The Lost American Dream in The Great Gatsby Critics agree that F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is not just a social commentary on the Roaring Twenties , but also a revelation of the disintegration of the American dream. Jay Gatsby embodies this broken and illusory dream; he is seen as a "mythical" individual (Bewley 17), as "the end product of the American Dream" (Lehan 109), and as representing "man's headlong pursuit of a dream across a continent and back" ( Moyer 219). The factors that have contributed to the destruction of this American fantasy are materialism, moral waste, and spiritual transgressions. As a direct result of this fallen hope, the characters search in vain for fulfillment in useless and mundane pursuits. Fitzgerald describes the American dream as a pure fairy tale. Many critics wonder what Gatsby's role is in this text and how it applies to the American dream. In “Scott Fitzgerald's Criticism of America” by Marius Bewley, the critic argues that Fitzgerald is able to “mythologize” Gatsby by never allowing him to “dirty himself with the touch of realism” (Bewley 14). Bewley believes that Gatsby is “a creature of myth in whom the aspiration and test of his race are embodied” (Bewley 17). The critic, therefore, does not just cite America for Gatsby's desire for the ideal, but rather his “race” or creator for making him desire these unattainable desires. Continuing with this idea, Bewley implies that Gatsby's mythical qualities present him "less as an individual than as a projection, or mirror, of our ideal self" (Bewley 24). Therefore, Gatsby, according to Bewley, is a reflection of all human aspirations. In contrast, Joyce Rowe believes that Gatsb... at the heart of the paper... edited by Katie de Koster. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press. 1998. 104-110.McAdams, Tony. "Ethics in Gatsby: An Examination of American Values." In readings on the great Gatsby. edited by Katie de Koster. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press. 1998. 111-120. Miller, James E. Jr. “Fitzgerald's Gatsby: The World as an Ash Heap.” In Critical Essays on Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. edited by Scott Donaldson. Boston, Massachusetts: G. K. Hall & Co. 1984. 242-58. Moyer, Kermit. W. “The Great Gatsby: Fitzgerald's Meditation on American History.” In Critical Essays on Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. edited by Scott Donaldson. Boston, Massachusetts: G. K. Hall & Co. 1984. 215-28Rowe, Joyce A. “Delusions of American Idealism.” In readings on the great Gatsby. edited by Katie de Koster. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press. 1998. 87-95.