The Great Gatsby and the Classiness of Love
Introduction
Perhaps the concept of love is one of the most important thing that each of us are about to discover and explore. It underlies a myriad of emotions and transcends all odds and possibilities. Most of the time, our actions depend on the underlying emotions that accompany our perception and views on love. Sometimes, it is just enough to just feel love and not try to speak about it.
According to Gondim (2006), love is many things, such as the protective love of a mother for her child, the passion of a couple newly in love, the deep love of long-term companions and the divine love of God, to name just a few. Some cultures have 10 or more words for different forms of love, and poets and songwriters always find myriad aspects of love to celebrate (Gondim 2006).
It has been reported that there are many kinds of love which are induced by a varied collection of motives, and romantic love is probably the most intricate of them all (Gondim 2006). The first reason for this is that romantic love does not seem to follow many of our decision-making rules, for a person can fall in love with anyone, at anytime, and without any precedents (Gondim 2006). The second reason is that the concept of romantic love has been developed to some extent intrinsically related to the very meaning of human life (Gondim 2006). The last reason and maybe the most important is that love generates an astounding rush of adrenaline, which is a rapturous sensation of being out of control, like endeavoring in a great and unique experience (Gondim 2006).
In this paper, the concept of love in the 1920s will be discussed, as to how its idea and perception were applied during that time. Its significance will also be examined by reference to the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald entitled “The Great Gatsby”.
Highlights in “The Great Gatsby”
The story of the novel revolves around the lives of the characters, in relation to the life, achievement and the past of Jay Gatsby. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story becomes involved with the troubles and issues in the lives of his friends in New York in the year 1922. He also becomes one of the closest people to Gatsby, and discovers his secrets and the reality regarding his wealth. The highlight of the novel is the love story of Gatsby and Daisy, which somehow becomes significant to other characters in the story. Nick’s role in the story is crucial for Gatsby would not have been able to proceed with his plan of winning back Daisy without his help.
The significance of the story is the importance of loyalty and fidelity to spouses, not only because of the society’s high regard for the concept and the idea of love, but also because of the huge responsibilities and tasks underlying marriage and family.
The novel also gave emphasis and importance on the pursuance of dreams of the characters and the fulfillment of each character on their roles and responsibilities in their family and community. Though the novel in general discusses the “dark side” of marriage, such as committing adultery and infidelity towards the spouse, it serves as an awakening to the readers that marriage entails a good deal of responsibility. The novel also points out the value of money, in terms of power and influence.
The Concept of Love in the 1920s
It has been reported that human societies have idealized love for a long time, and the historical development of the concept of love in western societies has followed some kind of periodical fashion throughout the centuries (Gondim 2006). Greeks and Romans perceived love as some kind of interesting force, which had no connection with marriage (Gondim 2006). Courtly love, in the pre-renaissance period, promoted the idea of romance and it included particular concepts, which were unique to a man/woman relationship (Gondim 2006). This kind of love is considered as a challenge and virtue by knights, but still there was no relationship with marriage (Gondim 2006). With the development of the church, the concept of romantic love was now restricted and in turn, lust is viewed as a transgression for the society (Gondim 2006).
Moreover, according to Gondim (2006), modern romantic love developed through the balance of couple relationships, the concepts of free marriage and equal rights, and the idea that romantic love could be possible in any relationship. In fact, dating started around the 1920s as an innovative approach to partner selection and premarital relationships became more open, intimate and practical, as being promoted through books, novels, movies and the television (Gondim 2006).
From these facts, it can be deduced that love took up a not so conventional perspective in the mentioned eras and period. This gives us an idea that love can be expressed in different ways without relating it with marriage and having a family, as opposed to the idea of love in relation to the teachings of the Church. During the 1920s, love became liberated and expressive, and with this, the expression of more liberated and amoral ideas became more pronounced. The practical and liberal expression of love led to a larger issue, the sexual revolution. It has been reported that the sexual revolution in the US traces its history to Margaret Sanger in the 1920s, who was the founder of the Birth Control League, which later became the International Planned Parenthood Federation (Smith 2002). In addition, Sanger identified the objective of her promotional activities as “unlimited sexual gratification without the burden of unwanted children”, and promoted the rights of women “to live, to love, to be lazy, to create, to destroy, and that the marriage bed is the most degenerative influence in the social order (Smith 2002). She also promoted legal abortion and infanticide and the use of birth control through many publications and speaking engagements (Smith 2002). Another figure that emerged in the society was Isadora Duncan (1900-1927), who became a symbol of flaming feminism with her free love and unwed motherhood stances, and claimed that sexual love should be ecstatic for women (‘The History of Love and Sex’ 2002).
