Chasing the Green Light
The American Dream is the defining myth of the New World: the belief that anyone, no matter their origin, can rise to the top. But in literature, this dream is often a mirage. These novels explore the dark side of ambition, the hollowness of materialism, and the cost of success.
From Gatsby's tragic optimism to the disillusionment of the Lost Generation, these stories ask what it means to be American. They are tales of self-invention and self-destruction, set against the backdrop of a nation always reaching for something it cannot quite grasp.
The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A slim, perfect novel set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties. It peels back the glittering surface of the Jazz Age to reveal a hollow core of obsession and moral decay. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the life of his mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby throws lavish parties in a desperate bid to win back his former love, Daisy Buchanan, now married to the wealthy but brutish Tom. As the summer unfolds, the novel explores the collision between Gatsby's romantic dreams and the brutal reality of class and money in America. It is a story about the American Dream—the belief that one can reinvent oneself—and the tragedy of trying to repeat the past.