In this week’s blog, students from Maryvale Preparatory School reflect on how literature can help us think about ambition, regret, and the choices that shape our lives. In their pieces, these seniors draw on the connections between The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. They explore how both Gatsby and Stevens wrestle with questions of identity, social expectations, and the lingering impact of the past, revealing how classic works can still spark meaningful conversations today.
Regret, Reflect, Repeat: Reflections on The Great Gatsby and The Remains of the Day
“What people are ashamed of usually makes a good story.”—F. Scott Fitzgerald
Regret is universal; bravery is not. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous classic and Kazuo Ishiguro’s contemporary classic showcase men—one an American dreamer, the other a British butler—navigating the complexities of regret.
The Sacrifice of Commoners
The Great Gatsby and The Remains of the Day illustrate how class structures provide for the privileged, limit the poor, and determine the fates of the characters. James Gatz’s humble upbringing in Roaring Twenties America leads him to abandon his lower-class identity to pursue an elite one. As economic barriers lower after The Great War, Gatsby hopefully chases Daisy and wealth to achieve the status of the established upper-class. Conversely, Stevens’ father and the surrounding norms teach him to settle for his place in society, leading him to serve the elite as a butler and exist around the aristocrats and politicians who direct society. As Gatsby pursues elite status, he leaves commoners—like the Wilsons—to pay the price as they remain fixed in their roles. Gatsby is manipulated by the traditionally wealthy in his efforts to join them. Meanwhile, Stevens’ pursuit of “dignity” in serving the elite is at his own expense, as he remains a part of “everyone else” who serves the hub of gentlemen. The class divide, where the dreams of the elite require the sacrifice of commoners, determines individual fates. The cycle decides Stevens’ fate in serving others at the expense of his happiness and Gatsby’s power to affect the Wilsons’ fates. Ultimately, social settings shape dreams and dictate who pays the price—a persisting reality for Americans, whose pursuits often remain confined to social norms and class systems.
Cecilia Collins is a senior at Maryvale Preparatory School in Timonium, MD. She has been a part of her school’s NEHS chapter for the past two years. Cecilia is also involved in her school’s Leadership Institute, cross country and track teams, and Student Ambassador Program. In her free time, Cecilia enjoys running, playing guitar, and singing.
Reflection Outclasses Gratification
Self-reflection is part of human experience, and contemplating choices can haunt one’s thoughts or allow for acceptance of the past: shaping character and determining the future. Both Jay Gatsby, a mysterious new-money businessman, and Stevens, a dignified British butler, experience overwhelming regret and obsessive reflection. Gatsby creates lavish displays of wealth and hides behind a self-invented false persona to alleviate his regret. He believes that becoming the picture of power and wealth will solve his past disappointments, but his external strategy of ignoring his past led to his demise, as he dies with only Nick caring for him. Stevens, however, confronts his past quietly, ruminating on prior decisions and eventually accepting the end of his identity as a butler. Throughout his life, Stevens submerged himself in work: a dutiful servant repressing feelings and simply doing what was required of him. It is not until he allows himself to ponder that he arrives at contentment with his choices and acknowledgement of his work. The characters of Stevens and Gatsby emphasize that achieving peace and satisfaction requires inner contemplation, not the gratification of others. The two handle regret in opposite ways, but Stevens’ peaceful end suggests that relying on being content with oneself instead of gaining the approval of others is the true path to happiness.
Sloane Weathington is a senior at Maryvale Preparatory School in Lutherville, MD. A member of her school’s NEHS chapter for the past two years, she is also a varsity swimmer, president of the Model UN Club, secretary of SNHS, class PR officer, a Student Ambassador, and a participant in the Leadership Institute. Outside of Maryvale, Sloane enjoys running, reading, and anything outdoors.
Repress or Obsess?
Inspired by a green light or a Ford car, the journey to define dignity and achieve fulfillment is drastically different for Gatsby and Stevens. Both engage in intense self-deception, yet they do so through opposite emotional extremes shaped by their constructed identities. Stevens represses his emotions to embody his ideal of a “great butler,” defining dignity as the complete alignment of personal feeling with professional duty. His identity is rooted in duty, driving him to intellectualize situations that threaten emotional vulnerability, particularly in his relationship with Miss Kenton, a former colleague and discarded love interest. Rather than acknowledging his regrets or love, he pins those painful memories as evidence of loyalty and professionalism, convincing himself that emotional restraint is the pinnacle of morality. His quiet self-deception stems from his self-neglect. In contrast, Gatsby is driven not by repression but by emotional obsession. He constructs a lavish, false identity, complete with extravagant parties and a fabricated history, all to transform himself into the man he believes Daisy will love. Where Stevens diminishes feeling, Gatsby amplifies it. He idealizes both Daisy and the past until they become unreachable fantasies. His self-deception lies in his refusal to accept reality. He believes he can “repeat the past” and mold every detail of his life to fit that illusion. While Stevens deceives himself by suppressing emotion in favor of stark professionalism, Gatsby deceives himself by surrendering to romantic idealism. Both characters reveal how identities built on illusion, whether one of restraint or excess, inevitably lead to lack of fulfillment and, therefore, regret.
In the words of Kazuo Ishiguro, “Most of us are butlers. We try to take some pride and dignity in what we do, and we try to do it very well. We offer it up almost blind, just hoping it’s going to be used in a good way.” And so, knowing that humans cannot move forward in life with “no regrets,” the best hope is that reflection brings us a quiet acceptance of our reality and the inspiration to make the most of the remains of our days.
Hope Stump is a senior at Maryvale Preparatory School in Lutherville, MD. She has been a member of her school’s NEHS chapter for the past two years. In addition, Hope is a member of the varsity swim team, treasurer of the SNHS, a participant in various honors programs and clubs. Hope also enjoys club swimming, spending time with friends, journaling, and running.
National English Honor Society
The National English Honor Society (NEHS), founded and sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta, is the only international organization exclusively for secondary students and faculty who, in the field of English, merit special note for past and current accomplishments. Individual secondary schools are invited to petition for a local chapter, through which individuals may be inducted into Society membership. Immediate benefits of affiliation include academic recognition, scholarship and award eligibility, and opportunities for networking with others who share enthusiasm for, and accomplishment in, the language arts.
America’s first honor society was founded in 1776, but high school students didn’t have access to such organizations for another 150 years. Since then, high school honor societies have been developed in leadership, drama, journalism, French, Spanish, mathematics, the sciences, and in various other fields, but not in English. In 2005, National English Honor Society launched and has been growing steadily since, becoming one of the largest academic societies for secondary schools.
As Joyce Carol Oates writes, “This is the time for which we have been waiting.” Or perhaps it was Shakespeare: “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer . . .” we celebrate English studies through NEHS.
National English Honor Society accepts submissions to our blog, NEHS Museletter, from all membership categories (students, Advisors, and alumni). If you are interested in submitting a blog, please read the Suggested Guidelines on our website. Email any questions and all submissions to: submit@nehsmuseletter.us.
