Themes in The Great Gatsby

Introduction

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) captures the spirit of the 1920s — an era of wealth, ambition, and illusion.
Through the story of Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Daisy Buchanan, the author reveals the broken promises behind the so-called “American Dream.”

If you’re studying this novel for school, you might also want to check
👉 The Great Gatsby Summary and Analysis
and
👉 Symbols and Motifs in The Great Gatsby Explained.

Main Body

1. The American Dream

The American Dream — the idea that anyone can achieve happiness through hard work — is the heart of The Great Gatsby.
Gatsby builds his fortune from nothing, believing that money will help him win Daisy and the life he’s always wanted.
But Fitzgerald shows that this dream has become corrupt, replaced by greed and social inequality.

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.”

This line at the end of the novel shows that the dream itself is unreachable — always moving farther away.

2. Love and Illusion

Love in The Great Gatsby isn’t pure; it’s built on illusion.
Gatsby’s love for Daisy is not based on who she really is but on what she represents — beauty, status, and his dream of perfection.
Their relationship shows how romantic ideals can become destructive when mixed with obsession and nostalgia.

3. Class and Society

The novel divides people into three worlds:

  • “Old money” (Tom and Daisy) — wealthy but careless.

  • “New money” (Gatsby) — ambitious but never accepted.

  • “No money” (George and Myrtle Wilson) — trapped in struggle.

This class divide makes the American Dream impossible.
No matter how rich Gatsby becomes, he will never belong to Daisy’s world.

4. Corruption and Morality

Behind the glamorous parties lies a dark truth: lies, betrayal, and selfishness.
Fitzgerald shows that when wealth becomes the only goal, moral values disappear.
Even Nick — the most honest character — admits he’s “within and without,” both fascinated and disgusted by the world around him.

“They’re a rotten crowd... You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.”

This quote from Nick to Gatsby sums up the novel’s moral center — even in a corrupt world, hope still exists.

Conclusion

The themes of The Great Gatsby make it one of the most powerful novels ever written about dreams and disillusionment.
Fitzgerald reminds readers that wealth cannot buy love or peace, and that chasing illusions always leads to emptiness.

For more insight, explore:
👉 Jay Gatsby Character Analysis
👉 Nick Carraway Character Analysis










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