When reading The Great Gatsby, the audience must wonder about F. Scott Fitzgerald's purpose in writing one of the most influential novels in 'America. Fitzgerald's life bears remarkable similarities to that of Jay Gatsby. They both sacrificed and succeeded in the name of love, but were ultimately disappointed. Fitzgerald drew on his personal experience to artfully weave a story of love, lust, and fortune, all centered around the ever-elusive green light. This dream that cannot be realized. This hope that can never die. And unless the reader looks closely, they will miss the point of The Great Gatsby: to highlight the folly of this clichéd American dream. This novel takes place in the 1920s, when everything was easy. Money was easy, love was easy and life seemed easy. The American dream was alive and throbbing in the hearts of every American. The main character of the novel, the mysterious Jay Gatsby, is the embodiment of this era. He is a self-taught man of classic beauty, envied by all, but known by no one. He and his wealth appear out of nowhere and he climbs the social ladder by throwing lavish parties in his extravagant home. Nick Carraway, the narrator of this novel, worships Gatsby before they are even introduced. The first time Nick sees Gatsby, the mysterious man was all alone on the lawn and he "stretched out his arms curiously towards the dark water... I looked out to sea - and I saw nothing except a single green light, tiny and distant.” (Fitzgerald 25-26). The reader's first glimpse of Gatsby reveals a man desperate to achieve his dream. As the men become friends and Gatsby confides in Nick, the narrator visibly loses respect for Gatsby. Gatsby originally seems to be a worldly and charming man...... middle of paper ... uh to parents” (Fitzgerald 182). Eventually, he gains power, both financially and socially. Despite all his successes, he is still not satisfied with his life. No matter how much he tries, no matter how much he triumphs, he is determined to be miserable until he captures his green light. Unfortunately, the light cannot be captured. It cannot be grasped by a human hand, whether that hand belongs to a successful man or a failure, to a rich man or to a beggar, to an adult or a child. It’s a desperate ambition, but one that has enslaved men and women throughout history. “Gatsby believed in the green light, in the orgastic future that, year after year, recedes before us. It escaped us then, but it doesn't matter: tomorrow we will run faster, we will stretch our arms wider. . . . And then one fine morning... So we continued our journey, boats against the current, constantly brought back to the past” (Fitzgerald 189).