The dawn of the 20th century was faced with an unprecedented catastrophe: an international technological war. Such a horrible conflict may have threatened the roots of the American dream! Yet most don't realize how pivotal the following years were. Postwar prosperity gave rise to a fabulous era for America: the “Roaring Twenties.” But it was also a time when materialism was taking the nation by storm, taking root in daily life. Wealth has become a measure of success and a facade of social status. This “Marxist materialism” threatened the traditional American dream of autonomy and individuality even more than the war of a decade earlier. As it transformed into materialistic visions (owning a nice house and a nice car), the victims of change blindly pursued this new aspiration; one such victim was Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. As his self-earned luxury and riches collide with love, crippling consequences and disasters occur. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby delves into an era of materialism, exploring how capitalism can become the face of social life and ultimately obscure the American dream. The philosophy of the American dream has accompanied Americans for centuries; James Truslow Adams says that regardless of social class, “life should be better, richer, and fuller for everyone, with opportunities for each according to his abilities or achievements” (Adams). Although this vision has never fully encompassed all of America, it is generally a positive ambition that all Americans should look beyond their circumstances and rely only on themselves. to succeed in life. However, American capitalism and Marxist ideas contradicted the traditional dream. Materialism is a simple concept, but its definition has been distorted. In the middle of the article......about materialism and social classes. Although the novel is widely considered a zeitgeist of the times, it also serves as a warning for the American dream. It's not Marxist materialism, it's certainly not traditional individualism and freedom. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald asks the question: what is the American dream? Works cited by Adams, James Truslow, The Epic of America. 1931. Empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com, 2009. Web. May 1, 2014.Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925 Fromm, Erich. “The concept of man according to Marx”. The concept of man according to Marx. Marxistes.org, 1961. Web. May 2, 2014.K. Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1977, with some notes by R. Rojas. “Meaning of colors in color psychology”. Reinforced by color.