The Chosen and the Beautiful

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was published in 1926. As Ron Charles identifies in his review of The Chosen and the Beautiful, The Great Gatsby has “been passed off for decades as the ultimate interrogation of the American Dream” in its portrayal of poor boy Jay Gatsby’s quest to prove himself and eventually win over rich girl Daisy Fay” (Charles). Through the eyes of narrator Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald’s novel shows Gatsby’s attempt to lure Daisy away from her rich, well-born husband Tom through lavish displays of wealth and intimate moments of affection. He acquires his wealth quickly and illegally through bootlegging or illicit alcohol sales during the era of Prohibition (1920-1933), but nevertheless nearly succeeds in his plan of convincing Daisy to run away with him, until a fatal accident involving Tom’s mistress Myrtle Wilson sees Daisy fleeing back to the protection of her husband and Gatsby getting shot. For Nick, the narrator, who titles his story The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is a flawed, but sympathetic protagonist who shows that without the institutional backing of a good family and solid connections, the American Dream can only take you so far.