Decline Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

Although F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays various themes throughout The Great Gatsby the most prevalent theme is the decline of the American dream in the 1920’s, or as he calls it the “jazz age.” The American Dream is the idea that any person despite however adverse their background may be can become successful through hard work. During this time period that the movie is set in World War 1 has recently ended which caused the stock market to flourish and the ban on alcohol to lead to a booming underground market for bootleggers. Both the stock market and the bootlegging business provided opportunities to become affluent. This personified the part of the American dream where anyone could become successful. However, during this time period, not everyone