... . Within the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Jay Gatsby to illustrate the corruption and eventual downward spiral of the American Dream to the vulgar pursuit of wealth and materialism in the 1920s. The transformation from James Gatz, the ambitious janitor from North Dakota, to Jay Gatsby, the epitome of the self made man, exemplifies Gatsby's lifelong pursuit of his aristocratic ... eventual downfall and that her fervor for only the finest aspects have life, have corrupted his destiny of reclaiming his aristocratic roots. Gatsby's life is much like the American Dream, i...

• Word Count: 1786
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of the American dream to greed and materialism during this time period. And with the distinct divisions between West Egg and East Egg, Fitzgerald shows the social divisions in American society, even at the upper class, a fact still relevant to today's America. New York itself symbolizes immigrant America, where immigrants used to and still do flood into America's shores in hopes of a better life. Nick himself ... cede into the temptations of corruption, they still hold dear to themselves their capacity to dream. And it is through these dreamers, like Gatsby, that America keeps its dream...

• Word Count: 1599
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate