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There are not many interpretations of The Great Gatsby sadder than tragedy. The novel is plagued with many instances of tragic elements as Gatsby develops. Gatsby seems to come from nothing and nowhere or as Tom calls him, “Mr. Nobody from Nowhere” (Chapter 7). His guests do not recall who he is or why they know him. Nobody can place exactly why Gatsby is even wealthy. Gatsby accounts for his wealth to Nick, “I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West—all dead now” (Chapter 4) but Tom accuses Gatsby stating he has other sources that claim Gatsby “sold grain alcohol over the counter” (Chapter 7) which means Gatsby is a bootlegger and a criminal. This claim does not seem to be enough proof to show why Gatsby is wealthy as this is a small-scale crime.
Gatsby’s rise in status is a testament to the novel being a tragedy. But it is not only the rise but also the fall of Gatsby that suggests the novel is a tragedy. Gatsby’s rise seems unlikely and somewhat unprecedented in the world of the wealthy. While Gatsby is new money, his rise in prominence within West Egg and East Egg testifies to his rise being unprecedented. He comes across as an early celebrity with his parties and his reputation. A news reporter comes to visit Gatsby because he heard Gatsby’s name in the office. Nick surmises, “Gatsby’s notoriety, spread about by the hundreds who had accepted his hospitality and so become authorities upon his past, had increased all summer until he fell just short of being news” (Chapter 6) meaning that Gatsby was a local celebrity in his own right. The very next chapter begins, “It was when curiosity about Gatsby was at its highest that the lights in his house failed to go on one Saturday night—and, as obscurely as it had begun, his career as Trimalchio was over” (Chapter 7) as Gatsby believes that his parties were not worth it. He saw that Daisy did not enjoy his parties and he quit throwing them. This was the start of his fall as he lost his reputation and thus lost all other people.
The last element that ties together the novel as a tragedy is Gatsby’s death and the circumstances surrounding that. He dies from isolation. He reached his pinnacle and then his fall was his undoing as he had no one in his corner. Nick realizes how lonely Gatsby had been after his murder leaving Nick with no one else, “I found myself on Gatsby’s side, and alone” (Chapter 9) and Nick finds himself pretty lonely again at the funeral because “Nobody came” (Chapter 9). Gatsby’s self-imposed isolation at his parties and subsequently his inability to have Daisy left him with no one. But in his moment of true isolation after literally everyone has left him in his peace, he is shot by Wilson.
There are many Kpop songs that relate to each aspect of the interpretation of The Great Gatsby as a tragedy. The supergroup BTS has a similar beginning story to Gatsby as they came from oblivion to being catapulted into the spotlight and have only grown bigger.
The first song Anpanman seems similar to Gatsby’s rise from nowhere as BTS does not know what they can offer their fans other than their music. The lyrics, “I’m not a superhero/Don’t expect a lot/I can be your hero” (Genius) is like how Gatsby does not have any background, all he has is wealth. Gatsby does not have the reputation or inherited money that the old money people do. He had to make his own path but through scrupulous means.
The second song that reminds me of tragedy is Sea in which BTS talk about their own hardship in their career. The line that reminds me of Gatsby is the chorus where they say repeatedly, “where there is hope there is always trial” (Genius) because this chronicles the career of Gatsby. He came from nothing and placed his hope in his career and new status to get Daisy but the trials that came with this hope were that Daisy never once thought of him. His trials outweigh his hopes.
The last song is Whalien 52 which talks about the loneliness of the spectrum 52 whale as this whale cannot communicate with others due to its higher spectrum. The line “Lonely lonely lonely whale/Sing alone like this!” reminds me of Gatsby’s isolation and how he has nobody who truly hears him. However, Gatsby did not make an effort to branch out. The whale in the song does not want to be alone but it seems like Gatsby does not mind being alone.
The tragic interpretation of The Great Gatsby offers a sad glimpse into Gatsby’s life. He was destined for a tragic fate that his wealth did not help to thwart. Ultimately, Gatsby had a tragic end that aligned with every element of his already tragic life.
