Universal Equality — A Summation of Inequalities

Nabeel Quryshi
Jul 28, 2017 · 11 min read

Contrary to the conventional belief that America is diverse and culturally rich, the once fortified American cultural identity is currently unraveling. With the advent of an ever growing partisan divide, America is beginning to feel the negative impact of a materialistic society and in doing so intensifies “opposing reactions to changing demographics and culture” (Jones). Although they are starkly polar, Democrats and Republicans alike believe that they both have “embraced a radically different vision of America’s identity and future” (Jones). Donald Trump effectively harnessed these shock waves with his recent campaign and has allowed them to continue flowing ever since. Unlike many other nations, the state of our national cultural identity represents a clear deviation from the norm and therefore elucidates the evident global inequality between the magnitude of a nation’s shared cultural identity.

As our American identity continues to wither away, modern society distances itself from the life and culture of the early 20th century through a divergence of the magnitude of national culture, and the emergence of a more modern and materialistic driven society. In conjunction with the time periods of the Great Gatsby, Their Eyes were Watching God as well as As I Lay Dying, America during the early 20th century, although severely swamped with economic hardship, maintained one of the highest nationwide sentiments of national identity. During the Great Depression, the economy took a turn for the worst, suffering in the wake of a detrimental stock market crash. However, during this time America maintained a strong and unified cultural identity. Unlike today where a plethora of electronic information and entertainment is available to suit the many varied interests of the American people, Americans in the early 20th century shared a unified cultural identity through listening to the publically available radio. Popular comedies like Amos ’n’ Andy, sporting events, and other broadcasts diverted listeners from the struggles of everyday life. In addition, although money was short, people continued to spend time at the movies and enrich themselves with American culture through film.

Although the Great Depression severely impaired those that comprised the bottom class, the early 20th century saw great improvements in the standards of living and technological advancements of the elite. Through this growth and maturation of the American style of living and the emergence of a new middle class, the unified pattern of consumption was modulated to include demonstrative assets instead of practical utility. This new style of consumption was described by Veblen as “conspicuous consumption”, “a change in lifestyle that came with the industrial revolution which led to a massive expansion of the pecuniary emulation” (Veblen). However, the plight of the poor was often forgotten, many of them having to survive well below the poverty line.

Through these two conflicting advancements, America during the early 20th century demonstrated the theory of universal equality. On a macroscopic scale, America consisted of a minute population of the elite in addition to a larger, more diverse group of lower class individuals. In this fashion, the socioeconomic hierarchy of America maintained universal equality as similar to the early 20th century, modern America also has this disproportionately large wealth gap. The equality that exists in the maintenance of this wealth gap serves to elucidate this ideology. Although theologies like that of Conspicuous Consumption serve to showcase America in a different, more prosperous light, there still existed a broad wealth gap during the early 1900s.

In addition to macroscopic equality, universal equality exists on a person-to-person basis as well. Through the maintenance of universal equality throughout the lives of the characters within The Great Gatsby, Into the Wild as well as Their Eyes Were Watching God, key differences within their gender and economic equalities are demonstrated which are representative of the specific culture and time period they reside in. As several facets and variables such as the state of one’s racial, cultural, gender, and economic equality are combined in order to produce a universally equal state of equality, the magnitude of each individual facet of equality may be different and therefore be combined differently. As the summation of all facets is universally equal, a model can be generated which has the capability to predict the magnitude of the state of other equalities. More specifically, within the context of the aforementioned texts, said model will be used to justify the effect of one’s culture on gender and economic inequalities and equalities.

