It is both alarming and enlightening to learn the information that is offered in “The Maturing of F. Scott Fitzgerald” regarding the racist ideologies and practices that were prevalent in the early 1900s. It is upsetting to observe how deeply racism was ingrained in American society at that time. Several powerful figures promoted beliefs of racial superiority and advocated for immigration laws that were restrictive. As a sobering recap of how far the United States of America still had to go in terms of racial equality, the fact that these views were generally accepted and even incorporated in-laws like the Immigration Act of 1924 is an eye-opening development.
This information is instructive because it helps to place The Great Gatsby inside its historical setting, which is one of the reasons why it is enlightening. Fitzgerald’s use of Stoddard and Goddard’s beliefs in the book gives Tom Buchanan’s character and opinions on race and immigration new depth. (Fitzgerald 183). It also sheds light on the mode in which Gatsby’s hope of achieving social mobility and fortune is ultimately thwarted by the deeply established prejudices of the society in which he lives.
However, Fitzgerald’s use of Stoddard and Goddard’s theories in The Great Gatsby does not necessarily represent an endorsement of their beliefs. In reality, the work might be interpreted as a critique of the racism and classism advocated by these authors (Margolies 75). Tom Buchanan, who is linked with these ideals throughout the story, is portrayed as a crude and unlikeable individual (Stoddard 183). The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, is a member of the “new money” class, whose fortune is earned by hard labor and creativity rather than inheritance.
In conclusion, reading about racist views and behaviors that were prevalent in the early 1900s is, in general, an eye-opening reminder of how much progress the United States of America has made in terms of racial equality, but it is also an indication of how much more work there is to be done. It is essential to keep in mind that these concepts did not vanish from the world overnight and that, to this day, a significant number of people still uphold racist ideologies and contribute to the continuation of systematic racism.
Works Cited
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. East West Studio, 2021.
Stoddard, Lothrop. The Rising Tide of Color Against White World-Supremacy. Ishi Press, 2010.
Margolies, Alan. “The Maturing of F. Scott Fitzgerald.” Twentieth Century Literature, vol. 43, no. 1, spring 1997, p. 75. Gale Literature Resource Center, Web.