The Roaring '20s were an era of decadence and endless possibility. The American dream was something everyone wanted. In essence, The American Dream meant that anyone who had the talent and worked hard enough could achieve it. Money, a loving spouse, and status all demonstrated that a person was successful in their life and were vital to the American dreams of the characters in The Great Gatsby. Many of them strove in their own ways to achieve "the dream", however, twisted ideals of love, wealth and class led to the end of the American dream in The Great Gatsby. Love was transformed into a conquest in The Great Gatsby. instead of what love should really be; deep feelings of care and affection towards a person. According to Marilyn Roberts, "The acquisition of a woman of high status [was] an essential part of their dream." Without love, their life would not be complete and they would be considered a failure. In The Great Gatsby, Daisy's affection becomes a prize for "the best man." Tom and Gatsby turned her into a trophy to be "fighted on the basis of social and economic conventions... Daisy [was] a possession." (Callahan). Instead of letting Daisy choose who she truly loved, men turned her love into a kind of game to show off their wealth and status. Similar to how a Buck might display his antlers to other males, it's about showing off one's power. In Daisy, Gatsby's “mean dream made flesh.” (Trask) and realized that to achieve his “dream,” he had to have her. However, Daisy was unattainable and could never be a “legitimate realization of Gatsby's illegitimate dream.” (Trask). Gatsby, however, did not realize this and would have taken it at any cost. Even if that meant becoming... the center of the paper... Gatsby." Canadian Review of American Studies.28.1 (1998): p19, 23p. Academic Search Elite. Web. November 6, 2010. Pauly , Thomas H. "Gatsby he's a sinister gangster" Readings on the Great Gatsby San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 1998. Print.Roberts, Marilyn "Scarface, The Great Gatsby, and the American Dream" Literature/Film Quarterly34.1 (2006): p71-78. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 November 2010Stocks, Claire. "All Men Are [Not] Created Equal": The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Claire Stocks illustrates how the narrator is prejudiced against this novel. The hero is central to the critique of belief in the 'American Dream'" The English Review.17.3 (February 2007): p9. Literature Resource Center. Web. November 6, 2010.Trask, David F. "A Note on Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby." University Review33.3 (March 1967): p197-202. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 November. 2010.