Extorted Like a Dog

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The blind lead the blind in this world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Myrtle buys a puppy for her apartment. Through the use of allusion, symbolism and juxtaposition, Fitzgerald portrays a society in which gold is king and those fortunate enough to be wealthy, even if their characters are the same or even worse than those of others, are able to take advantage of those less wealthy than them. Therefore, the rich are able to swindle and control those less fortunate than them, hence scam the poor to satisfy their personal selfish desires. Fitzgerald uses allusion to refer to John D. Rockefeller and all that he stands for to jab at society's attitude of awe towards the rich. During the time the book was written, Rockefeller amassed his wealth in the millions, making him one of the three richest men in the world at the time along with J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie. Rockefeller never tried to hide the fact that he hated competition, viciously attacking and destroying all that opposed him. Through using vertical integration, bankrupting opponents, creating monopolies, and manipulating the market, Rockefeller exemplified the cruel, evil power the wealthy had on those less fortunate. However, Fitzgerald wrote that the “gray old man bore an absurd resemblance to John D. Rockefeller” and had “a basket, swung from his neck, [that held] a dozen very recent puppies.” Fitzgerald's description of the man essentially is a description of a homeless man trying to earn some spare change. By comparing this penniless hobo with the wealthy Rockefeller, Fitzgerald asserts through allusion that the wealthy are human just like everyone else, and can be better off or worse off than any common person. However, the penniless dog seller succee... ... middle of paper ... ... recognize the dilemma they are in, and hence serve as easy tinder for the wealth of the rich. This harsh cycle of the rich making their millions off the poor was not exactly a secret, nor was the use of the government as a supplement in making money hidden either. Fitzgerald decided to comment in his book about this relationship prominent throughout the Jazz age using allusion, symbolism and juxtaposition to try to inform the reader on this issue. The wealthy continue to get wealthier while the poor are continuously orchestrated by the wealthy in their excursions to make more money. In essence, this passage from The Great Gatsby about Myrtle's puppy is Fitzgerald's plea for economic reform, for the government to intervene with this public extortion. Only then will the poor be free of the oppression by the rich, and finally able to achieve their own American dream.

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