Themes in The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has several themes, all of which revolve around the American Dream and the creation of the New Rich in America. Paper Masters has writers that understand how the American Dream is woven throughout Gatsby and can explicate the themes in a research paper for you.
Common themes in The Great Gatsby:
- Thwarted love
- 1920's American microcosm
- Decayed social and moral values
- Grotesque displays of wealth for the new rich
Fitzgerald explores numerous themes in The Great Gatsby. The most influential theme, however, focuses on how a new class of millionaires in the 1920s altered American society and the American Dream. The Gatsby's have great wealth, but they do not aspire to anything more than accumulating money and spending lavishly. Fitzgerald reveals how hollow this new class of millionaires has become in its pursuit of wealth. Daisy and Tom, both of whom come from the closest thing America has to an aristocracy with a long history of wealth, clash significantly with Gatsby and other West Egg residents. The newly rich seem to have no idea that money does not create classiness. Instead, they drive flashy cars, live in gaudily decorated mansions, and, as Gatsby did, wear pink suits. The Buchanan family possesses grace that directs how they treat other people and share their wealth. The new millionaires, however, are hollow, greedy, and insincere.
American Dream Theme
The Great Gatsby also explores how the rise of this new millionaire class in the 1920s altered the American Dream for everyone. In their pursuit for wealth, they have forgotten that the American Dream once focused on individualism, discovery, and the pursuit of happiness promised in the Declaration of Independence. By warping this dream into one that only cares about money and leisure, they have stifled innovation and created an economy that promises to crash at any moment.