The American Nightmare The "American Dream" is based on the idea that any person, regardless of their upbringing, race, or origin can attain their dream through hard work and self-reliance. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is a novel of a passionate young man, Nick Carraway, whose image of success becomes jaded by the "high society" of the times. Using Gatsby as a representation of the American Dream, and Nick as the objective narrator, Fitzgerald criticizes the …showed first 75 words of 1140 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1140 total…contrast and balance for the other characters. In the end, after seeing and experiencing the East, Nick decides to go back West. He obviously was not very taken with what he had seen, as the story allows the reader to look at one's own morals and ideals in a new light. Fitzgerald's novel goes beyond mere criticism of the American Dream and the resulting upper class; The Great Gatsby is a satire of American values.