Religion In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald, raised as a Catholic from birth, had religious influences unconsciously serve as a foundation for his mindset. Consequently, his work has religious elements embedded in his stories. Fitzgerald’s short story Benediction is one example of his stance on religion in the 1920s. In the short story, a young woman named Lois wishes to rejoin her lover, Howard but stops to meet her brother Keith for advice. Keith, soon to be Priest, catches up with her. Afterward, they attend a benediction service, where a group is blessed with the Eucharist, or bread and wine that becomes the body of Christ. But during it, she saw a vision, a presence that she believed was God. This religious experience did not waver her secular actions, as she

When Gatsby died in the pool, the wound from the bullet formed a red circle in the water as leaves clustered around his leg (Fitzgerald 170). According to Bernard Tanner’s interpretation, his death resembles a rose as, “In effect, the stream of Gatsby’s blood surrounds the leaves, tracing a perfect rose in the pool, the symbol of Christ” (Bernard Tanner). This is closely related to Jesus Christ’s death. The rose in Catholicism represents the blood of Christ, and the five petals represent the five piercing wounds on the crucifix. Fitzgerald’s usage of rose imagery in The Great Gatsby shows the influence Catholicism had on him. Having Gatsby’s death closely related to Jesus, while blasphemous in a way, shows his ties to his religion. He unconsciously used the imagery of the rose as a result of his previous experiences with Christianity. Another example of religious imagery is God’s all-seeing eyes on the Billboard of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. Furthermore, before the argument between Gatsby and Tom, the billboard is seen watching over them: “Over the ash heaps, the giant eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg kept their vigil.” (Fitzgerald 131). The eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg relate to God, as they are also described as all-seeing, such as in Proverb 5:21, “For your ways are in view of the Lord, and he examines all of your paths.” God is described as one who can

For example, in the last chapter of The Great Gatsby, the majority of Gatsby’s close friends and family did not attend his funeral. But Nick, the narrator, and Owl Eye, a frequent attendee of Gatsby’s parties, made an effort after his death. Nick went through inconveniences contacting others to come to the funeral. Despite this, Owl Eye was one of the only guests attending. Tanner suggests that their actions mirrored that of Joseph and Nicodemus after Jesus’s death, stating, “He and Nick, like Joseph and Nicodemus (John 19:38-40), attend the body while all others, those truly closer to Gatsby, remain away.” (Tanner). The story of John 19 recalls the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, and how only Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were the only ones to tend to the body after Jesus’s death (“Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus…. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.” (John 19:38)). Both parties have no fear to help Gatsby/Jesus even though others have abandoned them after their deaths. By presenting Gatsby as a Christ-like figure, Fitzgerald’s faith is highlighted. Similarly, the green light motif presents Biblical themes as well, particularly the Tabernacle in both Catholicism and the Old Testament. The Tabernacle served as a sanctuary for the Israelites, holding their ideals and God within.