Great Gatsby Meaning

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In American literature classes today, The Great Gatsby has found its place as one of the most discussed and debated novels of the 20th century. Upon one’s first reading of The Great Gatsby, he may simply find it to be an exciting tale of the fast life and times of New York City. However, with closer analysis, we can find that almost everything, from symbols to storyline, has a deeper meaning. Particularly, although Gatsby’s storyline is commonly related to the “American Dream”, not everything that glitters is gold in Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, as the false appearances and lies told by the main characters corrupt the “American Dream” to a hollow and materialistic disgrace. When The Great Gatsby is analyzed, one of the most frequent themes discussed is the American Dream, in which everyone has a chance to attain riches and social status. For example, in Suzanne del Gizzo’s “Within and Without: F. Scott Fitzgerald”, she writes, “A consumer-based society entailed a departure from… a belief that hard work and thrift yield success... a notion that had …show more content…
In the novel, there is overwhelming evidence of Gatsby’s proneness to lie. For example, when asked where he hails from, Gatsby says “I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West… San Francisco.” Additionally, when asked about his education, he recalls, “[I was] educated at Oxford…” (Fitzgerald 65). Nick is immediately skeptical, noting that Gatsby struggled to utter his statements. This dishonesty further shows how Gatsby conflicts with the American Dream, for his entire life story is fabricated. On top of his words, Gatsby’s carelessness shows his lack of high social status. In his personal library, the edges of the books are uncut, rendering them unable to be opened. Correspondingly, this shows that Gatsby is not cultured enough to read the books, and they were only purchased to feign

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