While I was read the Great Gatsby, I started to think what is Fitzgerald trying to show. When I finished reading the book I did some research about the symbols and motifs in the book. I found to be that the major theme of this novel is the American Dream. In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald displays that the American Dream has declined and become more dependent on money and material based ideas and also shows what the original and new concepts of the American Dream are and this is shown in his novel. The American Dream has declined and became corrupt based on the surroundings. It became corrupt because of the luxury and wealth of the society. This is portrayed by Jay Gatsby because of what society has pushed him to do. Gatsby throws very fancy and high class people parties to show off to the public. He also owns and buys expensive things to show off to the society because this is what the desire to reach the American Dream pushes him to do. Many actions of Gatsby throughout the whole book are picturing the American dream decline and how messed up it has become. The American Dream becoming corrupt had a result. The result was that the motivation and desire were empty and disappeared and left with a empty goal. Daisy states, “Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day of the year and miss it” (Pg.121). It shows that Daisy has a lack of motivating and shows that its all hollow to the society of the rich. Also, with all of the characters in the Great Gatsby being rich, they had no meaning in their life goals and dreams. This all caused them to cheat and lie in each of their relationships. The were already rich and had no sense of what the actual aspects of the American Dream really were. Not only is the American Dream materialism and wealth but love as well. Daisy was a very important person to Gatsby because he truly loved her. Part of Gatsby's dream was to attain Daisy. An example which shows that he tries to attain her is when he buys his house across her, everyday he stands on his porch and stares off into Daisy's house and the green light appears. The green light represents that Gatsby still has hope for meeting Daisy again and winning her back. Daisy was like material that he needed to better his life and this all helped reach the American Dream. Jay Gatsby is a character in the novel which portraits how the American Dream and how it means money and materials know. Jay Gatsby came from a very poor family background and was never born rich. But through the actions he took, he became rich and tried to fit in this social class. Becoming rich was step one to get to his goal of reach the American Dream. He needed to be rich in order to be able to marry Daisy. The second step he took was purchasing a big mansion in the East Egg which had meaning behind it. Gatsby owning a mansion in that place symbolizes that he has the money to buy a house like that. A third step he took was that he always hosted parties and invited all the wealthy people over. An example of Gatsby's wealth is, " At high tide in the afternoon I watched the guests diving from the tower of his raft or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor boats slit in the waters of the sound"(Pg.43). Gatsby is very rich and uses his wealth of materials to entertain his guests when they are over. Another example of Gatsby's wealth is that every Friday he receives large baskets of lemons and oranges which he uses for the making of drinks for his guests. A third example is that Gatsby highers orchestras for his parties which are very expensive. Another action which is taken to show how wealthy Gatsby is, that when his guests come over, right at the steps someone comes to escort them into the mansion. Gatsby was doing all this to reach the American Dream goal which he strives for. Gatsby was a wealthy man that showed a corrupt aspect in a wealthy
