The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

It’s called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it” (George Carlin). George Carlin, criticizes the dream of prosperity, a promise to any individual for happiness and material success, if they try hard enough, Carlin realizes the reality of the unobtainable dream. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald offers an insight to the lavish life of the 1920’s, or as he coined, The Jazz Age. The novel follows the character of Nick Carraway as he learns the tragedy of an excessive lifestyle that is lived by Jay Gatsby, Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Fitzgerald is able to see past all the luxury and grandeur to expose the unhappiness and misery that tells the reader that money does not bring true joy. The novel describes

The idea of American Dream as presented by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the Great Gatsby novel involves rising from poverty or rags to richness and wealthy. The American Dream exemplifies that elements such as race, gender, and ethnicity are valueless as they do not influence the ability of an individual to rise to power and richness. This American Dream makes the assumption that concepts such as xenophobia are non-existent in America a concept that is not true and shows vagueness of the American Dream. In his novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the Great Gatsby to demonstrate the overall idea of living the American dream. Gatsby leaves his small village of farmers and manages to work his way up the ladder although some of the money he uses to climb the ladder is associated with crime “He was a son of God and he must be about His Father's Business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty” (Fitzgerald 6.7). This phrase shows that Gatsby wasn’t meant for a life similar to that of his father but rather destined for greatness. However, his dream his short-lived and he doesn’t make it to the top as Daisy who is a symbol of his wealthy rejects her and a series of events transpire that result in his death before he could live his American Dream alongside everyone else who was working up the ladder to live the American Dream.

Even though Jay Gatsby has a plethora of money, he still isn’t satisfied. He only wants Daisy to make himself actually blithe. The light at the end of Daisy’s dock is green; which represents things of desire that are potentially unattainable, Daisy is the only thing that will make Gatsby happy. “...I could have sworn he [Gatsby] was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward- and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been at the end of a dock.” (21) Gatsby’s mansion, private dock, boat, pool, and other gaudy items are all within his reach to set his focus on, but he chooses a small green light at the end of

When Gatsby, “stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way,” (Fitzgerald.24) Nick, “distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” (Fitzgerald.24) This green light, however, wasn’t at the end of just any dock, it was at the edge of Daisy Buchanan’s, the person who Gatsby hoped to be with in the future. This symbolizes the great distance he will have to go in order to obtain what he desires, and the water in between represents the one obstacle he will have to overcome, her husband Tom. Nevertheless, after he met with Daisy, he realized that, “the colossal significance of the light had now vanished forever,” (Fitzgerald.100) meaning that since he now had Daisy in her arms, the green light no longer seemed as far away as it used to because he didn’t have to yearn for her love anymore. While it still had a slight significance, it wasn’t as relevant as before, due to the fact that Gatsby had already acquired what he was longing

The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock also symbolises the inability to control time, the irretrievability of the past and the futility of trying to recreate the past, despite Gatsby’s belief to the contrary. When Nick asserts that one can’t repeat the past, he exclaims: “Can’t repeat the past? […] Why of course you can!” (106). Gatsby naively believes that Daisy can erase the past by simply telling Tom that she never loved him. He tells Nick that “[he’s] going to fix everything the way it was before” (106) and that he and Daisy would “be married from her house – just as if it were five years ago.” (106).

Gatsby dreamed this day would come. The day he would finally see his beloved Daisy, again, after all these years. He never lost that idea, even after he came back from war and found her to be married to Tom Buchanan. Gatsby loved Daisy and was optimistic about her still loving him too. “You never loved him.” (Page 139). Gatsby shows his optimism about he and Daisy, and their “undying love.” He believes telling her that she never loved the man she was married to would make it so. This detail of Gatsby telling Daisy that she never loved Tom, shows how his American Dream was for Daisy to have always loved him and never Tom. ”You’d better come home and get some sleep.” He shook his head. “I want to wait here till Daisy goes to bed. Good night, old sport.” He put his hand in his coat pockets and turned back eagerly to his scrutiny of the house, as though my presence marred the sacredness of the vigil. So I walked away and left him standing there in the moonlight--watching over nothing.” (Page 153). Gatsby wants to stay at the Buchanan’s house, in eagerness that Daisy will come out of the house, and see him, run away with him, and do something romantic that involves the two of them wrapped up in forever love, but the reader can see that no such thing will happen. Gatsby is hanging back for false hopes and crushed dreams. This scene shows, no matter what, Gatsby still hopes to live happily ever after, with his beloved Daisy, who, no longer feels the

Gatsby devotes his whole entire life to his dream: a life with Daisy. He buys a house across the bay to be closer to her. At the end of Daisy’s dock sits a green light that Gatsby can never seem to grasp, no matter how far he physically tries. Similar to the way he reaches for the idea of a life with Daisy but he can never ultimately live it, no matter how close he comes. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (189).

