People often incorporate the word tragedy with a single unfortunate occurrence, such as the events of September 11. Although there is no doubt that the loss of several thousand innocent lives is appalling, the literary world has formulated it own definition as to what tragedy really means. In prose fiction, a tragic plot contains many aspects other than just one sad occurrence. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one example of an archetypical tragic …showed first 75 words of 1104 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1104 total…the corruption of American society. His idyllic, yet inaccessible, dreams and his unfortunate circumstance bring considerable pathos to Fitzgerald's readers. <Tab/>The unfortunate events that occur within the pages of The Great Gatsby do not alone account for the archetypical tragic plot; several characteristics are woven together to create what literature has termed as tragedy. It has undoubtedly been proven that Fitzgerald's novel conveys these characteristics to form an ultimate tragedy.