The Great Gatsby

Set in the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby exposes the hollowness of the American Dream through Jay Gatsby’s tragic fate. Obsessed with reclaiming his lost love Daisy, Gatsby amasses wealth illegally, believing material success can erase their class divide—yet his idealism blinds him to Daisy’s selfishness and the era’s moral decay. Fitzgerald masterfully uses symbols: the green light across the bay symbolizes unattainable dreams, while the Valley of Ashes represents the spiritual wasteland of capitalism. Gatsby’s death, forgotten by those he cherished, underscores the tragedy of a dream built on illusion. The novel remains a timeless critique of a society where wealth corrupts, love is commodified, and the pursuit of happiness devolves into empty excess.