Within the Great Gatsby as well as Into the Wild, we as readers are exposed to two varied characters with polar opposite personalities and world outlooks, Jay Gatsby and Chris McCandless. Through their contrasting accessibility and amount of wealth, Gatsby and McCandless showcase a differential view of their personal identity, therefore unearthing a significant inequality between their desired identities. The environment and culture with which these characters reside in greatly impacts their eventual pursuit of their specific types of personal identities. Gatsby, a character surrounded by wealth, “sprang from his Platonic conception of himself” according to Nick. As Caraway continues his description of Gatsby’s early history, he states that Gatsby was a “son of God” and the “service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty” (Fitzgerald: 105). In order to account for this, Nick details that Gatsby “invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent” (Fitzgerald: 105). Interestingly, Fitzgerald utilizes this blatant comparison between Christ and Gatsby to illustrate Gatsby’s construction of his identity. As it is known that Fitzgerald admired the work of Ernest Renan, author of The Life of Jesus, Fitzgerald’s parallel between Gatsby and Christ is justified. Renan’s text presents Christ as an individual who made the decision to assume the role as the son of God which then subsequently led him to his own ruination by refusing to recognize the reality that his self-conception was a falsity. This is similar to how Gatsby transforms himself into his desire (a “Platonic conception of himself”) as a young individual and remains committed to his goal despite the obstacles of his life and the influence of those around him. In contrast to Gatsby, McCandless longed for a more simplistic, less materialistic personal identity. Moreover, instead of containing a “Platonic conception of himself”, McCandless’s identity was shaped by his immediate environment, in this case, the Alaskan wilderness. While McCandless was taking a photograph of himself, one of the last things he wanted before he passed, although he was severely under physical stress and malnourishment, “there was [is] no mistaking the look in his eyes: Chris McCandless was at peace, serene as a monk gone to God” (Krakauer: 199). The fact that all McCandless wanted was to take a photograph at the end of his life represents his simplistic and non materialistic self-identity. As it is starkly evident that the amount of wealth both protagonists have is different, the inequality existing between their personal identities counters the aforementioned inequality to produce a state of universal inequality. Gatsby’s extreme wealth leads to the creation of his negatively inflated identity while McCandless’s poverty allows him to simplify and enhance his self-identity. Both inequalities between McCandless and Gatsby are representative of the cultural differences between them. Gatsby, surrounded by the materialistically motivated conspicuous consumption mindset focuses his goals upon money while McCandless, surrounded by nature and the culture of the wilderness pursues a more simplistic identity.

In addition to differences arising between economic status as well as one’s self-perceived identity, the equality and similarity between the struggle to achieve the aspirations of characters within the Great Gatsby and Their Eyes Were Watching God are an additional facet in creating a sense of universal equality throughout the lives of the characters. As Nick describes Gatsby’s affection and attachment for the green light at the end of his dock, he describes the light as “the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (Fitzgerald: 193). He goes on to expound upon the light’s mysteriousness and elusiveness as he states that in order to attain the light, “tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther” (Fitzgerals: 193). The words serve as a conclusion to the novel and highlight the importance of the past in shaping the dreams of the future, in this case encapsulated by the green light, a symbol of Gatsby’s distant affection for Daisy. Gatsby, in an attempt to recreate the past, (his 1917 affair with Daisy) strengthens the claim that humans are incapable of moving beyond the past. Gatsby’s past functions as the cooking pot for his future (highlighted by his desire to re-establish his affair with Daisy) and he cannot escape it as he continues to use his past to turn his aspirations into realities. Never losing hope, Gatsby pursues an aspiration that continues to escape his reach. This connection is symbolic of Gatsby’s struggle as well as the American dream. In addition to Gatsby, thematic elements within Their Eyes Were Watching God also demonstrate the elusiveness of aspirations, therefore unearthing a facet of equality between The Great Gatsby and Their Eyes Were Watching God. Opening with a description of the elusiveness of aspirations, Hurston writes” Ships at a distance have every man’s with on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time” (Hurston: 1). Similar to how Gatsby’s aspirations are the vestiges of a light that “recedes before us” the desires of the characters within Their Eyes Were Watching God are “at a distance”, “never out of sight” yet unattainable (Hurston: 1). The fact that some aspirations “come in with the tide” while others “sail forever on the horizon” represents the elusiveness and indefinable nature of these desires (Hurston: 1). The characterization of these desires as intangible represents the continued struggle the characters within the novel have to achieve their aspirations as their “dreams [are] mocked to death by Time” (Hurston: 1). The types of aspirations the characters within each book long for are representative of their separate cultures. Gatsby, surrounded by wealth in New York aspires to attain more materialistic items such as money, power and status which ultimate culminate in his desire to pursue Daisy. On the contrary, Janie, one of the few single women in her area, continuously longs for a male figure to fit her specific needs and complement her. This desire for a specific need delivered by a member of the opposite gender elucidates an additional facet of inequality: gender inequality. The notion that both males and females require specific things from each other establishes a fundamental distinction between genders.

