The Great Gatsby: Themes (OCR A Level English Literature)

The Great Gatsby: Themes

Exam responses that are led by key themes and ideas are more likely to reach the highest levels of the mark scheme. Exploring the ideas of the text, specifically in relation to the question being asked, will help to increase your fluency and assurance in writing about the novel.

Below are some of the key themes that could be explored in The Great Gatsby. This list is not exhaustive and you are encouraged to also explore any other ideas or themes you identify within the novel.

• The American Dream

• Wealth and class

• Money and materialism

The American Dream

The concept of the American Dream is the idea that hard work can bring about success and a prosperous life. People would move from Europe to America in pursuit of this ideal. The American Dream is central to The Great Gatsby, and Fitzgerald explores the theme through characters and events in the novel. He highlights how it has gone from an ideal pursuit to one that is filled with corruption. Many of the characters strive for the American Dream, which ultimately leads to disillusionment, corruption and unhappiness. The novel suggests that the pursuit of the American Dream, when driven by materialism and an idealised past, may lead to tragic consequences.

Knowledge and evidence

• Through the character of Gatsby, the novel portrays the American Dream as distorted and unattainable:

  • His relentless pursuit of wealth and success is motivated by the belief that achieving these goals will lead to happiness and the fulfilment he craves with Daisy

  • It can be argued that Gatsby tried to fast-track his American Dream by dealing in illegal and immoral business, which resulted in his downfall

  • He was therefore unable to win Daisy over as his success was not achieved through moral and honest means

• Gatsby’s mansion and parties represent the illusion of happiness and success which masks the emptiness and moral decay that lie beneath the surface

  • The idea that wealth alone can bring happiness is challenged by the characters’ unfulfilled lives

• The characters in the novel equate wealth with success and social status, an idea that reflects the interpretation of the American Dream during the 1920s

• In the novel, the American Dream is often associated with materialism and superficiality:

  • Characters like Tom and Daisy Buchanan are an example of the shallow pursuit of pleasure and luxury without deeper moral fulfilment 

• The novel explores the social class differences that impact the pursuit of the American Dream:

  • The contrast between old money and new money reflects the challenges individuals face in breaking into social circles that are well established

  • Gatsby’s inability to see through Tom and his friend’s insincerity highlights the differences between those who are from established aristocracy and those who are “self-made”

• The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock is symbolic:

  • It represents Gatsby’s aspirations and the unattainable nature of his dreams

    • The green light could also symbolise the mysterious nature of the American Dream and the constant pursuit of it

What are Fitzgerald’s intentions?

• The novel serves as a critique of the excesses and moral decay of the Jazz Age:

  • It challenges the idea that individualism and materialism leads to a better life

• Fitzgerald suggests that the pursuit of the American Dream during this era is often misguided and destructive

• Through characters such as Gatsby, the writer highlights the failure of the American Dream and the flaws in the idea:

  • Gatsby’s life is encapsulated by the pursuit of the unattainable ideal, and his death symbolises the disillusionment and the downfall that can accompany these pursuits

• The author attempts to highlight the disintegration of the American Dream and how it can lead to self-destruction and loneliness:

  • It drives people to strive for superficial and materialistic things

Wealth and class

The theme of wealth and class is central to the novel and is explored through the characters, settings and events. In The Great Gatsby, wealth and class are intertwined with the characters’ identities, which shape their motivations, relationships and morals. 

Knowledge and evidence

• The novel makes clear distinctions between social classes through locations:

  • East Egg represents old money, such as the Buchanans, while West Egg represents new money, such as Gatsby

  • The Valley of Ashes is a desolate area that symbolises the lower classes and the consequences of economic inequality

• The Valley of Ashes represents the consequences of uncontrolled capitalism and economic inequality

  • George and Myrtle Wilson, who are characters in the Valley of Ashes, represent the exploited working class who are unhappy and leading unfulfilled lives

• There is a contrast between characters in the novel:

  • The Buchanans represent a wealth that is established and inherited, whereas Gatsby’s wealth is new money, which is acquired quickly through business

• Many of the characters in the novel, especially Gatsby, are driven by the relentless pursuit of wealth as a means of achieving the social status and happiness that they associate with it:

  • Gatsby’s rise to wealth is motivated by a desire to win back his love, Daisy, and gain acceptance into upper-class society

• In the novel, wealth is defined by material possessions, such as Gatsby’s mansions and Daisy’s luxurious lifestyle:

  • Gatsby’s extravagant parties in his mansion serve as symbols of the excesses and superficiality associated with wealth during the 1920s

• The fixation and obsession with wealth and social status leads to superficial relationships and a lack of genuine connections:

  • Characters form relationships based on convenience, appearance and social status rather than any emotional connection or mutual interests

What are Fitzgerald’s intentions?

• Fitzgerald suggests that, despite the efforts to climb the social ladder, individuals may remain confined within their social class:

  • Gatsby’s new-money status is not fully accepted by the old-money elite, which highlights the nature of social class distinctions that are ingrained in society

• The writer suggests that the American Dream, when tied to the pursuit of wealth and social rise, is often hollow and may lead to disillusionment rather than fulfilment and contentment

• Gatsby’s tragic demise serves as a commentary on the flaws and pitfalls of the American Dream, particularly during the 1920s

• Fitzgerald highlights the emptiness and moral bankruptcy that can accompany the never-ending pursuit of wealth and social status

Money and materialism

In the novel, the theme of money and materialism plays a central role. The novel is set in the 1920s during the Jazz Age, which was a time of economic prosperity and social change in America. The characters in the story are often driven by a relentless pursuit of wealth, luxury and social status.

Knowledge and evidence

• Gatsby is the embodiment of the American Dream, as he uses his newly found wealth to seek out success and social status

• Characters such as Gatsby pursue material success as a means of achieving happiness and fulfilment

• Despite their wealth, characters like Gatsby and Tom experience a sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction:

  • The pursuit of material success is portrayed as ultimately unfulfilling 

• Characters engage in morally questionable actions in their pursuit of material goals:

  • It is hinted that Gatsby has used illicit means to make his fortune

• Material possessions create an illusion of happiness and success that often contradicts the characters’ internal struggles:

  • Gatsby’s extravagant parties are a facade, making his insecurities and unhappiness over being without Daisy deeper

• Daisy represents the allure of wealth and the choices individuals make in pursuit of financial security:

  • Her decision to marry Tom for his wealth reflects the societal values of the time

  • She ultimately chooses wealth over her love for Gatsby

What are Fitzgerald’s intentions?

• Fitzgerald explores the destructive nature of the pursuit of wealth and the emptiness that can accompany material success:

  • Gatsby is the perfect example of a character who pursues the American Dream in the hopes of finding fulfilment, when it ultimately leads to his destruction

• The novel critiques the superficiality of the American Dream and highlights the moral decay and disillusionment that can result from an obsession with materialism:

  • An example of this is when Tom Buchanan tells George Wilson that the car belonged to Gatsby, which leads to Gatsby’s death and Wilson’s suicide 

• The novel serves as a commentary on the hollowness of a society where the pursuit of wealth becomes a driving force, overshadowing genuine human connections and values:

  • Gatsby hosted many extravagant parties that were well attended by the rich and the famous

  • However, none of these people attended his funeral, which highlights how they used Gatsby for material gain rather than to form any real connection