How The Great Gatsby Predicted Modern Society
Love, ambition, and chasing dreams—has anything really changed?
🔥 What you’ll find in this post:
🌟 The fascinating characters of Gatsby's world and their modern equivalents
💔 Why Gatsby’s tragic love story is still relatable today
💵 How social media makes us all chase the "green light"
Imagine this: Jay Gatsby, the mysterious millionaire, posts a photo of his mansion on Instagram, tagging it #AmericanDream. Daisy Buchanan, the ultimate “it girl,” shares a reel of her lounging by the pool with cryptic captions about heartbreak. And Tom Buchanan? He’s ranting on Twitter about how “real men” are losing their place in the world.
Sound ridiculous? Maybe. But The Great Gatsby isn’t just a story of the 1920s—it’s our story, too. In a world where we measure worth in likes, followers, and possessions, Gatsby’s glittering pursuit of wealth and love feels eerily familiar. So, grab your copy (or your library card), and let’s dive into how Fitzgerald predicted the social media age before the internet even existed.
Meet the Cast of Gatsby’s World—and Ours
📸 Jay Gatsby: The OG Influencer
Gatsby is the king of reinvention. Born poor, he reshapes himself into a millionaire with one goal: winning back Daisy, the love of his life. He throws extravagant parties, hoping she’ll notice. Sound familiar? Today, Gatsby would be hosting livestreams, showing off his cars, and renting a private jet for photos. But like many influencers, his wealth and charm are just a carefully crafted image.
“He had an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person.”
💎 Daisy Buchanan: The Ultimate "It Girl"
Daisy is beautiful, charming, and deeply flawed. She’s the person everyone wants to be—or to have. But beneath her perfect exterior is a sense of emptiness and indecision. Today, Daisy might be an influencer posting glamorous shots of her life while quietly battling insecurity. Her famous line, “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,” could easily be a caption on an aesthetic Instagram post, sparking debates about feminism.
🏌️♂️ Tom Buchanan: The Wealthy Alpha Male
Tom represents entitlement and old money. He’s brash, unfaithful, and convinced of his superiority. Picture a modern-day tech mogul or reality TV star, using his power to control those around him. Tom’s arrogance feels just as relevant today as it did in Gatsby’s world.
🎭 Nick Carraway: The Observer
Nick is us—the outsider looking in, trying to make sense of the chaos. He narrates the story, offering insight into the glittering world of wealth and heartbreak. Today, Nick might be a YouTuber spilling tea about the people he’s met in the elite world, balancing admiration and critique.
The Plot in a Nutshell
If you haven’t read The Great Gatsby yet (or need a refresher), here’s what you need to know:
Setting: 1920s Long Island, during the roaring Jazz Age. Think flapper dresses, speakeasies, and wild parties.
Conflict: Jay Gatsby has built his life around winning back Daisy, but she’s married to the wealthy, arrogant Tom. The story explores their tangled relationships, culminating in heartbreak and tragedy.
The book is short—just 180 pages—making it a perfect weekend read. But don’t let the length fool you. Fitzgerald’s prose is packed with depth and meaning, so you might find yourself re-reading certain passages to soak it all in.
Challenge: Try reading it in a week! That’s about 25 pages a day. As you read, keep an eye out for the green light (a symbol of hope) and the ways wealth is portrayed.
The Modern Green Light
One of the most famous symbols in the book is the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock, which Gatsby stares at night after night. For him, it represents his dream of being with Daisy—a dream that always feels just out of reach.
In today’s world, the green light might be the perfect selfie, a dream vacation, or that “blue checkmark” on social media. No matter how much we achieve, there’s always something more to chase.
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.”
Take real-life influencer stories. Think of someone like Belle Gibson, who built a following by pretending to have cured her cancer with clean living—only for the truth to come out. Or Instagram-famous travel influencers who’ve admitted to editing their photos to look wealthier than they are. Like Gatsby, they create elaborate illusions to chase admiration, love, and relevance.
Why It Matters Today
At its core, The Great Gatsby is a story about ambition, love, and the cost of chasing dreams. Gatsby’s world of glittering parties and empty relationships feels a lot like ours. The tools may have changed, but the longing hasn’t.
So, what can we learn? Maybe it’s to question what we’re chasing and why. Is it for us—or for the people watching?
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness...”
This haunting observation about wealth and privilege is just as relevant in our era of corporate greed and influencer scandals.
Ready to Dive In?
Grab a copy of The Great Gatsby and see for yourself why this story still resonates. As you read, think about:
Who in your life is chasing their own green light?
How does social media amplify Gatsby-like behavior?
What does the book say about true happiness?
Let’s discuss in the comments! What parallels do you see between Gatsby’s world and ours? And do you think Gatsby’s dream was ever worth chasing? 💬
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