The Great Gatsby initially is a representation of the ‘American Dream,’ where extravagant parties, frivolous spending and wild relationships are expected. However, through Fitzgerald’s characterisation of the male and female character, we can see how this novel is instead a representation of everything wrong in this idealised lifestyle and reveals both the cynical and romantic aspects of what it is like to be living in the US during the mid 1920s.

On one had, Fitzgerald presents the characters to be rather dark and selfish through the characterisation of Tom Buchanan and the description of the setting. By presenting Tom as a masculine husband who cheats on his wife with the wife of a a man who he treats poorly, we can see how this character is not sensitive towards the dignity of others and seems to not shy away from making others feel ashamed or unfortunate in comparison to himself. It is this sense of arrogance that characterises Tom as both powerful yet vulnerable, as he, without hesitation, feels the need to prove himself to others as a superior man. The setting of the “alley of ashes,” is described as a an awfully frightening place that is located in the middle of Gatsby and Daisy’s house. Fitzgerald perhaps centres this location to point out the unlikeliness that Gatsby and Daisy’s future relationship will struggle to succeed. This is shown by the ending of the novel where the death of Myrtle Wilson, caused by these two characters, is the abrupt ending of their relationship.