The American Dream in the Great Gatsby Essay example

The ideal American Dream can be portrayed in many different ways, though generally based upon the idea of opportunity for upward mobility within society. While people move to the top of society, they accumulate the perceived good things in life: the perfect partner, high social status and respect in the workplace to go along with the unlimited wealth and power. This idea is dated all the way back to the beginning of American literature. In the past, Americans started with the basic needs and only the things they needed to get by in life. Now families are transforming into a life view filled with the perfect life, nice car, large house, and the ideal family. In The Great Gatsby the main character Jay Gatsby was born into a family with no

Both Tom and Daisy “were careless people,” since “they smashed up things and creatures and retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness” after the damage was done (179). Daisy is chiefly concerned with wealth and status, and becomes infatuated with the ostentatious mansion Gatsby flaunts. This obsession with affluence is portrayed when she “began to cry stormily” at the mere sight of Gatsby’s lavish collection of expensive shirts (92). Even after her lengthy affair with Gatsby, Daisy neglects to attend his funeral, symbolizing her callous nature and the fact that she used Gatsby for his prestige.

Daisy Buchanan is an example of (wanting, more than anything else, to buy and own lots of nice things) because of what we know about her from her younger days. She was a young lady that was in love with Gatsby, but didn't marry him because "I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me." (137). (wanting, more than anything else, to buy and own lots of nice things) affected Daisy and when she married Tom she wanted only the best things, but realized that she wasn't happy because money can't buy you happiness. After seeing Gatsby for the first time in over five years, it seems like Daisy has become that young lady she was before she met and married Tom. For a second she forgot all of her selfish things and was looking up into the sky and GOD, saying "'...I'd like to just get one of those pink clouds and put you in it and push you around.'"(99). Now we see her (related to religion or the soul) side and see that Gatsby could have possible reinforced her identity. Although Daisy showed herself as a very happy

The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, presents a contrast between the wealthy and the penurious. The novel was set in the early 1920s right after World War I with a very prosperous economy. The novel began with the narrator, Nick, introducing the idea of social class by talking about the difference between East Egg and West Egg. This geographical barrier represented “old money” and “new money”, later in the novel he introduced the Valley of Ashes which symbolized “no money”. Nick was cousins with Daisy, who was married to Tom Buchanan, they represented old money and saw themselves as a higher class. Jay Gatsby was neighbors with Nick and he symbolized new money as he came from a poor family and worked for

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, each of the characters are trying to pursue their own “American Dream”. Fitzgerald uses the character of Jay Gatsby to show the overworking of the American Dream, leading to its failure. Throughout the novel, Gatsby is trying to achieve the impossible American Dream he wants. He is trying to win back Daisy Buchanan, the girl of his dreams. His quest to marijuana win her back demonstrates that Gatsby has an extraordinary ability to transform his hopes and dreams into reality. He goes through various attempts to win her back, facing many struggles and problems. The fate of the character Gatsby in The Great Gatsby illustrates how people’s outcomes for the American dream may not always be what they dream for.

Her dreams of vanity and an abundance of tangible items did not compare, somehow, to the intangible love her and Gatsby shared. She satisfied her materialistic needs, but was cursed with the burden of knowing she married a cheating man. Correspondingly, Tom’s choices affected Daisy’s goals, and they interfered with his as

In Fitzgerald's book “ The Great Gatsby”, it is one of his famous books he wrote in 1925. In the Great Gatsby the setting takes place during World War I. This book talks a lot about the American dream and how it can be viewed as a good thing or a bad thing. In the Great Gatsby it ties into to the American Dream during the 1920. The American dream is viewed as having money, driving expensive cars, nice clothes and having a big house. Gatsby is a man that no one really knows about and he changed his name from James to jay. In “ The Great Gatsby”, the American dream shows a lot in gatsby because he didn't have anything at first and he wanted to have a successful life. The path to the American dream can show how it can positively impact or

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote: “An idea ran back and forward in his head like a blind man knocking over the solid furniture.” All people have their own big dreams circulating their minds and a sort of desperation to achieve them, no matter where they grow up or live, but where someone comes from might influence what it is they’re longing for. In his novel, “The Great Gatsby,” he demonstrates the delusive and far-fetched concept of the American dream in men of West Egg compared to those of the Valley of Ashes and East Egg by describing the different lifestyles these settings entail.

