Something struck me these past few weeks watching the political circus we have somehow found ourselves in: I've read this before.
In the 1920s when F. Scott Fitzgerald was writing
The Great Gatsby, the United States was being turned upside down. On one hand we had unprecedented wealth and opportunity for a large number of people; on the other, a horrific rise in racism and xenophobia in response to increased immigration and small advancements for African-Americans during the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration.
This darker side of America is encapsulated in Fitzgerald's character of Tom Buchanan. Tom, the rich polo player who has never had to work for anything in his life, nevertheless laments the way he sees America heading:
"Civilization's going to pieces," broke out Tom violently. "I've gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things. Have you read 'The Rise of the Colored Empires' by this man Goddard?"
"Why, no," I [Nick] answered, rather surprised by his tone.
"Well, it's a fine book, and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don't look out the white race will be--will be utterly submerged. It's all scientific stuff; it's been proved." [. . .] "--And we've produced all the things that go to make civilization--oh, science and art, and all that. Do you see?" (12-13).
Tom sees the "other" as threatening his way of life, his rich white male privilege. For him, that hatred doesn't just extend to immigrants and people of color, it also extends to anyone whom he sees as being "beneath" him. Tom ultimately destroys lives, mirroring the very real violence that happened to people who dared strive for a dream that others deemed exclusively for the white elites.
Flash forward to the 2016 Republican Convention:
"I ask you to go back through history and figure out, where have these contributions been made by these other categories of people that you're talking about. Where did any other subgroup of people contribute more to civilization?"
This time, we're not listening to a fictional character, but Congressman Steve King (R-IA) speaking to Chris Hayes on live television. Tom Buchanan has been reincarnated, but hasn't learned anything. Not long before this, David Duke, the former KKK Grand Dragon, announced that he was going to be running for senator because Donald Trump agreed with many of his ideals and made those ideals "acceptable." If these two were the lone voices bemoaning the state of America, no one would think anything of it. But they're not. As a matter of fact, they're indicative of a much larger racist and xenophobic faction in the GOP (and the United States at large) being spurred on by the Republican Presidential nominee. If you don't believe me, just watch
this (warning: graphic language and violence). And that's just a small portion on the vitriol being spewed toward anyone who doesn't agree with Trump's vision of "making America great again".
The GOP has turned Tom Buchanan into their poster child, willingly or not. We're not supposed to root for Tom, though: he destroys all the lives he comes in contact with and walks away unscathed. He's the dark side of America, the side we are supposed to be continually striving against, not give in to.
There is another option, though. Even if Gatsby is far from perfect, even if he has lied to get to where he is, everything his does, albeit imperfectly, is for a better life, that vision of the American Dream that dances in front of all of our faces. He pushes back against Tom Buchanan and his elitism because he knows Tom for what he is.
We all want more for ourselves and those we love, regardless of where we come from. And we have a very clear choice to make as voters. We can give in to hatred and bigotry and allow Tom Buchanan to win once again. Or, we can refuse to let his hatred define who we are and reach out for something better, even if it isn't completely perfect. In the end, isn't that green light ultimately worth fighting for?
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| Photo Credit: me |
*Quote taken from the 2004 Scribner Paperback Edition of
The Great Gatsby.
