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What Does The American Dream Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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In The Great Gatsby, the American Dream is a symbol of not only the wishes and dreams of Americans, but also the endless struggle to secure such ambitions. In this passage, Fitzgerald uses the symbol of the American Dream in order to summarize Gatsby’s life. During the early stages of “Gatsby’s wonder[,] when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock”, the American Dream is used to symbolize Gatsby’s initial aspirations (Fitzgerald). His wish to become successful and win back Daisy is reflected by the beginnings of the American Dream. As Gatsby’s story continues, the symbol develops as well and is seen again in the stage of accomplishment. Gatsby had achieved the fame, wealth, and success and “he had come a long way to [the] blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that …show more content…

The American Dream poses as a symbol for the hard work and rewards that come from it in order to build towards one’s dream. When this work is done, it seems as if though the dream will inevitably be accomplished. However despite this success, the American Dream is also used to symbolize the negative aspects of Gatsby’s life. The American Dream, in addition to symbolizing success at one’s dreams, also represents the failures and unwavering difficulty in trying to succeed. Even at what he thought was the top, Gatsby “did not know that [his dream] was already behind him”, lost in the remains of other shattered dreams (Fitzgerald). The American Dream is something of false hope; rarely resulting in success. Here it symbolizes what will be Gatsby’s realization that his dream will never be obtained. Regardless of his dream falling apart, as Daisy returned to Tom, “Gatsby [still] believed in the green light [and] the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (Fitzgerald). The American Dream’s unachievable nature perfectly symbolizes Gatsby’s relentless hope that his dream will revive

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