The Themes of Great Gatsby A good novel has a number of themes. Throughout this book several appear. The following are important themes of The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is a novel about what happened to the American Dream in the 1920’s, a period when the old values that gave substance to the dream had been corrupted by the pursuit of wealth. The characters are mid-westerners that have come east in pursuit of this new dream of money, fame, success, glamour, and excitement. Tom and Daisy must have this huge house, a stable of polo ponies, and friends in Europe. Gatsby must have his enormous mansion before he can feel confident e