Excess In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby is a literary classic that explores the excesses of the Roaring Twenties through the story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious man who throws expensive parties in an attempt to win back his long lost love, Daisy Buchanan. Set in New York City, the novel develops themes of wealth, love, and the pursuit of the American Dream. Through the use of symbolism, the book critiques the materialism of the upper class and the destructive nature of the characters' illusions. This essay will focus on the theme of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby and how it relates to the characters' actions and motivations, the portrayal of wealth and excess, and the role of symbolism in the novel. The essay will argue that the pursuit of the American Dream through wealth and excess is portrayed as an endless goal,

Jay Gatsby, the main protagonist of the novel, embodies this idea as he has worked his way up from humble beginnings to become a wealthy man. However, the novel critiques the idea of the American Dream through the characters' actions and the consequences of their pursuit of it. Gatsby's pursuit of the American Dream is driven by his desire to win back Daisy, his lost love. He throws extravagant parties and flaunts his wealth in the hopes of impressing her, but ultimately, his pursuit of the American Dream leads to his downfall. The novel suggests that the American Dream is not only unattainable but also destructive, as it leads to the characters' disillusionment and moral decay. As the narrator, Nick Carraway, reflects, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (Fitzgerald, Ch. 9) The quote shows that despite their best efforts, the characters are unable to escape their past and the consequences of their