The American Dream was the central theme in the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The American Dream included people trying to have as many possessions as possible to achieve a rich persons status. Then people being very involved with cars and the conflicts that arise with their cars. Lastly, Dr. T.J. Eckleburg watching over the Valley of Ashes and a society corrupting itself. F. Scott Fitzgerald used symbolism and conflict to reveal the original American Dream had sadly been destroyed.
The American Dream is now all about money so people can feel that they've succeeded. In the past the dream was just to have some land for your crops, a place to live and be able to support your family and the freedom to choose your own religion. People used to work really hard to achieve those things but in the novel they take money for granted which leads to corruption. One of the ways wealth is displayed in the novel is through their cars. Gatsby believes that cars are a way to show your wealth as shown by this quote, "He saw me looking with admiration at his car. It's pretty, isn't it, old sport." This is why he has a yellowish gold colored car because it symbolizes his achievements and a wealthy person's status. The following quote describes his car, "It was a rich cream color, bright with nickel, swollen here
and there in its monstrous length." Gatsby had earned his money through bootlegging and gambling, which shows that he will go to any extent to achieve the dream of having money. Gatsby used his wealth to acquire the dream. His friend Wolfsheim even fixed our country's biggest game of the year, the World Series. Money is a very big deal in this novel; everyone wants it and when they have it they show it off. Everyone wants to have spendy, flashy items to show their wealth. They try to acquire as many possessions and other materials to enhance their status.
There are three main conflicts that arise when it comes to the wealth status of cars. Gatsby has his parties so everyone can see that he is a wealthy man. The first conflict comes about after his first party; when Owl Eyes is a passenger in a car that crashes. This shows a wreck and a conflict being destroyed when a bystander replies, "But the wheel's off." The crash shows the American Dream and wealth being destroyed. The following quote summarizes the scene, "However, as they had left their cars blocking the road a harsh discordant din from those in the rear had been audible for some time and added to the already violent confusion of the scene." The next conflict involving a car just shows how Jordan takes money for granted and doesn't value it as she should. It happens when she was at some party and it shows the American Dream being poured upon. This quote summarizes what happened, "she left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down, and then lied about it." The conflict suggests that she had obviously ruined the
car out of stupidity and carelessness. The final conflict involving a car is the climax of the story, which is Myrtle's death. This quote explains how it happened, "She ran out ina road. Son-of-a-*****- didn't even stopus car… she ran out there and the one coming from New York knock right into her going thirty or forty miles an hour." This again shows the American Dream of wealth being destroyed. All of these conflicts show that money can't solve all the problems.
Dr. T.J. Eckleburg watched over the Valley of Ashes and the East and West Eggs. He saw a society where corruption was everywhere. He even watched over the climax of the story when Myrtle was killed as shown by the quote, "Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night." Dr. Eckleburg sees everything and observed and pitied what went on. An example of him seeing everything is when George Wilson refers to him as God in this quote, "God sees everything." He represents how God thinks and observes a society destroying itself. He is spiritually supreme yet he is observing a lack of spirituality. The author makes it sound like he is wondering what these people are doing to their lives. The Valley of Ashes on the other hand represents what has happened to the American Dream and a spiritually void society. It is a land of ashen heap and deals with industrial production. From the two wealth lands surrounding it a wasteland has been created. The world
has turned towards an industrial society producing material possessions. It's about what can be created to achieve the American Dream.
The American Dream included people flaunting their money around, people involved with cars and conflicts that arose from their cars and Dr. T.J. Eckleburg watching over the Valley of Ashes. The original American Dream has been destroyed to a point where there is no return to the way things use to be.


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