Compare and Contrast Essay

Disillusionment and The Great Gatsby

By: Cole Russell

In many ways, the feelings of disillusionment and isolation during the earlier part
of the twentieth century are still very similar to what is experienced today. There were events
taking place in the early twentieth century that gave rise to feelings of disillusionment, similar
to the way events currently happening which are also giving rise to these same feelings. The
skyrocket to wealth in the early twentieth century left people feeling disillusioned as they
watched the more meaningful things in life, such as close relationships with family and friends,
be replaced by the popularity and the fight for social standing. The wealth which was found
during the early twentieth century seems to have left people feeling at a loss for the more
important things in life, while the current struggles leave people feeling at a loss just to get by.
There are perhaps different circumstances and reasons behind these feelings of
disillusionment, but they are still very prevalent.
During the early twentieth century, much in the way of normal life was shifted during
the period following the first world war. Farming was no longer the main way of earning a
living. Women had entered the work force and had begun a true era of liberation, and many
people were prospering. As pointed out in Modernism and Experimentation, The middle-class
prospered; Americans began to enjoy the worlds highest national average income in this era,
and American inventions, such as the automobile, electric lights, radio, phones, and other
inventions were found in many homes. This was a time of great wealth for many people.
People became more flashy, but seemed to have less substance. In current times, the opposite
is seeming to bring rise to feelings of disillusionment. As is stated in Census: Recession Turning
Young Adults Into Lost Generation, We have a monster jobs problem, and young people are
the biggest losers. This, and other issues currently facing our nation, has left people struggling
to make due, much less the idea of achieving the American dream, which has also brought
about feelings of disillusionment in modern times.
This great wealth was portrayed in The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby has managed to earn a
great deal of money, with much thought of becoming wealthy in order to win the heart of an
old-time love, Daisy Buchanan. But, like many people of the early twentieth century found,
Nick realizes that the wealth provides things that look good on the surface, but have little value
underneath it all. The story illustrates the shallowness of this wealth, and Nick becomes very
disillusioned with this show. This is plainly illustrated when Nick realizes without resentment,
that Daisy hadnt sent a message or a flower (p. 174) at Gatsbys funeral. He also portrays the
meaninglessness of it all when he compares Gatsbys mansion to a factual imitation of some
Hotel de Ville in Normandy (p. 5). He is basically seeing this wealth being flaunted, as is made
clear by this quote. He is seeing this Hotel de Ville and feeling a bit perplexed and turned off
by its flashiness, wondering why this excess is necessary, and leaving him with a hollow feeling.
As for the disillusionment and isolation we face today, perhaps it comes from an
opposite end of the spectrum. Recently, unemployment has skyrocketed. Following a deep
recession that lasted until the middle of 2009, many of our youth that were traditionally of an
age to get married and start families, to find employment that would lead to their life-long
careers, are now finding themselves in dead-end jobs and still living with their parents,
postponing marriage and families. Marriages fell to a record low last year of just 51.4 percent
among adults 18 and over*and+ births declined 6 percent among 20 34 year-olds over the
two year period even though the number of women in this group increased by more than 1
million (Census: Recession Turning Young Adults Into Lost Generation). Perhaps in current
times there is disillusionment due to the fact that, as opposed to Gatsby and the wealth in this
group that made life seem in some ways too easy and somewhat meaningless, now there is a
struggle to find work and a way in which to support ourselves. People are delaying families,
homeownership has steadily declined, and other norms are changing. Many young adults are
essentially postponing adulthood and all of the family responsibilities and extra costs that go
along with it (Census report).
Although the circumstances behind the early twentieth century and recent feelings of
disillusionment may differ, the ideas of disillusionment are still prevalent today. Some people
may feel that in our current back to basics state, people are not feeling disillusioned as they
once were because there is not the excess that seemed to remove the more meaningful aspects
of life; however, in a day-to-day struggle situation, it seems to put people in the same sort of
frame of mind. The disillusionment of the American Dream seems to be even stronger when
there seems to be no way to achieve this dream, as recent events seem to predict, than it did
during the time of the story of The Great Gatsby, when it seemed almost meaningless in its
excess. It seems that perhaps a more balanced economic structure and economic standing of
people would allow people to rise above this disillusionment, and truly begin to enjoy living.