The Great Gatsby is set in the jazz era of the 1920s. This era was a time of partying, drinking, and enjoying life. The prosperous jazz era encouraged many people to become wealthy and become part of the upper class. For many people, this dream remained unrealizable unless they were born into a wealthy family. Although some people reached the desired peak, they still lacked true happiness. F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby demonstrates the corruption of the American dream through the unquenchable desire for wealth. Throughout the novel, wealth is a factor that propels the characters' decisions and actions. Jay Gatsby's American dream is to marry Daisy Buchanan, the "golden girl." Gatsby uses the glitter of money and power to make Daisy, who is married to Tom, fall in love with him. As Daisy looks around his house, Nick notices that Gatsby "hadn't stopped looking at Daisy, and I think he reevaluated everything in his house based on the measure of response it elicited from his well- loved” (91). Gatsby came from humble beginnings and worked hard ...