Author: Davis Keator Page 1 of 2

In my project, I sketched a picture of Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) as an Arrow Collar advertisement. The Arrow Collar figure—originally drawn for Brooks Brothers shirts—was the ideal Jazz Age man, appearing in countless magazines and shaping the image of the wealthy, fashionable elite. I chose to draw Gatsby in this style to show how he presents himself as an advertisement, carefully curated to fit the mold of the ideal man. He shapes his identity around the lives of others in the upper echelons of society, using style and persona to fake his old money status.

In my research, I sourced an article describing the origins and cultural implications of the Arrow Collar style. Thomas Dilworth’s journal article explores how the persona was created and affected 1920s perceptions of masculinity, wealth, and ideals. By examining these ideas, readers understand how fashion and societal trends influence Gatsby’s persona, both within the 1920s setting of the novel and in the century since its publication. Gatsby’s identity relies heavily on the Arrow Collar style: the well-dressed, affluent, and culturally idolized masculine figure of the 1920s. Daisy’s iconic line in Chapter 7: “You always look so cool… You resemble the advertisement of a man,” alludes to this archetype, highlighting the materialistic values that dominate their society. Gatsby puts on a costume in an attempt to win Daisy’s affection and assimilate into the upper class. The article raises the question of whether class can be bought through wealth or if it is something inherited, and it presents Gatsby and Tom as foils—one a self-made facade, the other a born aristocrat. In the novel, materialistic pursuits and images are everything. Gatsby uses this Arrow Collar style as a façade, hiding his true identity and pretending to be like the character in the famous advertisement.

As an Advertising major, this idea stood out to me. It connected directly to what I’ve learned: advertising doesn’t just sell products—it sells an image, lifestyle, and in Gatsby’s case, the American Dream. Gatsby’s false demeanor functions in the same way. He markets himself as a product designed to appeal to Daisy and high society, but this image is hollow. His charm is illusionary, not authentic. Daisy’s compliment confirms this, reflecting how advertising convinces consumers that something is desirable not for what it is, but for the image it represents.

Nick captures this as well, describing listening to Gatsby as “skimming hastily through a dozen magazines.” The metaphor underscores Gatsby’s glamour and mystery, but also his lack of depth. Like a glossy magazine, his persona is all surface—polished, curated, and empty. This illusion draws people in but offers no real substance beneath.

Unbeknownst to Daisy, her remark encapsulates how a society obsessed with wealth and consumerism distorts love and identity. Gatsby’s life is deliberate, calculated to construct an image that fits Daisy’s world. But in doing so, he becomes a phony—lonely, hollow, and doomed. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby’s downfall as a critique of superficiality and the materialistic corruption of the American Dream, revealing the rot beneath the glittering advertisement that Gatsby is.

This idea represents my 21st Century Great Gatsby because the pursuit of personality and societal acceptance through materialism, style, and appearances remains deeply embedded in American culture even 100 years later. Social media aesthetics, celebrity fashion trends, advertising, and rampant consumerism place all of us in a position similar to Gatsby’s. The far-reaching implications of style influence more than just fashion—they reflect the condition of individual pursuits and identities. Just as Gatsby crafted a façade to gain love and acceptance, people today often construct carefully curated images to fit societal ideals. In both eras, the image takes precedence over authenticity, revealing how the illusion of success can mask inner emptiness.

1925: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby captured an image of the United States in an age of industrial, capitalistic, and political boom. The Roaring ’20s economy depicted in the novel highlighted a new American Dream, no longer rooted in imperialistic growth, individual values, or a shared vision across the nation, but one that revolved around individual pleasures and the accumulation of wealth. Fitzgerald created a story that exhibited the nation’s religious and ideological transformation—where previous Dreams and idols were replaced in the name of progress and profit.

The novel does not exist in a vacuum; it was written during a period when capitalism had shown its face as the ultimate culture shaper, forming a new American identity. The separation of church and state had created a spiritual vacuum, unfamiliar to any major world government, eventually filled by a devotion to capitalism. The characters in the story—Jay Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy Buchanan—all represent worshipers and martyrs of the capitalistic faith, sacrificing themselves for wealth, prestige, and status. Fitzgerald wrote this to be a broader commentary on American cultural foundations, acknowledging not only current issues but their historical catalysts.

