The Great Gatsby and the American Dream Title: The Great Gatsby Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald is famous for writing the "Great American Novel" known as The Great Gatsby (Baker 123). This epic novel portrays life in the 1920's during the jazz years, prohibition, and World War I. The story seems to take on a theme of romance, success, wealth, moral values and happiness or what is thought of as the "American Dream." However, as it turns out, due to easy money and the carefree social values of the …

…gt;Fitzgerald wrote a novel that says it is impossible for us to face reality (Scrimgeous 263). Jay Gatsby spent a long time living for someone he couldn't have. "The Great Gatsby offers some of the severest and closest criticism of the American Dream that our literature affords" (Criticism 125). "It appeals to our remarkable ability to reinvent ourselves and adjust our personal code of ethics in order to get what we think we somehow deserve" (Baker 123).