For generations, many have immigrated to this great nation known as the United States of America, all seeking for their share of the American Dream. The American Dream is the philosophy that anyone can become successful through hard work and perseverance. The 1920’s embodies this concept like no other decade in American history. It is also during this time frame that one sees the perversion of this dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald suggests in his novel, The Great Gatsby, that there is a right and wrong way to obtain the American Dream. Throughout the novel, Gatsby is symbolic for the materialistic nature of the American Dream and its immoral corruption in the 20th century.

She looks at Tom in a different way. She looks at him as someone who can afford to buy their own suit for their own wedding. Myrtle is attracted to not only Tom’s appearance but his money as well. She believes that Tom is the ideal picture perfect man that represents the advertisement of the American Dream. Myrtle is considered to be lower class, as she doesn’t have a lot of money. Myrtle sleeps with Tom to inch her way to an upper class status. People who are upper class are the ones that have money, drive fancy cars, and have nice, big houses. Myrtle isn’t one of those people, but desires to be one of them. This later on causes destruction, and destroys Myrtle. It was later found that Daisy was the one that hit Myrtle with her car which resulted in the death of Myrtle. It is ironic that Daisy was the one that killed her, since Myrtle was having an affair with her husband, Tom. This shows how the desire for a luxurious life and having the American dream, only caused destruction in this novel and destroyed someone life.

For beloved Gatsby’s woman, Daisy, the American dream becomes a different form than for most Gatsby. Daisy accept the position of infant woman said that a woman born to luxury and all that it needs is to find a man who would give it a decent life. She believes that she does not have to be clever or even intelligence. For a girl according to Daisy enough to have a "pretty face". Daisy does not see the problems of society, and only bathes in luxury. Her only problem is essentially a choice between two rich. According to her American Dream is the ability to afford to all in incredible amounts. She admires Gatsby, showing feelings for him but at the same time does not realize what he's go for it, and may not appreciate it fully. For her, the main

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald contains many themes; however, the most noteworthy one identifies the American dream. This Dream likewise speaks to that people, regardless of who he or she is, can emerge to rich in life through their own works. The dream is spoken to with the aid of the mind of an unbiased man or woman, who strives to perform an objective to become tremendously effective. The Great Gatsby is a novel that indicates what happened to the American Dream in the 1920's, which was the day and age when the fantasies ended up noticeably adulterated for a few reasons. the American dream causes debasement in addition to has brought about decimation. Myrtle, Gatsby, and Daisy have all been corrupted by this dream.

When you think of the perfect American dream you may think of a white picket fence surrounding a big house, living in a neighborhood, having a family, and/or maybe even having a dog. You may also connect the American dream with having money and being happy because you’re wealthy. The American dream essentially can mean that anybody regardless of their class, race, gender, or nationality can be successful in America if they put in hard work. In the book The Great Gatsby that is exactly how the American dream is perceived but sometimes it is not as easy as just putting in hard work to achieve The American dream. Back in the 1920’s if you had money then you were seen as having friends, being happy, and having nothing to worry about (according to The Great Gatsby). In this book, it shows how a character who is one of the wealthiest people in the town become unhappy because he only wanted one girl who didn’t want him. The Great Gatsby depicts the American dream as the answer to happiness to the wealthy class. This shows the idea of how life could have been in the 1920’s. The book shows how the American dream specifically affects the main character.

The idea of the American dream is different for those born into separate financial and social classes. Growing up drowned in wealth and riches leaves an imprint of the American Dream that is different than the idea obtained by the middle class. This ends up with the fight for money, a good education, and the search for happiness. A person’s starting financial status not only affects their goals in life, but it changes what they have to do to obtain those goals. The American Dream is one where a person’s goal is to acquire wealth and although it may already be there, it is the never ending search for more. Although, when one starts out with hardly any money to live by it is the learning of gaining happiness. When all you have known does not revolve around money, the idea of love, family and happiness plays a part in how the American Dream pans out for all.

In this novel The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he uses many unique symbols to further the idea of the quintessential American Dream in the three symbolize the Green Light, The Valley of Ashes, and the color yellow. The American Dream, the theme of the United States, is described by Google as “A set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work.”