Gatsby even goes so far as to place his enormous mansion just across the lake from Daisy's home and throws wild, decadent parties in effort to win her back and obtain the final piece of an elaborate destiny of greatness. ... What was once for Thomas Jefferson - a belief in self-reliance and hard work has become what Nick Carraway calls "...the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty." Jay Gatsby, one of the few dreamers left in a period of moral decline, becomes hopelessly caught up in the decadence, and materialism of the 1920s where he loses sight of his more noble goals. ...

• Word Count: 1786
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate