Gatsby and the American Dream

Paper Summary:

This paper discuss how F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the "American dream" in his novel, "The Great Gatsby." It describes the American dream's significance in terms of plot, characterisation and theme in his novel. The paper suggests that Fitzgerald is critical of the American dream, and ultimately damns it, arguing that the American dream is no longer a universal ambition to which all Americans may aspire.

From the Paper:

"During the period of the 1920s American society was transformed by the opulence of a decadent era. These changes, as documented in The Great Gatsby, affected every American. However, as Fitzgerald writes, such changes were not uniform. The American Dream, an ideal that had driven the country since its inception, was redefined amid the unprecedented pursuit of wealth and material satisfaction, by a broad section of society. Fitzgerald argues in his novel that the American Dream has lost its significance in a newly materialistic America, influenced by an age of consumer goods. Through his protagonist, Gatsby, he shows the price of living too long for a single, unattainable dream, which had ceased to be. Fitzgerald is therefore arguing that the American dream is no longer a universal ambition to which all Americans may aspire."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998 With an introduction by: Prigozy, Ruth. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998
• de Koster, Katie. Readings on F. Scott Fitzgerald. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998

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