Great Gatsby- American Dream

A detailed Summary of Great Gatsby- American Dream

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses repeated examples of color imagery to raise questions about views of the American Dream. Color imagery is employed throughout the novel, appearing in the Valley of Ashes, Gatsby's parties, and in the light on Daisy's dock. Fitzgerald uses this imagery to raise questions about the excessively lavish and wasteful view that the characters of the novel have in fulfilling the American Dream.

Throughout the novel, color imagery is an integral method by which mood is portrayed. The Valley of Ashes, Gatsby's party, and the light on Daisy's dock are all depicted by vital color imagery which furthers their significance within the novel. In the Valley of Ashes, Nick describes the valley as "grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it"(27), with the focal point of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg's faded blue eyes and "yellow spectacles"(27). The entire description of the area involves a bleak, drab mood. It is in this setting that Myrtle Wilson lives with her husband above a nondescript auto garage. Myrtle constantly regrets her uneventful life with Wilson and looks to Tom for an exciting affair in the fast-paced world of the wealthy. Later in the novel, when Nick attends

An integral theme of this novel is the American Dream and the attainment of that Dream. In this work, Fitzgerald puts in to doubt the possibility of actually attaining the American Dream and portrays the Dream as a different ideal for every individual. The upper class, famous, wealthy characters, those whose lives seem to define living the American Dream, are all unhappy with their lives. Tom is unhappy with his wife and must look to Myrtle, who he could never marry given his place in society, for pleasure. Gatsby, known throughout the country, with all the money he could ever need, polite and gentlemanly, is able to throw extravagant, lavish parties with all of the nouveau-riche West-Eggers. While his life, a story of rags to riches, could be seen as a typical view of the American Dream, his one goal in life, attaining Daisy, is unable to be realized. In that light, Gatsby has failed in the attainment of his Dream. Fitzgerald's comment on the American Dream is that money, fame, and societal class can have little bearing on true happiness and the American Dream. While Tom, Gatsby, and Daisy have many material possessions, they lack the contentedness that Wilson is able to live with at his auto garage in the Valley of Ashes.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the properties of the American Dream through the actions of his characters and through the usage of color imagery. Nick perceives the Valley of Ashes as a drab, uneventf

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Approximate Word count = 979
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English