Dreams And Failure Of The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

In a materialistic world, information about a man’s background or financial situation often becomes a significant factor in reflecting that person’s status. As a result, people hide the ugly truths behind the fabricated stories to gain a good reputation. Some people take to the extent of losing themselves in the myths to create a desirable façade to cover up their shameful truths about the past. However, truths are bound to be revealed sooner or later and the consequence can result in terrible adversities of the subject. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby lives in his own imaginative world in which his background is believed to be reputable, financial status is solid and social standing is respectable; however, in reality, he is born of a poor family, earns money illegally, and has a poor social connection. Since Gatsby the man, is blinded by the mythical world that he creates for himself, he is unable to recognize reality; as a result, he causes his own demise and ends up losing everything including his life.

The Elusive Dream The American Dream is the fantasy of how through hard work, thrift, and dedication, one can attain their goals and dreams. In the novel “The Great Gatsby” the characters relentlessly search and chase their dreams with no avail resulting in nothing but heartbreak and failure. The idea that their selfish wants are within their reach puts them through an unrelenting pursuit of an unobtainable dream. “The Great Gatsby” illustrates throughout the length of the book how this dream remains as an elusive enchanted idea that is not always what it seems to be.

Gatsby loses his identity in his pursuit of marrying Daisy. When Nick begins to get to know Gatsby, Gatsby’s friend Wolfsheim describes him as, “’the kind of man you’d like to take home and introduce to your mother and sister” (Fitzgerald 72). When Nick first meets Gatsby, people who know him view him as a perfect gentleman who would never try to take another man’s wife, but as Gatsby becomes closer to Daisy, he loses a part of who he is by attempting to take Daisy from Tom. According to Barry Gross, “he has surrendered his material existence to an immaterial vision and once that vision is shattered it is too late for him to reclaim his material identity” (25). Gatsby has given away his own identity in his pursuit of Daisy and when he finally realizes he cannot marry Daisy it is too late for him to reclaim the man he once was. Also, Gatsby throws massive, elaborate parties, with people he did not even know or invite, at his house in hopes of attracting Daisy, who loves displays of wealth and affluence (Fitzgerald 42). Gatsby plans extravagant parties and spends massive amounts of money on them in the belief that if he tried hard enough and spent enough money, he would be able to bring Daisy back to him.

Sybil Isabel Dorsett, a shy, twenty-two-year-old substitute teacher, became an interesting case, when the Sybil came into a mental health facility complaining of severe memory loss that resulted in unknown store bought items, “waking up,” in strange place, and severe social anxiety that again resulted in a loss of time, and memory, blackouts, and emotional breakdowns, in public places. What was first thought to be hysteria, turned into another problem, after experiencing some of the patients, “hysteria.” Born, and raised in the suburbs of Dodge Center, Minnesota, to a very successful and well respected carpenter, and architect, Walter Mason, and an often described as, “bizarre,” stay-at-home mother, Martha “Mattie” Atkinson. Sybil seemed to have the all-American family, but reports sexual abuse at the hands of her well-respected mother, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia years before Sybil was born. A much respected art teacher at Columbia university, Sybil often teaches art classes to university students.

When Cody died, he left the boy, now Jay Gatsby, a legacy of $25,000. Unfortunately

Dedication and tenacity are examples of attributes that allow one to accomplish a societal label for effort shown towards attaining goals and dreams. Through his work The Great Gatsby, F.Scott Fitzgerald used the protagonist, Jay Gatsby, to demonstrate the American Dream and greatness. Gatsby was a mysterious character, commonly mistaken as a mere criminal; but actually, he was a victim of his perseverance and the American Dream. Despite his criminal activities, the book portrayed Gatsby as much more than a thug, an individual stopping at nothing to obtain his dream. While Jay Gatsby never fully achieved the American Dream, his marked determination, hope, and love for Daisy earned him the appropriate title, The Great Gatsby.

When thinking back, most people remember being told to follow their dreams. Even so, these dreams aren’t always so great, and can turn into something corrupted. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he shows just how someone’s dreams can be disturbed and warped into an obsession.

