The dawn of the 20th century was greeted by an unprecedented catastrophe: an international technological war. Perhaps such a horrible conflict threatened the roots of the American dream! However, most don't realize how crucial the following years were. Post-war prosperity brought about a fabulous era for America: the “Roaring Twenties.” But it was also a time when materialism took the nation by storm, taking root in everyday life. Wealth became a measure of success and a façade for social status. This “Marxist materialism” threatened the traditional American dream of self-reliance and individuality far more than the war of ten years earlier. As it transformed into materialistic visions (owning a nice house and a car), the victims of change blindly chased the new aspiration; one such victim was Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. As his self-earned luxury and riches collide with love, crippling consequences and disaster strike. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby delves into an era of materialism, exploring how capitalism can become the face of social life and ultimately tarnish the American dream. The philosophy of the American dream has accompanied Americans for centuries; James Truslow Adams states that, regardless of social class, "life should be better, richer, and fuller for all, with opportunities for each according to ability or achievement" (Adams). While this vision has never fully encompassed all of America, it has generally been a positive ambition that all Americans should look beyond their circumstances and rely only on themselves to succeed in life. However, American capitalism and Marxist ideas contradicted the traditional dream. Materialism is a simple concept, but its definition has been distorted over time. A ... halfway through the paper ... on materialism and social class Although the novel is widely considered a spirit of the period, it is also a warning for the American dream, although the dream is not Marxist materialism, it is certainly not individualism and traditional freedoms. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald asks a question: what is the American dream? Works Cited Adams, The Epic of America Boston: Little, Brown, and Company,. 1931. Empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com, 2009. Web. 01 May 2014.Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: The Children of Charles Scribner, 1925 Fromm, Erich. "Marx's concept of man". Marx's concept of man. Marxists.org, 1961. Web. 02 May 2014.K. Marx, Contribution to the criticism of political economy, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1977, with some notes by R. Rojas. “The Meaning of Colors in Color Psychology.” Powered by color.