The excesses of Gatsby’s decadent parties are emblematic of the United States’ history, beginning at the intersection of economic ambition and spiritual yearning. Fitzgerald saw through the dazzling imagery of wealth within his own time and created the novel to contribute to the ongoing concern over the morality and cost of progress within the country.

In the century since the novel’s debut, the warning Fitzgerald issued has only been made more clear for Americans. The book remains not only a reflection of an era but of the entire span of American history. It is a testament to the damage of the United States’ decision to pursue wealth over progress and the moral values derived from religious beliefs and moral convictions missing in capitalism. 

Having recently amended my thesis for the upcoming research paper, below I will explain my claim and what I plan to do in the essay.

Title: God, Gold, and Gatsby: American Capitalistic Worship

This idea is based upon a synthesis of my previous interests in advertising, cultural analysis, political identity, and religion—and the research shall explore the intersection between capitalism, religion, government, and the American Dream as represented in The Great Gatsby. I initially wanted to write about the effect of advertising within characters/society in the novel but zoomed in my lens to specify the issue to American religious systems. What’s most fascinating is how Fitzgerald seems to predict how the separation between church and state would progress based on his assumptions of wealth as an object of worship in American culture.

I chose this topic because I am fascinated by how religion has shifted in recent decades—less focused on spirituality and more on material success, political power, and self-branding. This could be compared/seen in governmental strategies used by politicians such as Donald Trump or Paula White—spreading messages like the prosperity gospel or agendas within Project 2025. We see echoes of this in Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of status, and in the rituals of wealth he employs to gain access to elite society. My interests in advertising and cultural trends of the 1920s will help guide this paper, comparing those dynamics to our modern political, cultural, and spiritual realities.

Some questions I would focus my paper on include: How has the concept of commercialism evolved since the Gatsby era, and how has it influenced American governance, identity, and values? Why do Americans seem to worship wealth more than other cultures—is it a result of our economic systems, secularism in government, or national myths about self-made success? How does the desire to “fit in” or project status function almost like a religious ritual? Has capitalism created a faith system around “faking it until you make it”? What are the enduring differences between old and new money—and does it still matter? Do Americans pursue the American Dream with the same intensity and belief as they once pursued religious salvation?

I will collect this research by analyzing annotations and facts from articles and books, organizing them by key themes and arguments. I look forward to examining historical documents such as the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, The Wealth of Nations, and other ideological and economic texts to provide historical context and grounding for my claims.

Title: Advertising Gatsby: Commercialism, Capitalist Facades, and the Illusion of the American Dream

This idea is based upon a synthesis of my first essay, a blog post, and a cultural exploration—and the research shall explore the intersection between advertising, identity, and the American dream as represented most notably by Jay Gatsby in Fitzgerald’s novel. Gatsby is not merely a character—but a self-fashioned product, commercialized to the public through displays such as lavish parties, flashy clothes, and the illusion of wealth. As an advertising student, I enjoyed viewing the connection between Gatsby and how his falsified identity mirrors marketing tactics. He does this by building a brand image for himself, selling dreams and fantasies, and sustaining a facade of genuine generational wealth. The 1920s also represents a fascinating era of commercialism with the boom of expanding capitalism and advertising, so I would like to connect Gatsby’s character to how commercial ideals shape self-perception and societal values. 

This topic is more relevant than ever to today’s popular culture, as we are well-acquainted with the strategies and effects of product advertising. I wanted to show this topic to readers and delve into the psychological effects of associated identity with commercial products such as fashion or lifestyles such as houses, trips, etc. The project will examine how Gatsby fits into an American consumption culture, examining our inherent and continuing obsessions with appearances and wealth. 

Some questions that I would focus my paper on include: How did advertising, fashion, and commercialism influence Gatsby’s identity and status? In what ways does Gatsby serve as an advertisement for the American Dream, and how does this lead to his downfall? How has the role of commercialism evolved since the 1920s, and how might Gatsby’s persona translate into modern capitalist standards? What are the consequences of “faking it until you make it”? How did perceptions of old money vs. new money shape social hierarchies—did this influence commercial culture and do they still?

