The Great Gatsby Theme of Dissatisfaction

The Great Gatsby presents an array of characters dissatisfied with life. No one is happy with marriage, with love, with life in general, and they all destroy the lives of others in seeking to fix it. Tom destroys his wife’s love for him by committing adultery; Daisy nearly destroys her marriage by seeking another life with Gatsby, and Gatsby destroys himself in seeking Daisy. We see the results of such a jaded ennui in Jordan, who has everything, needs nothing, yet is still dissatisfied.

1. How does Jordan’s "carelessness" indicate dissatisfaction? Why is wealthy society so careless?
2. Which characters are dissatisfied, and what would actually make them happy? Do they even know what they want?
3. Nick reveals that James Gatz created Jay Gatsby "from the Platonic conception of himself." What was it that dissatisfied James such that he had to create a new persona? Did this new persona solve his problems?

Although the wealthy characters in The Great Gatsby appear to "have it all," not a single one of them demonstrates satisfaction with his life, marriage, or friends.

According to The Great Gatsby, wealth, instead of satisfying one’s desires, provides an avenue for always craving more.