How does Fitzgerald show the American Dream to be an impossible dream in The Great Gatsby? Introduction
Fitzgerald uses a variety of different literary techniques in the Great Gatsby to portray the American dream as impossible. The whole novel can be seen as a commentary in pursuit of this. One example of this is his use of symbolism in the novel. His disenchantment with it is equally shown in the choice of setting as well as with the decay of morality as a motif. Paragraph 1- Symbolism
Fitzgerald uses the literary device of symbolism extensively all through the novel to depict the American dream and its flaws. The green light at the end of Daisy's dock is a symbol of Gatsby hopes and dreams, Nick Caraway comments