As an effect of the partial emergence of capitalism during those times, the new age of romantic love grew, leading to the increasing divorce rate in America (‘The History of Love and Sex’ 2006). The increasing divorce rate in America reflects not the failure of love but the increasing refusal of people to live without love and happiness (‘The History of Love and Sex’ 2006). Moreover, it has been reported that love patterns of all modern societies were replaced by America’s model because so many people were drawn to the romantic love style that combined sexual outlet, affectionate friendship and family functions, all in a single relationship (‘The History of Love and Sex’ 2006). Effect also includes the fact that romantic attraction not only became desirable, but also became the only acceptable basis for choosing a lifelong partner (‘The History of Love and Sex’ 2006).
Furthermore, romantic love was made possible by capitalism and the industrial revolution, for with romantic love, the sexual desires of both partners could be satisfied within marriage (‘The History of Love and Sex’ 2006) leading to the realization that all the compassion and pleasure related with love go hand-in-hand with household responsibilities and child rearing. This is in proving the idea that romantic love was the most difficult and complex human relationship ever attempted, but the most appealing and satisfying (‘The History of Love and Sex’ 2006).
From these, it can clearly give us the idea that the concept of romantic love during the 1920s paved way to the emergence of other concepts in the society. Our conventional perception of love and romance gradually shifted to a much more practical and liberal perspective, which is crucial in relation to the various social and morality issues arising today. The awakened and the open minds of many individuals during those times, such as those mentioned, were essential contributors to what is happening to our society at present.
Connection of the Concept of Love to the Novel
The novel highlighted and emphasized that because of Gatsby’s undying love for Daisy, he was able to amass a large amount of wealth and establish a good reputation in the society. This is to impress Daisy and persuade her to come back to Gatsby. The concept of love during the 1920s has become the catalyst for Gatsby’s expression of love and affection to Daisy. In this novel, love is the driving force for Gatsby to become even a bootlegger just to achieve his dreams and be able to reach Daisy. Love becomes the sole source of Gatsby’s inspiration and energy to continue with his life, even if he knows of Daisy’s marriage to Tom.
The concept of love in the 1920s as discussed earlier is very evident in the novel. This has been shown from the adultery of Tom and Myrtle, and the relationship of Daisy with Gatsby. The practical and liberal expression of love during this era has led the couples to commit such acts in the society. Through this expression of love and views, the expression of sexual desires toward each other also became very evident. In this era in the United States, many are able to express their lust and attraction to one another, even at the expense of their family. With this, it can be deduced that the regard of many individuals for morality has decreased. This phenomenon is alarming, for during those times, many are influenced by the Church and the faithful life. Many individuals are conservative and conventional, but because a number of individuals were able to express their opinions regarding sexual revolution and unconventional love, the concept of love, sex and alcoholism have changed also. These not only promoted sexual satisfaction for both men and women, but also information and knowledge regarding sex. However, these increased knowledge not only produced positive effects but negative ones as well. The expression of love through sex is now crucial for the emergence of other social issues such as population explosion, abortion, legal separation, and adultery to name a few.
Conclusion
The concept of love in the 1920s has presented us both advantages and disadvantages, which could make or break our society. Like in the novel, the concept of love during their time became a catalyst and the sole driving force for each character to commit their faults to one another. This lead to sexual revolution, which is a very powerful concept influencing many individuals to do their acts of passion and sexual desire. It gave each individual in the society to express their opinions regarding love and sexual desires without any hesitations or pretensions. It also gave each the chance to improve on their performance, increase their knowledge and explore the possibilities of finding their perfect romance. Similarly, it has also given the society tons of problems, such as sexually transmitted diseases and other social and moral issues. With these, our sense of responsibility must be much stronger, because for any action, there is a corresponding reaction.
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