“I wish for the Senate to be made of the Best Men in Italy not just the Richest Old Men in Rome”
I am currently rewatching Rome and this line from the character of Gaius Julius Caesar, inspired by the historical figure of the same name, resonated with me in relations to the realm of the Great Gatsby. This quote is in response to cries of outrage at the raising of a lowly plebe, a born free man of Rome, being given a place in the Roman Senate.
This line right here is the American Dream, the idea that all men could achieve the greatest of offices in a nation should they be deserving. However, like so many dreams and stories associated with this ideal the machinations of power and greed send this man, Lucius Vorenius, from this seat to a life of crime, depression, and self-loathing after the realm of politics costs him dearly.