Gatsby has an obsession with the past and believes he can achieve what he had with Daisy five years with his wealth. Obviously this isn’t possible to do and Nick tries to tell him this plenty of times but Gatsby chooses not to listen. He owns a huge mansion but is the only person living in it with a few servants as well. Gatsby uses the house attempting to win happiness and respect from others. He tries to buy his happiness with over the top parties he throws at his home every weekend. The expensive items he buys aren’t just for his happiness but something to lure Daisy to him. His house happens to be across from Daisy’s. Her house is only visible at night by a green light at the end of her dock. The green light symbolizes Jay’s attempt to recreate the past love for Daisy.

Given that Gatsby created his entire persona in the hopes of receiving Daisy’s attention, he seemed to have finally reached his goal once Daisy spent the entire day at his house. As Nick, Daisy, and Gatsby stand in Gatsby’s house looking into the sound, “Daisy put her arm through his abruptly…Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock” (Fitzgerald 93). At this point in time, with Daisy by his side, the green light finally represents nothing more than just a light. Instead of it constantly beckoning him to chase after Daisy, he seems to finally have her within grasp. However, she escaped his reach. As Nick, Jordan, Tom, Gatsby, and Daisy spend a day at the Plaza Hotel, the truth of Gatsby and Daisy’s affair comes to fruition. Gatsby exposes that he and Daisy are in love and attempts to force Daisy into saying that she never loved Tom. Unfortunately, “… she realized at last what she was doing – and as though she had never, all along, intended doing anything at all” (Fitzgerald 132). With this, Daisy eludes Gatsby’s grasp one final time. All along Daisy never truly intended to leave Tom and be with Gatsby, but Gatsby never realized this. Even though the house and the shirts were all for Daisy, he could never be with her (Fitzgerald 92). Ultimately, Gatsby’s fruitless efforts to court Daisy propagates the idea of never being able to obtain everything one desires. Even though Gatsby was able to make impressive accomplishments to physically be with Daisy, with her putting her arm through his, it was impossible for him to achieve the final aspiration. The final step was for Daisy to claim she never loved Tom and Gatsby would have everything he ever desired. However, this could

9). Gatsby rises to glory achieving both power and wealth is nothing more than a man desperate for love. He creates an image of himself to impress a woman with his new found wealth. However, despite his extravagant lifestyle, Gatsby is dissatisfied, and Nick finds out why. Nick Carraway, who serves as the narrator moves to West Egg next to a young and mysterious millionaire named Jay Gatsby.When Nick returns home from visiting his cousin Daisy one evening, he discovers his neighbor Gatsby standing alone in the shadows near a strange green light far off the docks. Millet points out “ in our first acquaintance with the light, we see Gatsby reaching out for it, almost, in way worshipping it. we find out later that this green light is at the end of Daisy’s dock, and is a symbol for Gatsby’s dream and the hope for the future”( Millett par .3). The strange green light across the bay symbolizes a goal or quest that he can almost reach out and touch. He purchases a big mansion in West Egg across the bay from Daisy so he can be near her. Gatsby dreams of a future with Daisy, but this proves to be impossible because the past cannot repeat

Even after five years without Daisy beside him, Jay Gatsby is still willing to pursue his green light; in spite of his love for her. Time and time again, Gatsby repeatedly insists that he will recreate the past with Daisy and always states he will, ”Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (Fitzgerald 189). Until the

According to Lily Rothman from TIME, “People whose annual income is between $50,000 and $74,999 are happier than people who earn between $75,000 and $99,999.” This startling statistic relates to how Gatsby, a very rich man, felt. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it is revealed that even if you are successful and rich, you may not be able to find happiness. This reveals the idea of the “American Dream” is a complete myth, because even if you succeed in life, it doesn’t mean you will be happy. Fitzpatrick shows this theme by making Jay Gatsby unable to get Daisy Buchanan, the girl he wants, when he is a poor, young man.

The green light at the end of Daisy 's dock is symbolic of both 'The American Dream ' and Gatsby 's dream to repeat the past and be reunited with Daisy. It something that he wants but can’t really have it yet he would not really let it go. when nick bring up the matter about how gatsby can not repeat the past his response was "Can 't repeat the past? Why of course you can! (110 ). His mind set is that he could go back in time before the war happen and just be with daisy. Before she met tom. His love for daisy is like a dream“ Gatsby guides his life by his dream” (9). He could care less about himself as long as daisy is ok. To him, it appears to be

Gatsby is a man of wealth, but no matter how much money he has, will never be happy. Gatsby is a character who is always reaching for something new and never is happy with what he has. Nick is on his way home when he sees, "[Gatsby] stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward--and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness” (25-26). Gatsby sees the green light on the edge of daisy's dock. Gatsby had once been in a relationship with daisy before he went to war, after he got back, she was off with someone else. He appears to be reaching for her and trying to get her back into his life before he left for the war,

The American Dream is the assumption that working hard will allow one to flourish economically and socially. However, to truly achieve the American Dream, one has to have both wealth and support from one’s family. In The Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter’s dream of owning his own liquor store stirs up problems with his family. Similarly, in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby’s infatuation with Daisy leads him on a lonely and perilous journey. Walter and Gatsby each fail to achieve the American Dream because neither of them have both wealth and a loving family: Walter has a supporting family, but lacks wealth, while Gatsby is at the pinnacle of prosperity but is neither able to marry the love of his life nor build a loving home.