"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

In the epic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a naïve Midwestern boy trying to make it in New York City, Nick Carraway, narrates a story complete with many underlying themes relating to 1920's society. The main focus of the story is the negative effects of the obsession with materialism and 'The American Dream'. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald makes the evils of greed and materialistic desires apparent by making all the characters …showed first 75 words of 1470 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1470 total…promptly moved back to Minnesota a hollowed and changed man. Nick was the only one to attend Gatsby's funeral, as a way of showing that money can't buy you happiness, friends, or love. "Jay Gatsby died with but one friend to remember all his apparent wealth" (Eble). Throughout this novel, Fitzgerald effectively employs literary techniques and symbolism through his characters to display the adverse effects of the obsession with money, materialism, and the American dream.