Currently, the media scene is plagued with remakes, sequels, franchise series, and unnecessary adaptations and continuations of beloved classic movies, TV shows, and books. Disney is the main perpetrator for these remakes, creating remakes of classics such as Aladdin, Cinderella, Mulan, Lady and the Tramp, The Jungle Book, 101 Dalmatians, The Lion King, Sleeping Beauty, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid, and Pinocchio. Most of their iconic films. These adaptations have been met with varying reviews, with some fans enjoying them and some not understanding the need for a remake.

Snow White, the most recent of these films, is dubbed as one of Disney’s greatest commercial failures. The movie gathered a 1.6/10 rating on IMDb, earning less than half its original $250 million budget. It has been criticized for many factors including the casting of the main actresses, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, for their polarizing political statements on topics sensitive to viewers such as the war between Israel and Gaza. Additionally, there were many creative liberties in the treatment of themes regarding the race of characters, feminism, and power, love, disabilities such as dwarfism, and rebellion. These points of contention have swayed viewers and critics to dub the film as being too ‘woke,’ a title that many of Disney’s remakes have gotten.

But how has this culture of remakes affected our perceptions of classic literature such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby? Seemingly not as dramatic or public as is for Disney, but newer adaptations to the classic novel have been following similar revisions. The 2022 adaption, Beautiful Little Fools, by Jillian Cantor accompanied by similar novels such as The Chosen and The Beautifulby Nghi Vo and Nick by Michael Farris Smith join the conversation about rewriting a classic for the sake of accommodating contemporary diverse audiences, aiming at a different target than Fitzgerald. These novels involve contemporary issues such as struggles with racism, sexuality, abortions, and feminism, rewriting Gatsby for the modern reader.

Though most of these novels seem well-received and worlds more original than a Disney live-action movie could be, they seem to me to be ill-intentioned. Why touch a beloved classic that needs no revisions? It is a classic for a reason and if authors see the need for a specific modern topic, why not create their own characters and worlds for that issue. Understandably, Fitzgerald had biases and personal opinions in the world and characters in The Great Gatsby. He lived a much different life in a much different world than most of his modern readers. I believe in viewing similar works of literature as products of their times. The lapses in contemporary political correctness were not thought or cared for in his original, so why do we care to correct or expand upon them 100 years later? To me, it seems silly. And I’m not sure if these modern adaptations have genuine, good-hearted approaches to rewriting the novel, but seem to follow similar trends to the major media conglomerates such as Disney—aiming to expand upon previously successful and beloved classics to enlarge their profits and viewership.

The Great Gatsby provides many societal and political discourses from the Jazz Age United States and in a similar fashion, reflects certain aspects of the political landscape of today’s United States. The most obvious example is the recently reelected President of the United States, Donald Trump. 

As the most scandalized president in modern times, and arguably the most Tom Buchanan-esque, Trump represents many similar traits relating to excessive wealth and privilege, an effort to support established hierarchies, moral corruption, dazzling social status, and idealized lifestyles. Trump’s upbringing is one of continued wealth and privilege similar to Tom’s; inheriting his father’s trust fund, Trump emerged as a successful real estate and business mogul boasting an impressive portfolio of properties and becoming a famed investor. When he dipped his hands in politics, without having any prior official government position, and after much successful campaigning, Trump was voted the nation’s 45th president in 2016 and more recently, as the 47th president in 2024. 

His personality and stance regarding several positional issues and moral fallacies are some of the many reasons why his opposers claim he is a selfish and careless person, similar to how Tom Buchanan is described in The Great Gatsby. Many of the most prevalent connections relate to his racial views, sense of entitlement and selfishness, treatment of women, and image. 

Tom Buchanan’s character is tainted by his personal views on infidelity, cheating on his wife Daisy with Myrtle throughout the novel; similarly, Trump has faced criticism for his private infidelities and sexual assault violations, reflecting a patriarchal mindset in his personal life and policies related to abortion, etc. His many policies proposing special treatment to the ultra-rich, including a tax cut for individuals above a certain wealth bracket, appointing billionaires like Elon Musk to oligarchical institutions and newly-created political offices, and lacking policies that support the middle class all reflect his selfish interests to upkeep and broaden the wealth gap in the nation. This is similarly reflected in The Great Gatsby’s depiction of excessive spending and the power and influence that money affords characters such as Tom Buchanan. It grants a high level of immunity from punishment or receiving the effects of their actions. In Trump’s case, famously being the only criminal elected President of the United States, boasting a staggering number of criminal cases and inciting an attack on the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021, he did not face any charges or convictions. These scandals not only cost him nothing but elevated his campaign much more in the eyes of his voters. 

