Written during the 1920's by famous American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is a literary classic which tells the tragic tale of Jay Gatsby and his relentless pursuit of love in a society where true love simply does not exist. Throughout this story, Fitzgerald allows the reader to experience firsthand the arrogance and shallowness which plagued the inhabitants of the novel like an uncontrollable disease. However, this disease was not limited to the fictional characters in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses this story to illustrate the cold reality that had befallen the United States, and his story gives the perfect reflection of what the American society was like during this time period. Through The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald
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Traditionally, the American dream has been perceived as the opportunity to pursue and become whatever one desires through perseverance and a strong work ethic. However, due to a variety of factors, such as the relentless pursuit of wealth which consumed the United States in the early 1900's, the validity of the American dream soon came into question as individuals began to wonder whether the ideology of such a promising dream can feasibly exist. Through Gatsby, a man with humble beginnings who eventually defied the odds and obtained an extraordinary amount of wealth, only to see it all come crashing down with the shot of a bullet, the reader is allowed to witness firsthand how the American dream was slowly decaying in the hearts of American people. Although the American dream is a beautiful dream, it does lead to the ugly reality that "No man is truly equal, and regardless of opportunities, someone is always struggling underfoot- inevitably, as one rises another falls" (Hearne …show more content…
The Great Gatsby shows this decline through the many symbols and themes apparent throughout the story, and "In real, it is a love story that results in the defeat of a union between the persons involved, in a social setting precisely and realistically observed" (Keshmiri 1295). The rise and fall of Jay Gatsby is a cautionary tale by Fitzgerald to warn others against falling into the dark trap of materialism and obsession. Although written in the early 1900's, this message that Fitzgerald conveys is still a very prevalent warning that can never be
Traditionally, the American dream has been perceived as the opportunity to pursue and become whatever one desires through perseverance and a strong work ethic. However, due to a variety of factors, such as the relentless pursuit of wealth which consumed the United States in the early 1900's, the validity of the American dream soon came into question as individuals began to wonder whether the ideology of such a promising dream can feasibly exist. Through Gatsby, a man with humble beginnings who eventually defied the odds and obtained an extraordinary amount of wealth, only to see it all come crashing down with the shot of a bullet, the reader is allowed to witness firsthand how the American dream was slowly decaying in the hearts of American people. Although the American dream is a beautiful dream, it does lead to the ugly reality that "No man is truly equal, and regardless of opportunities, someone is always struggling underfoot- inevitably, as one rises another falls" (Hearne …show more content…
The Great Gatsby shows this decline through the many symbols and themes apparent throughout the story, and "In real, it is a love story that results in the defeat of a union between the persons involved, in a social setting precisely and realistically observed" (Keshmiri 1295). The rise and fall of Jay Gatsby is a cautionary tale by Fitzgerald to warn others against falling into the dark trap of materialism and obsession. Although written in the early 1900's, this message that Fitzgerald conveys is still a very prevalent warning that can never be