Degradation of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Recommended: Jazz and its influence on african americans in the 20th century

The Jazz age was a convivial time known for innovation, creativity, and women pushing the limits of their new found freedom, but it was also a time of mourning and loss after the end of World War I. The combination of these emotions is what made the roaring twenties so unique, yet unstable. Before the twenties, the American dream had been to earn a stable income and raise a family in the great country that is America, but during the twenties the American dream became much more diminished as people worked for riches and luxuries that only a few could afford. In The Great Gatsby the main characters are striving for this dream of riches in a turbulent setting, but ironically are blinded by the distractions of the Jazz age and they do not realize until it is too late and that they have been walking away from their own dreams. During the Jazz age people partied, drank, and danced to their heart’s content, but little did they know that they were losing sight of the American dream. Daisy's life is full of excitement and wealth, she gets practically everything she desires and feels like she has it all. As a person of high society she treats those below her with disdain, even her cousin. “What shall we do with ourselves this afternoon...and the day after that, and the next thirty years?” (Fitzgerald 118). The Jazz age had changed Daisy and influenced her to become careless as she seeks empty love, money and pleasure. It is only when Gatsby comes along she realizes that she has been missing something. Gatsby had been her first love, but she Swart 2 married Tom because he had money and at times she was more a denizen of Tom's mansion than his wife. Now she was recklessly perusing something she could never have, Gatsby. She was stuck... ... middle of paper ... ...narrator and giving the reader a good sense of the personality of Nick Caraway. In the novel Nick does not seem to have a crucial role when it comes to conveying themes or motifs, but acts as a mediator between the reader and Gatsby. Also, he does not write clearly enough about how the Jazz age affects characters like Jordan Baker, Meyer Wofisheim and Pammy Buchanan. Even though they are minor characters, the theme should extend to include these characters to the story. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1925. Print. Hasaki, knowledge sutra. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar 2012. . Warshauer, Matthew. "Who wants to be a Millionare?." American Dream. (2002): n. page. Print. < http://www.americansc.org.uk/online/American_Dream.htm>.

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