The Great Gatsby (:

A critic who wrote that the theme of The Great Gatsby is the withering of the American Dream is correct. Throughout the story, a reader can sympathize with Gatsby, who faces the harsh reality of life’s troubles. He reaches the materialistic American Dream, but not the emotional dream, and thus the American Dream is crushed in total.  

The Great Gatsby expresses early signs of the withering of the American Dream with Gatsby’s reaching towards the hope of the green light. Gatsby, who seems to have everything one could want in America, still isn’t happy and desires something. He is incredibly wealthy, and he throws extravagant parties that people travel to from all over New York. He’s the object of wonders and rumors, and the most mysterious man that people want to know. He’s everything that one living in America could wish to be, yet the one person no one would ever want to be.

Although he appears to have the American Dream in the palm of his hand, the insight into his life allows one to realize that the American Dream for Gatsby is incomplete without hope, and his hope relies on his love for Daisy. Without hope and happiness, money is just materialistic and not worth anything to the owner.

The same of lack of happiness applies to the relationship Tom and Daisy. Their relationship seems perfect to the eyes, until one is caught up in the middle. The realization of the lack of love becomes more evident, and the unhappiness is expressed. Both want someone else, and are only with each other simply because if they’re both miserable, they can be miserable together.

The death of Gatsby in the end of the book brings the story together, on how the author seems to believe that life isn’t worth it in the end, because it’s all leading to a tragic ending of death anyway. No matter how much worth someone has, happiness is the American Dream, not what he or she has. With the lack of happiness, the American Dream falters and doesn’t exist, and will one day be completely gone and unexpected.