This inequality between genders is evident in all three texts and is representative of the culture surrounding each book’s respective time period. Within The Great Gatsby, while talking about her hopes for her daughter, Daisy remarks, “I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (Fitzgerald: 20). Daisy’s remarks are a clear indication of her belief that women are inferior to men, a common social belief of the time. Daisy unconsciously restricts her daughter to a substandard social standing within an environment that places no emphasis on female education and therefore showcases the inequality between men and women within The Great Gatsby. Implying that females can have more enjoyment if they are beautiful and simplistic instead of the conventional morals of hard working and dedicated, Daisy serves to highlight her restricted view on the extent of female accomplishments and social standing. In addition to a restriction of social standing, gender inequality is displayed within Their Eyes Were Watching God through an unequal acknowledgment of one’s struggles. Within chapter 16, Hurston writes, “Through indiscriminate suffering men know fear and fear is the most divine emotion” (Hurston: 170). The explicit highlight of the suffering of man that may lead to wisdom completely disregards Janie’s struggle. This “indiscriminate struggle” could easily belong to Janie as throughout the novel she suffers without end with two husbands, kills her third and endures the brutality of a raging hurricane. Within Into The Wild, Billie McCandless reveals a gender inequality based on how a special mother to son relationship leads to the intense feeling of loss she experiences after the death of her son, Christopher McCandless. As Billie glosses over photographs of Chris’s childhood, “she breaks down from time to time, weeping as only a mother who has outlived a child can weep, betraying a sense of loss so huge and irreparable that the mind balks at taking its measure” (Krakauer: 132). With no mention of the father, Krakauer exposes the special intimacy that exists between a mother and son, a special form of gender inequality in itself. Although Krakauer does not imply that Chris’s father did not feel any loss, his utilization of Billie’s intense feeling of sorrow demonstrates the more intimate attachment between a mother and son as opposed to one including a father. Due to the gender difference between a mother and a father, this more emotional connection between a mother and son demonstrates a unique gender inequality within Into The Wild.

Throughout the three discussed texts, The Great Gatsby, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Into The Wild, all unearthed inequalities and equalities are merged to create a sense of universal equality that spans all three novels and the characters within them. In addition, the described inequalities work in tandem with each other and are representative of the respective time period and culture the book and its respective characters are placed in. Instead of a cause and effect relationship occurring between aforementioned inequalities, these differences are merged in order to create the unique individuals found in the texts as well as maintain a sense of universal equality.

With the advent of heightened political discord, the modern era has accelerated the widening of these inequalities. Most notable is the unraveling of the American cultural identity. As exposed by Robert P. Jones in his article The Collapse of American Identity, “a shared sense of national identity is unraveling, with two mutually exclusive narratives emerging along party lines” (Jones). With the emergence of these “opposing reactions to changing demographics and culture”, America will experience the burdens associated with a fracturing of the national cultural identity in the future if no change is underwent. In order for our nation to preserve and advance our foreword trajectory economically, politically, racially as well as culturally, we as a nation must bridge racial, gender, economic and social gaps while striving to achieve a more attuned sense of universal equality.


Nabeel Quryshi is 17 years old and a rising senior at the University School of Milwaukee. His award-winning research focuses on developing novel therapeutics to combat coronary artery disease and the detrimental effects of chemotherapy upon the cardiovascular system. In addition, his current research goals include creating and utilizing a novel mathematical model of the human cell to understand the complexity of cellular systems.

He has presented his research and findings at state, national and international conferences and competitions. Having won the Best of Fair — 1st Place Grand Award at the Badger State Science & Engineering Fair, Nabeel most recently was awarded the prestigious First Place Grand Award in the Biomedical & Health Sciences category at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair. This places his research in the top 40 projects in the world and bestows the privilege of having an asteroid/minor planet named in his honor.

Aside from his passion for all things science, he is captain of the varsity tennis team, concertmaster of the orchestra and founder and president of Harmonies for Health, a community orchestral performance ensemble. He is an ardent advocate of STEM education for all and was recently invited as a keynote speaker at the inaugural March for Science Milwaukee. Nabeel will also share his love for science as an invited TEDx speaker later this August.

Nabeel is also passionate about his religion. As a director of AMAN (American Muslims Assisting Neighbors), he has a desire to fix the way Islam is portrayed in the modern media.

Companies:
Annulata LLC — annulata.com
— lifescitechnologies.com
— tetradgraphics.com
— geneowl.com

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