The Great Gatsby marks its 100th anniversary in 2025, celebrating a century of cultural and literary significance. Initially released to limited fanfare, the novel didn’t make much of an impact at first. However, over time, particularly in the 1950s, it became a staple in American education, and its themes and characters began to resonate more deeply with readers. Today, it stands as one of the most famous works of literature, continuing to influence pop culture, from movies to memes to musical adaptations.
At the heart of its lasting impact are its timeless explorations of wealth, social class, racial dynamics, and the illusions of the American Dream. Hillary Chute, a professor of English and Art and Design and WGSS executive committee member at Northeastern, points out that the novel’s power lies in Fitzgerald’s skillful prose and how it touches on the complexities of hope, ambition, and loss—issues that are just as relevant today as they were a century ago.
“This is a book about race. This is a book about class. This is a book about the carelessness of privileged people. This is a book about the capacity to have hope and the capacity to have imagination and the capacity to have wonder … something that is never not interesting to people. Nothing in this book feels dated.” – Hillary Chute
Whether through Gatsby’s tragic pursuit of Daisy or the novel’s critique of an unequal society, it speaks to both personal longing and societal realities, keeping it profoundly resonant across generations.
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