Identity is cultivated through several diverse mediums within F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby ‘The word identity is defined as the set of personal and behavioral characteristics which define an individual as a member of a certain group. Based on race, ethnicity, religion, language and culture people distinguish themselves from other groups and form their understanding and pride in who they are’ . For the novels’ central characters, Gatsby and the others , status is autocratic, and an ambition. In their minds, adopting an aspirational identity would afford them the confidence, integrity and purpose they perceive as lacking. Each focal character approaches and reacts to identity differently; however there are also numerous parallels. Jay Gatsby begin his life identifying as oppressed destitutes – then strive separately to embody an identity which they do not fit. Gatsby, being an ambassador for the American Dream, has aspirations upon which he intends to capitalise, and superficially, he does. In the book the central characters may try to escape their prescribed identities in life, and to varying degrees they do, but fail to emulate the social group into which they want to acclimate. The meaning and justification of Identity transforms throughout the texts, and this is what I hope to investigate.

The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was written in 1925. The 1920s, often called the "Roaring 20s" was a time in which prohibition was in order and a new era of women came to life. These women were considered Flappers, and they rebelled against their expectations of the time, which was risky because of the big role Social Class played at this time. Jay Gatsby is one of the main characters in the novel living through the 1920s.Gatsby was born in a hard working farming family in the lowest social class, he learned how to present himself as a high class gentlemen by learning how to gain relationships with the wealthy. The American dream is a major underlying theme in the novel and Gatsby portrays this dream by dying while trying to successfully fulfill his goal by becoming what he was not born into. Although Gatsby thought that living in a high society and owning extravagant articles of clothing would help him be happy, his death proves that wealth was not what he needed, he needed true love.

The American dreams and hope for women in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald are overpowered by the dreams of men in the novel. Suppression of the American women in the 1920’s is portrayed in the characters: Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordon.

The high priestess was nowhere to be seen. The once noble and beautiful woman, someone he had denied help and compassion, consigned herself to darkness for nearly three years now; insanity and hate etched in her mind and heart. Merlin felt partly responsible for her cruel deal of fate. But still, he couldn 't ignore her choice to walk this path either.

   Thesis: In his influential book The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald recognizes and describes many of the less alluring characteristics of the 1920's and the pursuit of the American Dream including dysfunctional relationships, materialism and classism.

The couples were spinning in their lavish dance illuminated by the soft glow of the strung lanterns during the unknown last quiet moments of peace before everything was thrown into chaos. Thunder-like crashes and the scream of an antagonized soul filled the still moments from mere seconds before. Chaotic screams and frantic callings of loved ones names rang through the lost silence. People needing assurance that their loved ones were alright, to know that misery hadn’t come into their lives again.

There once was a poor little girl who lived with her step mother and two step sisters. From the time Ella was born her parents were deeply terrified of the child. She was born on a dark stormy night at the end of October. Ella 's mother had struggled with infertility for 7 years. She cried and prayed every night that she would be granted a child. One night she found herself alone in the middle of a cobblestone road. A devilishly handsome man appeared in front of her and said "Woman, you are filled with sorrow. Allow me to ease your pain. Go home to your husband. In the morning you will be filled with sickness and from your sickness will come great joy in the form of a daughter." She was so overwhelmed with gratitude, but did not realize that magic always comes with a price.

Although money provides security, social status and comfort, it does not grant happiness. There is a tendency in American culture to equate success with happiness. Success is the core of American society, as it drives innovation and motivates people to work harder in order to achieve their goals — but at what cost? When striving for success, people tend to neglect other important areas of their lives such as their health, emotional well-being and more importantly their loved ones. The literary works of The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald; the play Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller and Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into the Wild, depict the value of non-material, intangible possessions. The three pieces exhibit characters who neglect their loved ones and are quick to escape intimacy once they are able to obtain a wealth and status or other desires. Consequently, the stories show that the pressure to appear successful often times inhibits people from attaining the authentic joy of relationships.