American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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.

The author Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby as a novel that talks about and covers American issues in the 1920s. He shows in the novel the carelessness and selfishness of everybody at the same time by portraying all of them in the location of west and east egg. Fitzgerald talks about a couple different topics throughout the novel. One of those is," the Attainment of a dream may be less satisfying than the pursuit of it" and the second one is"the American Dream is corrupted by the desire for wealth". He uses those themes to show how americans lived at a different time.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a fictional novel about a young man’s life , narrated by his closest friend Nick. This young extravagantly wealthy man known as Mr.Gatsby, lived in the 1920’s and represented the american dream in many different ways. In F. Scott Fitzgerald “The Great Gatsby” Tom and Daisy were born into this weathiness. Gatsby on the other hand had to work for his money by going to the army. In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald wanted to display the elusiveness of the American Dream and how more money makes the society during this time period lose their morality.

Nick observes Gatsby as, “... he stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way, and far as [Nick] could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily [Nick] glanced seaward- and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.”(Fitzgerald 20-21). The single green light that Gatsby looks steadily upon, which was across the water represents the unreachable dream that thought he could have obtained, which refers back to the death of the American Dream, the “dream [that] must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it” (180). In other words, Gatsby is unaware that he is incapable of accomplishing his dream with Daisy despite the fact that he upholds a high wealthy status. The green light also represents an unclear future; the future that will continually be difficult to achieve. In the last chapter of the novel, Nick affirms that, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future

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

shirts and began throwing them, one by one, before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel… Suddenly, with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily. ‘They’re such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds” (Fitzgerald 92). Daisy had married Tom and he was wealthy but when she went to Gatsby’s mansion, she realized the extent of his wealth. Gatsby and Daisy’s main focus in their lives was money. Money was all they really cared about. “Jay Gatsby’s quest, the wealthy Daisy, represents the emptiness of an American society focused on money, a sordid but accurate view of the American Dream” (Adamson 25). The American society is basically empty with a large focus on money rather than the significant things in life.

From early on in the novel, Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a mysterious, wealthy and extravagant man; he lives in an ostentatious mansion and showcases his successes at the lavish parties he hosts. However, it is evident that this perplexing character, despite all of his wealth and successes, continues to yearn for even more. At the beginning of The Great Gatsby, Nick observes of Gatsby, “...he 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” (Fitzgerald 26). It is later revealed that Daisy, who Gatsby loves and hopes to reunite with, lives at the house at the end of the dock with the green light. Ultimately, Daisy and the green light are motivations for Gatsby that recur throughout the novel. This single green light that Gatsby reached out to with quivering arms represents the American dream that drove the goals and hopes of Americans during this time.

The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald is what can be seen as the American dream, where characteristics of hard work and ambitions of many characters are shown. The novel exemplify many themes especially in the 1920s, however the most important one is the American Dream corruption. The American Dream as seen in The Great Gatsby as someone that lower class in the economic or social chain, and with high ambition works hard towards prosperity that of wealth and stardom, such as the character Gatsby. Throughout the story possession of fortune, a luxurious car,huge mansion, and a happy go lucky family depicts the perfect American dream. This dream also exemplifies the idea that people, no matter who they are can become. This novel represents 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.

One of the most influential writers of the early 20th century was a man named F. Scott Fitzgerald. The biggest topic that he wrote about was the American Dream. Fitzgerald uses many different aspects of writing to get his opinion across, such as the outcome of stories like The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams”. He also uses the setting and to explain his beliefs. Based of his work, Fitzgerald believes the American dream is not only unrealistic, but also unattainable.

We often hear people trying to define the American dream, but how can it be defined if the definition isn’t consistent? In today’s society the definition of the American dream varies from person to person. Some may say it’s based on getting an extravagant degree from a high ranked college, the amount of money in a bank account, or even something as simple as having a family. It may seem erratic but that’s the beauty of it, everyone’s definition is different, and that’s why it’s obtainable for everyone.

The American dream is an ideology, a vision that’s form varies from individual to individual, based upon one’s own experiences. Although the one thing that remains constant in every single definition is that this ideology, just as the name states, is only a dream. It is meant to merely drive people to unlock their hidden potential and become their best self, for the sole purpose of living one’s out one’s own definition of success. In “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the American Dream is Jay Gatsby’s inspiration and his opportunity, however, as the book progresses it becomes more evident that not all people share the same opportunity.

The American dream is defined as “an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative” (Google). There were many conflicts that interfered with trying to reach each individual's dreams. Each character had their own meaning of their dream, Jay Gatsby especially. He had a big impact in his life, Daisy, which led to failure in his own American dream. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby almost lived out his American dream, by finding the love of his life, and almost fulfilled the dream to be with her forever.

The American Dream, is an idea that all Americans are familiar with, no matter what age they are. It is the dream that everyone has an equal opportunity, to use hard work and integrity to achieve success. The American Dream is an integral aspect of Jay Gatsby’s life in the novel, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel follows Jay Gatsby, as told by Nick Carraway, through the trials and tribulations that correspond with newfound wealth and the quest to find true happiness in a cynical and testing environment. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald suggests that the American Dream has the power to corrupt individuals, through his depictions of wealth, materialism, and the consequences they inflict in the character’s lives.

Fame, Success, Money, Admiration; these things as well as many others can be used to express The American Dream. The American Dream to most is the belief that once an individual comes to America they are able to do and be anything, but there is a downside. This downside is the factor of corruptibility that can come from wanting to achieve this stoic dream. In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the main protagonist Jay Gatsby can be viewed as a man who has captured the American Dream in every aspect. Though everything is not as it appears because as the novel progresses the reader obtains an in-depth look into how Jay Gatsby was able to achieve this dream and how it has changed him. The dominant theme of The American Dream that F. Scott Fitzgerald delivers throughout The Great Gatsby assists in bringing forth a message of how The American Dream has the ability to demolish an individual lively hood and how this glorious dream can ultimately destroy someone.