The Great Gatsby-The Search For The American Dream

604 Words3 Pages
Is the search for the perfect life achievable? Or is this idea just a fantasy that motivates people to try to attain the impossible? In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses on the pursuit of the American dream. The characters in the novel want more wealth and more materials, but does money actually make the American dream real? In a fairy tale, the American dream may be possible, but in the real world, many other factors come into play that affects the dream. For example, corruption and greed are two things that give the idea that an excess of money or an excessive need for money, only causes the dream to be farther from reach. When money is the main concern in one's life, one may do anything and everything to acquire wealth, disregarding the consequences that come along with certain actions. In the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Great Gatsby, there is a central theme that the American dream has been destroyed by crass materialism. This is illustrated through the themes of fabrication of self, attitudes toward women, and the destruction of the American dream. The characters that symbolize this central theme are Gatsby and Daisy. There are also symbols to support the theme; cars and the color green and white. These characters, themes, and symbols all come together to destroy the American dream. (TS) In the Great Gatsby there are 3 themes to support the crass materialism of the American dream; fabrication of self, attitudes toward women, and the destruction of the American dream.. (CD1) Fabrication of self is represented by the quote, "There was that smile again, but this time I held out against it" on pg. 76. (CM1-1) Gatsby's smile is fake, he hides facts and who he really is behind this smile. (CM2-1) Gatsby also uses this smile to get whatever he wants, weather is just to get someone to believe him like Nick, or if it is get something bigger, like a

More about The Great Gatsby-The Search For The American Dream

Open Document