The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is one of the great classic books written during the Roaring Twenties that still resonates within many of the readers today. Much of his book criticises the spendthrift, shallow ways money was spent, and predicts the downfall of America, as shown in the Valley of Ashes, a fictional town reduced to ashes as a result of the people’s greed. The main theme of The Great Gatsby, however, is the American dream, distorted and manipulated to become a dream for many to become millionaires, only to waste it on girls, parties, and clothing; things that lasted and looked pretty for a short period of time. The American Dream is embodied by Daisy Buchanan, a shallow, pitiful girl tossed between two men with
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In contrast, Gatsby became rich by bootlegging, and he did not mature properly, as he does not know how to let go and give up on some dreams. The real question here, however, is not if Gatsby becomes worse or better by pursuing his empty dream; it is if there is a reason for pursuing an empty dream. Gatsby’s reason for pursuing an empty dream was because he loved Daisy, but as a result, Gatsby threw away everything after realising he cannot attain his dream. This can apply to many families that immigrate to America in order to achieve the American Dream, which has lately, become an empty dream as Trump has become the President of the United States, who will most likely force immigrants to "go back to where they came from". In my opinion, pursuing an empty dream is ineffective, as once one realises that their dream cannot be reached, it will cause them pain and a sense of emptiness, as they realise their dream will never be reached, and in more severe cases may cause depression as it may mean years of work that simply because …show more content…
Not only does it serve to educate the general public about greed, it also asks us, the readers, to reevaluate our dreams and goals, asking us if they really matter in the long term, or it is simply a goal that can never be reached no matter how much we sacrifice our time, energy, and effort into reaching
In contrast, Gatsby became rich by bootlegging, and he did not mature properly, as he does not know how to let go and give up on some dreams. The real question here, however, is not if Gatsby becomes worse or better by pursuing his empty dream; it is if there is a reason for pursuing an empty dream. Gatsby’s reason for pursuing an empty dream was because he loved Daisy, but as a result, Gatsby threw away everything after realising he cannot attain his dream. This can apply to many families that immigrate to America in order to achieve the American Dream, which has lately, become an empty dream as Trump has become the President of the United States, who will most likely force immigrants to "go back to where they came from". In my opinion, pursuing an empty dream is ineffective, as once one realises that their dream cannot be reached, it will cause them pain and a sense of emptiness, as they realise their dream will never be reached, and in more severe cases may cause depression as it may mean years of work that simply because …show more content…
Not only does it serve to educate the general public about greed, it also asks us, the readers, to reevaluate our dreams and goals, asking us if they really matter in the long term, or it is simply a goal that can never be reached no matter how much we sacrifice our time, energy, and effort into reaching