Many Conservative extremists who may be similar to Tom Buchanan enjoy the concept of upkeeping archaic hierarchies, patriarchy, racism, xenophobia, etc, all in the name of protecting themselves. This is reverberated many times throughout Fitzgerald’s depiction of a fractured and distracted American society, eerily reminiscent of our own today. Because of this and many other reasons, I deducted a similarity between the feature players in the MAGA era of politics and Gatsby era society. 

When Charli XCX, a British pop star known for her electronic dance-pop music, debuted her sixth studio album BRAT in June, the album quickly blew up within my generation on social media. The album was on repeat in my ears all summer—not just for its experimental, catchy beats, but because it was personal. Interestingly, the same feelings surfaced when I was reading and studying The Great Gatsby.

Dovetailing off previous blog posts connecting The Great Gatsby with current pop culture trends, I realized many similarities between Fitzgerald’s novel and Charli’s recent album. The most notable parallel is their shared glamorization of party culture, with themes of hedonism, flashiness, excess wealth, and substance use. BRAT is a love letter to the pursuit of fun and exhilaration, yet beneath that surface, it offers a sharp critique of today’s influencer culture and the political environment that encourages distraction and burnout. Charli’s lyrics weave together irreverent, indulgent, and pleasure-seeking depictions of society, praising fame, rebellion, chaos, external validation, and wealth, while simultaneously exposing their emptiness.

This duality mirrors The Great Gatsby, where characters hide beneath dazzling but hollow lifestyles in pursuit of love, status, and the impossible American Dream. Much like Gatsby creates decadent parties to impress Daisy, Charli constructs an image of flashiness, deeply aware of how she’s perceived by others. Both works highlight the emotional detachment and isolation that excessive lifestyles can mask. Charli’s songs hint at burnout and emotional exhaustion, suggesting that beneath the glittering surface is a sense of inner anxiety and detachment. Similarly, Gatsby’s glamorous world crumbles under the weight of his unattainable dreams, ending in inevitable tragedy.

In the end, both BRAT and The Great Gatsby explore the consequences of chasing ideals—whether social relevance in the digital age or successfully achieving the American Dream. They expose how relentless pursuit can lead to self-destruction, revealing the emptiness that often lurks beneath curated facades of success. For me, experiencing BRAT and revisiting Gatsby became a way to reflect not only on art but how we shape our identities and confront the tension between authenticity and performance.

Recently, I have been enthralled by the third season of HBO’s The White Lotus. Each Sunday, I lie comfortably in bed and watch the latest installment of the series. The first and second seasons were among my favorites, and while rewatching and analyzing the plot and themes, I found many connections between the show and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby.

At its core, The White Lotus is a social commentary on the wealthy, but each season differs in its characters, locations, and subthemes. The show is an anthology, each season set in a different international branch of the luxury hotel chain, The White Lotus. The first season was set in Hawaii, the second in Sicily, and the third in Thailand. In this blog post, however, I will focus on the comparison between the first season and The Great Gatsby, as I believe it contains the most poignant parallels between the two.

The first season explores themes such as wealth, power, class divisions, and the lingering effects of imperialism. Much like the ending of The Great Gatsby, both Gatsby and the hotel’s powerful manager, Armond, are murdered—each death revealing a complex web of motives and power struggles. The season offers a sharp critique of overconsumption and social hierarchies. I drew a comparison between the way the working-class staff who served Gatsby’s extravagant parties were described as “floating” and the treatment of resort employees in The White Lotus. The entitlement and disregard exhibited by the wealthy guests toward the native Hawaiian staff highlight the deep discomfort of these class dynamics.

Setting also plays a crucial role in both works. Decadence reigns supreme—whether through Gatsby’s lavish parties or the resort’s lush, pampered environment—yet beneath the facade of beauty and success lies rot and corruption. All that glitters is not gold. Both The White Lotus and The Great Gatsby seek to expose the moral decay lurking beneath the idealized lives of the rich, revealing their corruption, immorality, and their role in perpetuating a toxic status quo.

