The Great Gatsby Argumentative Essay

In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main character Jay Gatsby, was great. Gatsby was great due to his ambition, optimism, and for being passionate in the novel. The Great Gatsby was set in the 1920’s, based upon Jay Gatsby, in Nick Carraway’s perspective.

When the phrase “American Dream” is uttered, it is typically associated with having money or striving to have money. The dream of much of the public is to have money and to be able to purchase anything they desire whenever they want. For some, this dream is not about money, but it is about having the opportunity to better his or herself and his or her loved ones. In either case, there are certain circumstances and obstacles that make this dream increasingly difficult to attain. Some would even be willing to argue, the American dream is unattainable. “American Dream” is defined as the concept of every citizen of the United States having an equal opportunity to achieve success and happiness through hard work, sacrifices, and risk-taking (Fontinelle);

The forty-first president of the United States, George W. H. Bush, once said, “The American Dream means giving it your all, trying your hardest, accomplishing something…” As the years fly by, so does the American Dream. With busy lives, many Americans tend to forget the purpose of the American Dream. Failing to make ends meet, not being able to afford the new iPhone and the lack of success that is not America’s fault. People create their successes and failures based on what they desire. Through a person creating their own definition, not quitting once things go wrong, and creating opportunities the American Dream still floods the streets of America today.

In The Great Gatsby money always seemed to be the most essential part of the every character's life, but despite having all the money in the world money can never be a substitute for happiness. People who are rich always tend to not care about money and goods that most people don't have the privilege of having. In The Great Gatsby there are great examples on how wealth is very important to some of the characters lives. Huge parties were thrown by Gatsby, “everybody who's anybody would attend” (Fitzgerald), they would stay until daylight, and Gatsby would put a bunch of money just so people he doesn't even know can enjoy. Even though he does not enjoy them himself he does it for only one reason, he believes happiness

If I could be doing anything in the world it would be a pretty simple thing, reading. Reading while I'm spread across a hammock. Simple, but very satisfying. My eyes would be glued to my all time favorite book that I was introduced to my junior year of high school, The Great Gatsby. The story approach is a brilliant image of the 1920's that could be my daily read for as long as I can open my eyes. I would be reading the book basking in the summer sun as the day passed by slowly, withering away by sunrays because it feels too good to protect myself from the light.

The sequel artifact to draw from the recent discernment of the competent power secrets produce via the withholding of information is the prognosis that onlookers generate a variation of perspectives on the event where a secret takes place. The application of the projection can be applied from the portrayal of Gatsby continuously throughout the novel: mysterious, questionable, and cryptic. Coming out of the assumptions made of Gatsby’s behavior, Gatsby could be anyone due to the lack of information as no single past or path defines who Gatsby truly was. (Weinstein 28). Encompassing Weinstein’s provided claim, there is evidence of an array of perspectives examining Gatsby being created throughout the novel the first one being how Nick sees Gatsby.

Humans often make goals to reach an exhilarated state. When a goal becomes too hard to obtain and when too many people fail to reach this goal, society digresses. The American Dream is the national ethos of the United States that was created in 1931. It is a set of principles in which prosperity and success can be achieved through hard work and the right ethics. However, over the years, the “car has stopped.” This so-called “dream” is running low and slowly turning into a fantasy. With the exploitation of an over-powering government and the reforms of education heading in the wrong direction, the American Dream is running low and is on its way to extinction.

This is in essence the purest form of the American Dream that I’ve seen. It’s an idea that no matter how terrible life is, if you have the willpower and hope, anything can be achieved. This is what the American Dream truly is to me. While it may be true that the way the American Dream is embodied changes through generations, i.e. the fight to be acknowledged in October Sky, the essence is still the same. The American Dream is to be able to live, work, thrive, and be whatever you set your mind to. This essence of the American Dream is everything to me because just a few short months ago the concept of the American Dream meant nothing to me. It was just a thing my mother talked about at dinner, or a fable that seemed to irrelevant to notice, but that all changed when I opened my eyes to the real meaning behind it all. It made me feel like there was a purpose to the chaos, it made it all feel real.

Both characters use their wealth to continue their pasts, however they do not acknowledge their use of money in the same way. First of all, for the most part, Gatsby is acquainted with and stands for his disingenuous and lucrative means in getting what he desires. His main objective in the novel is to carry on his past love life, concerning his relationship with his, now married lover, Daisy. Gatsby evidently acknowledges his wealth, and absentmindedly uses it to his own advantage; he believes it will capture the attention of Daisy. Many people arrive at Gatsby’s extravagant parties uninvited, thus when Jordan Baker explains Gatsby’s proposal for a planned meeting to Nick Carraway, she “thinks he half expected her to wander into one of his parties some night” (Fitzgerald 65). However, this did not occur the way he had

Due to the modern-day circumstances of life in America, such as the salary of minimum wage, the corrupted economy, and the demands of everydayevery day life, I believe that the "American Dream" has become simply unachievable. A once inspirational and motivational set of ideals has turned into something that can now be described as out of reach.

“The American Dream” has become a catch all term for the American way of life. However, since the

The American dream often embodies the hope of a new life filled with opportunities and happiness. Jay Gatsby was one of those light-hearted fools who believed he could have it all: fortune, fame, and love. Gatsby came from humble beginnings; he grew up in the Midwest of America, poor and resentful toward his family because of it. His eventually developed an acute thirst for wealth; this

In history, we tend to want to pick out someone as the “best”. Mozart was the best composer, Babe Ruth the best baseball player, Marylin Monroe the best porn star/singer/actress etc. But this will always be debated, because being the best in something is very subjective. Some will argue Bach, or Dimaggio, or Hepburn (although to my knowledge Audrey Hepburn never did porn). Being the best is subjective. Being influential is less so. You don’t necessarily have to be considered to be good to be considered influential, or even good at all. Such is the case of famous American writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald, not so affectionately known as F. “Scotch” Fitzgerald.

Jimmy Gatz died as Cody was rowing that fateful boat, and was reborn a new man, Jay Gatsby. This character invented by himself is too farfetched to be true. Jay Gatsby is a wealthy man with many acquaintances and few friends. Gatsby is so mysterious and well spoken, that the rumors of his adventurous youth and heroism in war, while quite ridiculous, are able to convince Nick of their truthfulness.

Throughout different era’s and periods of time the American dream has slightly varied, but the ultimate end goal remains the same; based on independence, a need for freedom, and the ability and desire to achieve greatness in one’s lifetime