The End of Gatsby

I'm not afraid to admit that The Great Gatsby is one of few books I've read in school that I've greatly and genuinely enjoyed (Slaughterhouse Five, and The Odysey come to mind). Gatsby has so many deep and thoughtful themes running through it, and some of the quotes in the last chapter are mind- bendingly thought provoking. It reminds us that no matter how powerful, rich, or happy we are- we are mortal, and the sad thing is- a bullet can change everything. Jay Gatsby lived life at the top, and he came crashing down. Some think that the novel illustrates the death of the American Dream, and that Gatsby's death represents this downfall. I think this a rather narcicistic way to view the novel, and that the message Fitzgerald wants to tell is that everyone has a "green light" as Gatsby does. And that everyone, no matter how mysterious or powerful has a simple, human side. After the first chapter, I thought that Jay Gatsby was going to be a larger than life character, but he turns out to be a simple man trying to find the love he lost so long ago. And when Nick says, "I realize this has been a story of the West, after all..." (176), I think Fitzgerald is trying to show that there is a place in the world for everyone. I don't think Fitzgerald was trying to illustrate the death of the American Dream, but perhaps the non-existence of the American Dream as it has been idolized and built up as an image. Fitzgerald's view of the American dream is that everyone should find something to drive for, and you will find somewhere to fit in.