Sample solution

F. Scott Fitzgerald suggests in The Great Gatsby that the pursuit of the American Dream can be an obsessive and ultimately ruinous endeavor for those who are too wrapped up in it. Through his depiction of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald exposes the hollow nature of attempting to gain wealth and social status so desperately. This is shown when Jordan Baker remarks that “Gatsby had come a long way to this blue lawn,” demonstrating how far he has gone—even resorting to illegal activities—in order to attain his vision of success (Fitzgerald 76). Moreover, through Daisy Buchanan and Tom Buchanan, Fitzgerald presents a picture of people who have achieved their definition of material success without ever truly understanding what they have won or fully appreciating its value;