# 269: Gatsby
Story behind the Passage
Today I looked at the website of a colleague of mine from the U.S. Well, she is more of a successful role model in our business than a colleague. I looked at her work and I could see the American Dream behind it. What I mean is that every artist, I think, believes in it. Well, anybody can believe in it, of course, but I think, artists just have to. Otherwise, you will never even try to make it. Art is impossible in many ways. This is also why I came to think of The Great Gatsby today. There is hardly any novel in the U.S. which represents the myth of the American Dream that clearly.
For me, it is not a myth.
I cannot remember when I first read The Great Gatsby. It must have been in my first or second semester. I cannot even remember if we had to read it or if I read it because I wanted to. It is funny to now ask that question. Actually, if you look at today’s student generation from the perspective of a teacher, you always think that the students just do stuff for credit. As a matter of fact, I did that too. But there were still things that I did for pleasure. At least, this is how I fantasize about it now. Who knows if it is true.
Is the American Dream “true”?
For Gatsby, it is and it is not. He dies. Still, I do not think the American Dream has ever died. And it will never do so. Millions of people around the world still dream of going to the Promised Land just because of the dream. Maybe I will do so too at some point. I already did but not forever. Maybe this will change at some point. The only thing I know is that I have to go back there. I miss the U.S.. It is my country, the country that taught me practically everything. Above all, it has taught me who I am — who I can be.
Maybe it has not taught me everything yet.
My Learnings
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.” The green light stands for money and the American Dream in Gatsby. Even though Gatsby is beyond that at this point of the story, the light survives. This passage is from the last page of the book. I cannot remember all the details of the story and about his ups and downs with Daisy. This is how it usually is. I do not remember details but I remember observing myself while reading a certain story in the past. Maybe that means I was reading myself while reading the pages.
Who knows.
In any case, Gatsby believes in the green light, as the passage reveals, and so do I. And the reason? It is because as an artist and writer, you experience it. Just like the colleague I checked out today, you see how your work grows with every client. There might be signature projects and you do not even know it in advance. But you should not even care about it that much either. Every client you write for at the beginning is a signature client. You have to care a lot but you also have to let go — of outside expectations, of your own expectations, even of the client’s expectations. Otherwise, you cannot write. You cannot manage the project. Art demands discipline but at the same time, you need to be independent.
Even independent of yourself.
The green light is ahead and every artist chases it. Yes, this sounds too universal and essentialist — so be it. As you learn the rules of the game, you learn how to get closer to the light. Yes, some people die on the way. But I think, there are people who protect you. These people have reached the green light already and that gives you strength to believe in it too. Every project you do makes you experience the green light. It is not at the end of the tunnel, it is right there while you do what you love. This is amazing and I am not sure if I would ever have had the courage to do what I do if I had not tasted the American Dream many years ago.
Somehow, we are all Great Gatsbies…
Reflection Questions
1) What do you know about the “American Dream”?
2) Do you think that it is possible to “miss” the point when you actually reach the top, i.e., the point when there is no further improvement possible?
3) What does it mean exactly to “work your way up” in your job/profession?