The Quest for Success and Power in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Novel The Beautiful and Damned

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the concepts of success and power, as depicted by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Beautiful and Damned (2009). Cultural change motivates individuals to work harder to achieve success, which in turn makes them influential. The study reveals that the concepts of success and power are controversial, as their means vary from one theorist to another. Waldo Emerson, for example, believes that success is connected to happiness. He, therefore, lists down features that characterize successful people. To succeed, one must learn to follow their desires, an argument that is expounded by the ideology of the American Dream. Friedrich Nietzsche, however, explains that individuals are motivated to lead due to the fact that power brings about the superman. To achieve the status of the superman, Nietzsche believes that individuals develop the will to power and are able to influence others (Nietzsche, 1968). Fitzgerald, on the other hand, makes it clear that power leads to liberty. The novel provides a deep analysis of the quest for power and success. The main characters are Gloria, Joseph, and Anthony who helps to demonstrate the quest for success and power. Richard Caramel is also a character whose role explains the pursuit of true happiness. He is depicted as powerful because he influences the society through his writings. He has a strong determination to be a writer, which motivates him to work hard and to seek further success.