During the 1920s America was a country of great ambition, desperation and disappointment. The novel The Great Gatsby is a reflection on this decade, it illustrates the burning passion that a man has towards his "American dream" and the different aspects of the dream. Fitzgerald's work is a reflection of America during his lifetime. The Great Gatsby shows a man's ambition to achieve his "American dream", the disappointment of losing this dream, and the despair of his loss. America, 1920, people's ambition soared; The American people knew that if they tried, they could do it. With the introductory flappers and the women's liberation movement, nothing was impossible to achieve. Even James Gatz,"[. . .] the man who gives his name to this book [. . .]" (Fitzgerald 2) had this ambition in him. He was a man who fought long and hard to earn his place in the world as Jay Gatsby. He had dreamed of transforming himself from the poor young man he was into the rich, love-seeking celebrity he would soon become. Gatsby, as a child, followed a daily schedule. He knew from childhood that he would have to work for his fame. "Jimmy was destined to go on. He always had resolutions like this or something" (175). Gatsby's ambition did not only lie in his future, but when he grew up he would find it in his love. He had an obsession with Daisy Buchanan and would do anything to put things back to how they were when they first met. He thought he could relive the past. He threw lavish parties to get her attention and did everything he could to be close to her. “'Gatsby bought that house so Daisy would be right across the bay'” (79) He earned his wealth so they could finally be together. Like Gatsby, the American people of the 1920s followed their hearts and had an ambition stronger than anything else. During World War I, American men fought to save their country and women fought to win the right to vote. In fashion, women were also liberated, as the hem of a medium skirt was raised. The ambition nurtured in this country during this time period was what built society, just like Gatsby's ambition built and shaped his future with Daisy. Alongside the ambition of a country and a man in the 1920s there was also disappointment. America suffered the great stock market crash that left many Americans penniless. This disappointment in America was also what led to the