The Last Dance

America is a game to be played. American’s enjoy the hunt and the thrill that it brings, more so than the ultimate reward that comes along at the end. This is mimicked in the fictional stories The Great Gatsby, “Starfood”, and “The Rich Brother”, where the characters struggle to accept the circumstances that result from loving the game.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is obsessed with improving his social status  and believes that Daisy will help him in doing so. The character Daisy Buchanan has a voice that is the defining characteristic of her persona. Her cousin Nick struggles to pinpoint the charm behind Daisy’s voice, but main character Gatsby asserts that “her voice is full of money” (120). Nick then corroborates this claim explaining there was “the jingle of it, the cymbal’s song of it” (120). Gatsby’s tone when he describes her voice shows confidence and wisdom, as if he has known of her wealth all along. This excerpt also exposes the true motive behind Gatsby’s infatuation with Daisy, as she is only part of the game and he enjoys the idea one day being able to own her. With money like Daisy has, comes social status. Therefore, initially, Gatsby believes that winning Daisy is his dream, as she is his ticket to the top of the social ladder, where he thinks he’ll be satisfied. 

Furthermore, Gatsby views Daisy not as a human love interest, but rather an object similar to a trophy that will serve only as a benefit to his persona. As Gatsby’s young early connection to Daisy is explained, it’s revealed that “it excited him, too, that many men had already loved Daisy- it increased her value in his eyes” (149). Gatsby’s excitement reflects the anticipation of chasing her for the next five years, and knowing eventually, she will be his. The fact that there are “many other men” lusting after Daisy, makes her a more valuable prize. Typically we talk about objects increasing in value, but it’s not as often that we say that about a person. Throughout the book, Daisy is referenced as having qualities of gold, which tends to increase in value with the market. Therefore, Gatsby objectifies Daisy by relating her to something that can be bought on the market or fluctuate in value. Furthermore, his excitement mimics how one feels before beginning a game and eyeing the prize that you are fighting to win. Therefore, Daisy is both literally and symbolically the prize that Americans like Gatsby strive to attain when living in America. 

Even though she is a human, not an object, Daisy and her suitors follow the principle of supply and demand, a very American consumerism principle. Daisy who symbolizes supply, is one of a kind, and the demand for her is high, making her value increase. The process of winning her over is more difficult, which intrigues Gatsby. Therefore, to Gatsby, it is not as much about winning the game and claiming the prize, but rather playing the game indefinitely that brings him the most joy.

Similarly, in the short story “Starfood”, Dade is continually chasing after the thief who comes into the store. The thief repeatedly steals, and each time Dade freezes up when he has a clear chance to catch her. As he explains, they “were looking into each other’s eyes when she walked out the front door”. Each time, this pattern is repeated where the thief's eyes prevent him from stopping her. In this excerpt the word “into” has significance because by peering into his eyes she is able to maintain control over him. Furthermore, every time  the woman steals, the woman “walk[s] out the door”, as if she knows that he won’t pursue her. There is no sign of struggle or guilt in her actions, making him want to catch her even more badly. So, he continually convinces himself that he will seize her next time, and the next time, and the next time, but it continues to happen with no arrest. Finally, Dade captures the woman, and initially, he claims that he “felt strong and good”. Yet, as he reaches the stockroom door, the act “flushed [him] with remorse”. The fact that he feels “strong and good” demonstrates his confidence in the decision, yet this is contrasted with “remorse”, a feeling that is consequential to regret. The direct contrast between these two feelings explains that it was never about actually catching the woman, but rather about the process of catching her.

The theme of playing the game is again repeated in the short story “The Rich Brother”. Throughout the whole car ride, Pete and his younger brother Donald bickered, with Pete continually disapproving of the choices Donald made. After finally getting fed up with the belittling remarks, Donald decides to leave the car before they reach the destination. Pete speeds away after releasing Donald from the car, “and in this way, smiling, nodding to the music, he went another mile or two and pretended that he was not already slowing down, that he wouldn’t turn back, that he would be able to drive on like this”. The tone that reads form this excerpt is full of regret and insincerity. The word “pretended” illustrates that Pete doesn’t want to admit the fact that he was wrong to let Donald leave, and it was unjust to treat him the way he did. He pretends because he knows that eventually he will turn back, but doesn’t want to own up to it quite yet. Therefore, for the duration of the car ride, Pete builds up to the consequence of his degrading comments, expecting to feel relieved with Donald leaving. Yet he is truly only doing it to play the harsh game with Donald and his feelings rather than to have Donald finally leave the car, as he instantly regrets finishing the game once the deed is done.

Playing the game represents the heart of American culture. The American game presents itself as a wonderful opportunity with rewards of luxury and bliss, but in reality, it doesn’t live up to its advertisement. Rather, Americans like Gatsby, Dade, and Donald discover that the true reward was the journey that led them there. I have noticed this concept reflected in my life as an American as I progress through my high school education. Living on the North Shore and going to a school like New Trier High School is a privilege in and of itself. New Trier prides itself on its well-known status and the opportunities it brings out of highschool. Still, in my opinion, the true value has come what I’ve learned so far in my experiences and what lessons I have been able to take away. I have been exposed to life skills that I can carry with me for the rest of my life, and I find this to be much more valuable than a short term reward for finishing high school. From these various forms of literature, I’ve learned that rather than wait for my diploma and the supposed opportunities, I need to take action now to maximize my journey and the things I can take away from it.