e_crabapple t1_je886fd wrote on March 30, 2023 at 2:58 AM

Reply to comment by HauntedHovel in non United States folks: what do you think of The Great Gatsby? by Different-Carpet-159

Am American, so I'll jump in and try to explain the "romance and heroism" aspect -- it mostly hinges on how Gatsby reinvents himself from scratch. He started out as a nobody in the middle of nowhere, but a few years later he has a new name and a fancy swingin lifestyle, all of which he conjured out of thin air. He has no history to hold him down; he is that self-made man which seems to be irresistable to the American mindset. Plus, he has a romantic mindset, pursuing his lady love like some kind of poetic hero.

The novel of course puts a spin on this by having him "conjure all of that out of thin air" by cozying up to existing rich people, and then just straight-up crime. He then blows all his riches in the tackiest, dumbest way possible (the party scenes are supposed to be pretty over-the-top and ridiculous). Finally, even with all this in mind, his "lady love" is a good deal worse, which he is completely blind to.

Of course, a large number of people miss the point and enjoy the tacky and ridiculous displays of wealth completely for their own sake; most of the movie versions owe their success to this.

HauntedHovel t1_jear4r2 wrote on March 30, 2023 at 5:31 PM

Than you, that’s really interesting, because I think it’s true that I’m culturally trained not to see seeking wealth or status as heroic. People do it of course, but it’s not something you are supposed to draw attention to, so people have to find subtle ( and often hypocritical) ways to flaunt their wealth and power. And heroism is associated with selflessness, being flashy or ambitious is kind of contradictory to the concept as I learned it.