Themes In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, "the second greatest literary work penned in the twentieth century," is an example of the American Dream gone amiss. There are several themes in the novel, including the immorality of the "Roaring Twenties," social discrimination, the recurrence of the past, and the need to possess hopes and dreams, among other things. While all of the following are prevalent themes, the main theme of The Great Gatsby is the ongoing search for the American Dream leading ultimately to the death of the American Dream. Taking place during the Jazz Age, the story begins