Cut The Grass In The Great Gatsby

Similarly, Jay Gatsby physically alters the natural state of his surroundings to reflect his success. Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth is intrinsically linked to his infatuation with his past love, Daisy Buchanan, who he perceives to be a figure of high social status and success. Gatsby’s assets partly make up the setting of the novel, his “spanking new” mansion and its meticulously maintained gardens becoming his attempt at preserving the promises of the American dream, “the belief that every man, whatever his origins, may pursue and attain his chosen goals, be they political, monetary, or social.” Howard S. Babb mentions how this desire “to transform a natural phenomenon” (like grass growing) into “something artificial” quickly turns obsessive and nature soon becomes the target of his manipulations.

While Gatsby’s pruned lawn hints at his need for his appearance to match his perception of his class, Nick's freely growing grass represents his priorities in life and the need for imperfection to be content. He remarks on how “unnecessary” Gatsby’s need to “cut the grass” is and, with F.Keshmiri arguing that “Nick functions as Fitzgerald’s voice”, it is right to speculate that Fitzgerald is openly ridiculing the irrelevant acts that the upper class undertook to maintain an image of social and economic perfection by manipulating the natural world. The Gatsby character serves as an insight into the “scramble for wealth” that arose within the 1920’s following World War I, with American citizens (like Gatsby) coming to New Money. Parallels between Gatsby and Fitzgerald are now visible in how they both attempted to change their assets and surroundings in order to become socially and economically