The Great Gatsby - Theme (Amuurika!)

"He stretched out his hand desperately as if to snatch only a wisp of air, to save a fragment of the spot that she had made lovely for him. But it was all going by too fast now for his blurred eyes and he knew that he had lost that part of it, the freshest and the best, forever." p. 161

A major theme of this novel is giving up all one has to live the American dream. Gatsby is a perfect example of this. He started out as a poor man with very little. He decided that he wanted more from life, so he moved out and tried various jobs in order to obtain riches. Meeting Daisy solidified this desire. She symbolized the American dream. She had wealth and social status, so it's a no-brainer that Gatsby instantly coveted her (or, more like. a life like her's). After going to war, he swore to make his dream of Daisy a reality. He worked hard and became wealthy; a step required if he was going to get Daisy to love him. However, once he had Daisy within reach, she slipped away swiftly as Tom proved himself superior to Gatsby at dinner. It was then apparent that Daisy was extremely self-centered and careless, for she did not truly love Gatsby for himself, but only for the status that he exuded. When that status was put in danger, her "love" shriveled back up and she crawled back to stable Tom. Oftentimes, this often happens to those who seek the American dream like Gatsby. Once they attain it or are close to attaining it, the dream vanishes and leaves them with nothing. In Gatsby's case, it left him with death. What a sad ending.