The beauty and splendor of Gatsby's parties masked the innate corruption within the heart of the Roaring Twenties. Jazz-Age society was a bankrupt world, devoid of morality, and plagued by a crisis of character. Jay Gatsby is a misfit in this world. He tries, ironically, to fit into the picture: he fills his garage with status, his closet with fashion, his lawns with gaiety, his mannerisms with affectation. However, he would never be one of "them". Ironically, his loss seems to Nick Caraway to be his greatest asset. Nick reflects that Gatsby's drive, lofty goals, and, most importantly, dreams set him apart from this empty society. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Gatsby to contrast a real American dreamer against what had become of American society during the 1920's. This same world referred to by Gertrude Stein as the "Lost Generation", by T.S. Eliot as "The Wasteland" was to Fitzgerald none other than New York. By magn

Even more substantial to the degradation of society than the destruction of dreamers, was the sad truth that twenties society lacked the ability to fulfill its dreamers' desires. As a child, Gatsby dreams of climbing the ladder to success and being accepted by society's rich. When Gatsby finally invites the Sloans and Buchanans to his home for the afternoon, they show nothing less than utter disrespect for him. After Gatsby accepts an invitation for dinner with Mrs. Sloan, the party rebukes him behind his back. They leave without him, saying they "couldn't wait." Although, Gatsby is wealthy and successful, the inherent divisions between "new money" and "old money" keep him far away from his dream of being part of this society. He tries to compensate through his lavish parties and hydroplanes, yet, barriers, he could not surmount, keep him from his dream. Gatsby's dream of Daisy is another dream that remains unfulfilled. Through his struggle to the top, Gatsby dreams of marrying Daisy. She initially refuses to marry him because he is not wealthy nor a "somebody" in Daisy's misconceived society. Yet, Gatsby works for five long years to achieve the status that will be enough for her. His dream of her is pure and perfect, clear as a green light on a June night. But when he finally meets her again after five long years of waiting, Nick states succinctly, "There must have been times that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart." Daisy is stained by wealth. Even when she meets Jay again after so many years, Fitzgerald focuses on the fact that she is still not dressed completely in white; "her brass buttons glinted in the sunlight." Her beautiful voice is tainted with money. She is not "the grail" nor will Gatsby ever find it. She is simply a fair-weather daisy, cool and content in the spring, yet fallible and weak in the heat of the summer. Fitzgerald uses Daisy and the pompousness of "old money" to show how Gatsby's dreams could never be fulfilled in this empty society.

ifying the tragic fate of dreamers, conveying that t

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1437
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)