Cars, radio, flappers, and movies are all staples of the growth in the 1920s, yet not everyone was ready for them. (Meltzer 281-283). There were writers in this era, who felt detached from the period of growth, and were branded the Lost Generation, “expatriate writers who left the United States to take part in the literary culture of cities such as Paris and London during the 1920s”(“Teaching the 1920s”). One such writer is F.Scott Fitzgerald, who, like many of his fellow writers, emigrated to Europe due to this alienation from the new America. Fitzgerald's take on the American Dream in his famous work, The Great Gatsby, shows an idea that is perpetually at arm's length, and that believing otherwise, is just an illusion.
To begin, this distance is represented in the class. The West Egg and East Egg are not separated only by the ocean, but also fundamental ideas. For instance the West Egg prides itself on its newfound wealth and takes Glamour to extremes best showcased in their new cars, and illustrious parties. In contrast, the East Egg prides itself on its
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The light is the “dream [that] must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it,” (Fitzgerald 180). Gatsby does fail to grab it. He never comes close to the true green light: the past. Gatsby's dream of being with Daisy is a lie; he does not want to be with Daisy in 1920s, rather he desires to be with the Daisy of his childhood. The past is the past, however, and no matter how much of a helpless romantic he is, Daisy has moved on from her childhood self and is now in love with Tom, as shown when she says, “I did love him once - but I love you now” (132). To Daisy, Gatsby has been and will always be in the past, and no matter how much Gatsby wants her to love him and only him, she will never truly be able to come back to him. Therefore, the light is the second example of an unattainable