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The Great Gatsby


             Referring to the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, one critic has written that "The theme of Gatsby is the withering or dying of the American Dream."" Since Gatsby represents the pursuit of the "American Dream-, Fitzgerald is clearly stating that a person cannot get too far in life unless one plays the game fairly. Just like in the old saying "cheaters never prosper,"" the "American Dream- went sour in three specific ways. They are that Gatsby gets his money the wrong way, that Gatsby dies, and that Daisy is no longer in love with Gatsby.
             Gatsby, trying to make himself happy, tries to make his way up the social ladder by cheating. When, in all actuality, one should find happiness within one's self. Gatsby wasted a great deal of time pursuing money, when he could have spent his time achieving worthwhile goals. He wanted money so much that he created a new identity for himself. As a young seventeen year old boy, Gatsby decided that the name of James Gatz represented his poor past so he changed his name to Jay Gatsby. If one desires money one should earn it in an honest manner.
             Another reason the "American Dream- is withering away is because the town's "American idol dies-. This shows that in the long run it does no good to cheat your way through life and the only way to make it successfully is to be honest. Part of the reason Gatsby ended up dying is because he hung around the wrong people at the wrong time. Meyer Wolfshiem is one of the reasons Gatsby learned to cheat his way through life. Also, being around Tom and knowing that he didn't approve of his and Daisy's affair caused him to end up dead. Tom admits to having a hand in telling Wilson that Myrtle ran off with Gatsby. With Gatsby dying it shows that one must be completely honest with one's self, not pursue a hopeless cause, and hang around the right kind of people.
             The biggest reason that the "American Dream- is dying is because Daisy no longer loves Gatsby.


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