CHip Gatsby Podcast

In this podcast, the host explores the role of God and divine destiny in the life of Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. Despite not being overtly religious, Gatsby is influenced by these symbols throughout the book. His early life as a poor farmer's son and his encounters with influential figures like Dan Cody further reinforce his belief in his own destiny. The symbolism of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg's eyes also represents God's watchful presence. Overall, the book reflects the belief at the time that America had a special role in shaping the world's destiny. The host concludes by raising questions about the influence of religion in modern society and how it would be portrayed if The Great Gatsby were written today. Hi everybody, I'm your host Chip Furhman. Welcome back to the show. Let's get right into it with a question. In a time where, quote, much of the country's white middle and upper class Protestant establishment believed that America had a special role to play in the destiny of the world, end quote, how did Jay Gatsby view God in his own destiny? Knowing this, it would be no surprise if Gatsby conformed to the culture of his time and acknowledged his own destiny. The idea of destiny was undoubtedly relevant during his existence, especially for America's white middle and upper class, which he would certainly fall in. Even though it may not seem like he was a man of God exactly, I firmly believe that throughout The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the symbols of God and divine destiny play key roles in the life of Gatsby and reflect society at the time. Whether it was recognizing that he was a son of God at a young age, or leaving college to chase his dreams, Gatsby was influenced by symbols of God and destiny as they appeared throughout the book. Gatsby, formerly known as James Gats, had an interesting early life, to say the least. Coming from a poor family in a small Midwest farm town, young James was not exactly set up for success. Despite this, Gatsby was aware of his indifference. Quote, the truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Dade, Long Island, sprang from his platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God, end quote. As Gatsby grew up, God's influence on him only grew. From when he ran away at 16, to when he dropped out of college, to when he saved Dan Cody on his yacht, Gatsby was always led by God and his destiny. That leads us to the question, though. How is this concept of God and divine destiny represented in the rest of the book? Before we get into that, I have a couple of guests I'd like to bring on the show today. I'm hoping these guys can help give us some insight onto the early life of James Gats and provide some evidence of him following his destiny. With that being said, please welcome Mr. Henry Gatz and Mr. Dan Cody. Thanks for joining me today, guys. Mr. Gatz, to start off, would you mind telling me what James' childhood was like? I mean, we were just some dirt poor farmers from North Dakota. Nothing special. We never provided much for James as a young boy. At 16, though, he ran far, far away. So when did you know James was destined for greatness? Well, Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he's got about improving his mind? He's always great for that. Thank you for that, Mr. Gatz. Now, Mr. Dan Cody, did you also know Gatsby was going to be successful? And if so, when? Of course I did. That's why I left a legacy of $25,000 to him. You see, old sport, Jay Gatsby was bound for success. The day he borrowed a rowboat, pulled out the tool of me, and saved my life is when I found out he had something in him. As he grew up, Gatsby's own destiny was clear, and he followed it with determination. Quote, he stayed there two weeks, dismayed at his ferocious indifference to the drums of his destiny, to destiny itself, and despising the janitor's berk with which he was to pay his way through. End quote. So conforming to the expectations of society and taking the easy road, Gatsby's grand destiny is what forced him to make this tough decision to drop out of school. God's influence on Gatsby is apparent, but now let's take a closer look into another way that the symbol of God played a role, through the eyes of Dr. T.J. Ekelberg. Although they were mentioned earlier, the eyes of Dr. Ekelberg are most well described in the end of the book, when Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Dr. T.J. Ekelberg, which had just emerged, pale and enormous from the dissolving night. God sees everything, repeated Wilson. End quote. The way in which the billboard just emerges out of the night personifies it and reinforces the symbol of God always watching over. Similarly noted in the eyes of Dr. Ekelberg, a re-examination of the great Gatsby. Quote, the eyes brood changelessly of George Wilson's despairing mutter as he gazes at the eyes. You may fool me, but you can't fool God. End quote. This insight connecting the moment when George confronts Myrtle to the symbol of the billboard of Dr. Ekelberg's eyes brilliantly shows how even in moments where the billboard wasn't present, its godly presence was still felt and recognized by the characters. After further investigating the novel's connection to society, it is apparent that throughout The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the symbols of God and divine destiny influenced Gatsby in every facet of life and did in fact reflect the world of the time. During the time period in which Gatsby was growing up, many Americans believed that America had a special role to play in the destiny of the world. This belief is reflected in The Great Gatsby, with Gatsby's own destiny guiding him throughout life. Additionally, the symbol of God frequently represented as Dr. Ekelberg's eyes was reinforced in The Eyes of Dr. Ekelberg, a re-examination of The Great Gatsby. My research led me to a couple questions. How has the influence of religion and society changed since the 1920s? And if The Great Gatsby were written today, would God and destiny play a similar role in the book? I'll leave you guys to think about that. Thank you all for taking the time to listen to my podcast and I hope you learned a little bit about The Great Gatsby's connection to society.