The Fall of the American Dream and the Tragedy of Love

29 August 2026 Preface The Story of a Green Light The novel *The Great Gatsby*, written in 1925 by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, is not merely a love story. It is the story of an era. This novel is a mirror of what is called the “Jazz Age”—the economic prosperity that arose in America after the First World War, the obsession with luxury, and the dominance of jazz music. Why is this novel important for those of us living in Switzerland? Because even while living in a country like Switzerland, rich in discipline and wealth, this book makes us realize that a person’s true happiness is not in money. The core of the story: The narrator of this story is Nick Carraway. He comes from the Midwest to the Long Island area of New York. There are two peninsulas/islands there. One is East Egg—where the old-money rich live. The other is West Egg—where those who have newly made money live. Nick’s next-door neighbor is Jay Gatsby. He lives in a very large mansion. Every weekend he throws lavish parties that hundreds of people attend. But no one really knows who he is. There are many rumors about him. Do you know why Gatsby is actually throwing these parties? To see again his former lover Daisy Buchanan, who lives across the bay in East Egg. Five years earlier, when he was poor, he fell in love with Daisy. By the time he went to war and returned, Daisy had married the wealthy Tom Buchanan. The green light burning at Daisy’s house across the water from Gatsby’s mansion is the novel’s most important symbol. It signifies his unattainable dream—his love and the American Dream itself. The psychology of the characters: 1. Jay Gatsby: Born into poverty, he changed his name from James Gatz and made money through illegal liquor trade. He is not a criminal; he is a dreamer. An innocent man who believes that money is the way to win back his love. 2. Daisy Buchanan: Beautiful and wealthy, but cowardly. She lacks the courage to leave the security that money provides. Nick says her voice is “like the sound of money.” 3. Tom Buchanan: The embodiment of the arrogance of hereditary wealth. A man who openly cheats on his wife. The fall of the American Dream: This novel questions the American Dream. The American Dream is the belief that anyone can get ahead if they work hard. Gatsby worked and rose. But the old-money rich never accepted him as one of their own. His money was “new money”; theirs was “old money.” Doesn’t this difference still exist across the world today, including in Switzerland? The ending of the story is tragic. Daisy, driving her husband’s car, hits a woman and kills her. Gatsby takes the blame. In the end, Gatsby is shot dead by the dead woman’s husband. Daisy and Tom leave town as if nothing happened. Fitzgerald shows that the rich always manage to escape. Why should it still be read today? Even after 100 years, this novel remains one of the world’s ten best novels. The film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, released in 2013, brought it renewed fame. The lesson it teaches us: You cannot recreate the past. You cannot buy love with money. Like steering a boat toward the green light, we move toward our dreams—but the current pushes us backward. Conclusion: *The Great Gatsby* is a warning. A life full of luxury and parties will not give true happiness. This book makes every Swiss Tamil realize that true love and honest hard work are what matter. “What is the similarity between *Ponniyin Selvan* and Gatsby?” Arivuppasi Media