The Great Gatsby: Theme

"That fellow had it coming to him. He threw dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy's but he was a tough one. He ran over Myrtle like you'd run over a dog and never even stopped his car. " (page 187)

I'm pretty sure that this is the last blog that I will ever do. Before I begin discussing theme, I just want to say that how excited I am about this! I can almost hear the Hallelujiah chorus. (Sigh) Wow! Words cannot express how happy I am! Okay, back to blogging. My understanding of The Great Gatsby is that many people have a dream for their lives. Many people want to live the American dream, and many books are written with people celebrating their own happily ever afters. Honestly, those are the books that I love the most because I enjoy living in an idealistic world filled with happiness, sunshine, and Disney princesses. However, as much as I hate to say this, life is not that way. The Great Gatsby gives us more of a realistic view as to how life really is. Infidelity is common in the American society and marriages fall apart. People are consumed in their egotism and only want to be the best. They want what is best for themselves, but they seldomly care about others. Look at the quote above. This is all about how Myrtle was killed tragically by a car and no one seemed to care. No one showed sympathy; they just all shoved the blame on someone else. I hate that Tom says that Gatsby deserved to die. Honestly, no one deserves to die. Dying should be in God's hands. However, in this novel, everyone has to take fate into their own hands. Even Gatsby just wanted to make a life for himself. Was he living to be charismatic and help the benefit of others, though? No. He brought on this new lifestyle to win over Daisy's affection. He knew that Daisy did not approve of his low status, so he made a name for himself. It is so sad that Daisy only loves him when he is wealthy. What is this world coming to? Money does not win happiness! Love and happiness are so much more than social status. Deceit, betrayal, and greed all lead up to everyone's downfall in this novel, and they all destroy the happily ever after that each character could have.