1. In the book the 'Great gatsby' by F. Scout Fitzgerald there are two main themes that are important to an analysis of the book and are close linked with each other. These are the pursuit of the American dream, illusion versus reality and old money verus new money.The American dream was base on the idea that hard work can lead a person from rags to riches.
Stettlers that had come from europe to America seeking wealth and freedom believing that if they put in some hard work and had some luck they might one day own there own property and make it big. In 'the Great Gatsby' hoards of people flock to New York City seeking stock market fortunes which they promtly lost during the 1929 wall street crash which helped trigger world war 2. In the novel Fitzgerald portrays the accumilation of wealth as a matter of just getting rich and no longer a vison of building a new and better life in the new world.This is shown in daisy buchanan as although daisy loves Gatsby she is not willing to leave tom as although living with Gatsby is her dream she values the money and social security of tom over true love. This is also shown with tom bucanan as he will not leave daisy for mrs wilson and to a certain extent Gatsby himself as he will do anything to get and stay rich.
He does this not to b uild a better life for himself but just so he has money and can attract daisy, however he has the motive of love where as the other do not.1. This is linked closely to illusion versus reality because bot Gatsby and mrs wilson believe an illusion over what is really likely to happen. Gatsby's illusion is that he believes that if he earns a lot of money he will be able to win daisy's hand. However the reality is that even if he does have a lot of money lives in a big house hand wears fancy clothes daisy will still not accept him as he does not have the social standing and acceptable as tom.
Gatsby is fooled by this illusion throught most of the book ashe believes daisy's values are different than they actually are. All most the same illusion versus reality is present for mrs wilson as she thinks that tom is in love with her and if she gives him time he will marry her and pull her out of the valley of ashes.This however is an illusion as tom is not willing to give up his marrage with the respectable daisy for someone with no social standing or money.2. Gatsby the central character of the novel symbolises both the corrupt and uncorrupt American dream.
He saw wealth as a solution to his problem but unfortunately persuses his accumilation of wealth through shady back alley deals to renvent himself as a man of substance. However his corrupt dream of gaining wealth is motovated by his uncontrolable love for daisy, Gatsby's pursuit of the American Dream highlights that he allowed corruption and materialism to prevail over hard work and integraty.Another theme in the book 'The Great Gatsby' is old money versus new money and is prevelent throughout the book shown in the characters Tom and Daisy on one side and Gatsby on the other. The old money is shown by Tom and Daisy who are motovated by greed in their pursuit of wealth and maintanance of the 'American Dream'. They lead a shallow and headanistic existance in their lust for money and social status.They were prepeared to attend Gatsby's lavish and expensive parties because it was a socially exceptable thing to be seen at them however nethier Tom or daisy were prepared to give up each other, their life-style or position in west egg society for love.
their attitude towards new money, represented by Gatsby, was candescending. This attitude was certainly reflected by Ms Baker whom Nick Carroway, the narrator , eventually rejected. Like Tom and Daisy, she was shallow and materialistic in her out look and Nick saw through the illusion that Ms Baker might actually fall for him and ended it before he fell in love
