soul, yet her narrow-mindedness is brought back at the reminder of her husband. She is pulled away from Gatsby as the pressure of Tom, for she will never appreciate a life without wealth. Her perception of life lacks real moral values, as demonstrated by her superficial actions to numb herself to her husband's infidelity. In the outcome, Daisy destroys Gatsby's goal, for she herself stands for the corrupted vision of distorted goals. Unfortunately, Daisy never realizes her problem of shallowness. Still married to Tom, she flees to New York at the death of Gatsby, living her life as an "obedient" wife. Being put in the setting of the story, I would have not acted as Daisy. The story has taught me how insignificant a life based on improper morals is. I would have followed my true initial feelings, in this case, love for Gatsby. A life based on materialistic aspects is a waste of time; the person is not drawn to the qualities of the other person, but rather his possessions. V. Certainly the most central theme of The Great Gatsby is the American dream, or even further, its failure. The genuine American dream is a romantic expectation, a belief in the possibility of achieving goals and pleasure with hard work and dedication. However, this dream corrupts itself in the person of Gatsby. Fitzgerald's purpose in writing this novel was to demonstrate the path of this perception, and how it was overcome by the vulgar interest in wealth. Fame, money, reputation, and excitement are symbolic of the life of the characters. Fitzgerald criticizes the fact that the power of society was solely dedicated to gain excesses of capital. The theme of the corruption of value is a main concern. The lives of the Buchanans, filled with material comforts and luxuries, and empty of purpose, represents this condition. Another theme that is closely related with materialism is the discovery of oneself. The Great Gatsby is a paradox. Gatsby was neither great nor Gatsby...
