Open Source with Christopher Lydon Gatsby at 100: Fitzgerald’s Warning about Trumpism
May 1, 2025
Sarah Churchwell, a humanities professor at the University of London and expert on American literature, delves into the connections between F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' and Donald Trump's political persona. She explores how both figures reflect deep flaws in American culture, critiquing ambition and moral character. The discussion touches on the darker sides of the American dream, linking themes of nostalgia and lost ideals to contemporary political issues like fascism. Churchwell argues for a reevaluation of societal progress in light of these enduring narratives.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Trump as Cultural Symptom
- Donald Trump can be understood as a cultural symptom rather than the cause of societal change.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby anticipated the trajectory that leads to Trump's rise.
Gatsby's Prophetic Societal Diagnosis
- The Great Gatsby captures the emotional logic of a society enthralled by raw power.
- It is a prophetic novel diagnosing culture where cruelty and impunity thrive among careless people.
Tom Buchanan as Trump Figure
- Tom Buchanan, not Gatsby, embodies Trump's traits: inherited wealth, bigotry, and stupidity.
- Buchanan's white supremacism reflects pervasive racial panic and fear of migrants.
