, book manufacturers, and librarians met in New York City and decided that the soldiers, sailors, and pilots serving in the war needed books to read.  They sent over millions of copies of different texts, including Mr. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. By 1945, the Armed Forces had received over 123,000 copies of The Great Gatsby.  In the years after the war, the novel only continued to increase in popularity, according to npr.org.

Narrated by Midwesterner Nick Carraway, The Great Gatsby reflects on the chaos, brokenness, and misdirection of the 1920s.  Moreover, it showcases the messiness of human nature and the shortcomings of the “American Dream.”  Rather than crafting “perfect” characters, Mr. Fitzgerald uses the flaws of each of his characters to reveal to readers that humanity is imperfect.  Dr. Baptista commented on the unapologetic humanness that Mr. Fitzgerald illuminates in The Great Gatsby.

“A novel about two Eggs, a pair of giant eyes, and a green light was published.  It was almost titled Trimalchio–the author’s choice.  It was nearly called Under the Red, White, and Blue.  Today, it is called the novel of the ‘American Dream,’ although it is, in the author’s words, more about a ‘dead dream.’  It is heralded as the “great American novel,” a novel that marks the Jazz Age; the Lost Generation and its post-Great War feelings of ennui, brokenness, and uncertainty.  It is a novel about deplorable ‘careless people’ and, yet, the author manages to write in such deliciously poetic, heightened and hopeful language, that it is hard for a language lover and a devoted reader not to fall in love with the words even as she begins to loathe the characters.”

Featured Image by Emily Shull ’25