Finally, both works emphasize the consequences of endless personal ambition. Whether in the pursuit of wealth, the American Dream, status, or desire, characters in both stories ultimately find themselves facing disappointment, destruction, or a lingering sense of emptiness.

Perhaps The White Lotus took inspiration from The Great Gatsby or maybe it’s because the issues shared between the two are prevalent as ever. If anything, it’s a testament to the quality and enduring legacy of The Great Gatsby. We still have so much to learn from it as our issues clearly have not been resolved yet. Engaging in media such as satire and social commentary is critical to examining the social injustices and future that our society will produce. The continuation of Fitzgerald’s legacy of ideas sees a bright and entertaining future in The White Lotus, a work of fiction, that to my hopes, will go down as a classic just like The Great Gatsby.

“You always look so cool… You resemble the advertisement of a man.”

I am currently majoring in Advertising, studying many subjects and skills related to product marketing. Because of this interest, this quote stood out to me due to my knowledge of advertising and because it confirmed something I had also thought of: comparing Gatsby’s facade to an advertisement.

Gatsby carefully crafted an image of himself as if he were a product to be admired by Daisy and accepted by high society. However, in doing so, he left his inner self hollow, superficial, and defined by an artificial persona rather than a genuine character. Daisy complimented Gatsby on this, calling him “cool.” A key purpose of advertising is to convince a customer that a product is “cool,” promising a desirable lifestyle rather than actual function—much like Gatsby.

His unknown inner self and mysterious past create an enigma that draws in Daisy and many other characters. Nick similarly picks up on this, stating at one point that listening to Gatsby was like “skimming hastily through a dozen magazines,” exemplifying the glamour and showiness of his carefully curated lifestyle while lacking substance or an anchor to reality. Magazines are often known for capturing the most glamorous celebrity moments—epitomizing the facade put on by the rich and famous to remain untouchable yet relatable enough to garner attention and desire.

Unbeknownst to Daisy, this comparison perfectly encapsulates the effect that a wealth- and consumerism-driven society has on romance and appearances throughout the novel. Gatsby does everything in a calculated manner. He tries to construct an image that is accepted by and consistent with the society Daisy belongs to and that he so desperately wants to join. Consequently, his pursuit of a life and personality that are not truly his leaves him a phony, alone, and ultimately a victim of society’s expectations and Daisy’s lifestyle. Fitzgerald uses this critique of Gatsby’s character and actions to highlight his overall disdain for excessive superficiality and the emphasis on wealth within the American Dream, exposing the erosion that lies beneath the shiny advertisement Gatsby represents.

Biblography

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. eBook #64317. Project Gutenberg, January 17, 2021. Online. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/64317/64317-h/64317-h.htm

Daisy Buchanan exists within a gilded cage. She is subservient to her husband, kept quiet by the luxuries he affords their family, and ignores the impact of his infidelity and terrible character. Her most important role in her home is to be a beautiful and lifeless trophy. She is expected to be the homemaker, the mother, and the moral backbone of the household, an image of delicate femininity.

Her only child, a daughter named Pammy, faces the same imprisonment that tortures Daisy. Pammy is a very minor character in the novel, mentioned only a few times, emphasizing her insignificance within the family. The only acknowledgment Pammy receives from her mother is when Daisy wants to show her off, dressing her up to create the illusion of ideal motherhood. In reality, Pammy is neglected by her parents.

Perhaps Daisy is such a negligent mother because she has no hope that her parenting will change anything, that her own misery will inevitably pass down to her daughter. Or maybe she believes it is futile to raise a daughter, knowing that in her home, Pammy will be nothing more than an object of affection, always inferior to Tom and his male counterparts. It could also be a reflection of Daisy’s nature: self-centered, hedonistic, pleasure-seeking, and irresponsible.

Pammy’s rare mention in the novel is best remembered from a single, infamous line: “I hope she’ll be a fool, that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald, p. 17). 

The readers are not aware of what will become of Pammy as she grows up, but we can imagine that she must face similar issues to her mother: loneliness, sexism, the weight of perfection and beauty, and the inability to voice her own thoughts. Fitzgerald uses the Buchanan women in his novel to highlight sexism’s rippling effects on generations of women.

Bibliography: The great gatsbybyf. Scott Fitzgerald. The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Great Gatsby. (n.d.). https://www.gutenberg.org/files/64317/64317-h/64317-h.htm