The American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the ideals of wealth and dreams are exhibited through the lives and experiences of Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby. Specifically, Gatsby tends to waste his wealth rather than investing for the future. He uses the “green light” to serve as a constant reminder of his dreams and life goals he wishes to pursue. Nick Carraway’s friendship with Gatsby enables him to partake in the wealth and luxuries of Gatsby's lifestyle. The American Dream is brought to fruition through Gatsby’s lavish lifestyle and extravagant parties. Furthermore, the motifs of wealth and dreams are perpetually shaping and influencing the characters’ decisions, experiences and outcomes over the course of the story.

Fitzgerald’s novel, the Great Gatsby is one of the most meticulously written story of all time. This book incorporates different themes, yet the shadiness of the American Dream is the most significant one. The American Dream designates that one starting very low on their economic or social status and getting success and wealth trough their arduous work. Having a big house, a nice car and a happy family show the success of the American Dream. This dream is also shown by the concept of a self-made man, who struggles through life to get successful and wealthy. This dream does not only cause corruption but also destruction.

The American dream is the idea of the perfect family and a house with a white picket fence; some people strive their whole life to achieve the dream, but the dream is unachievable—there is no such thing as perfect. The Balance’s article What Is the American Dream? The History That Made It Possible by Kimberly Amadeo says:

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.

The American dream is often described as the desire for social mobility and the opportunity for wealth and success for all. According to Laura Goldblatt, author of Can’t Repeat the Past: Great Gatsby and the American Dream, “The term ‘American Dream’ provides a shorthand for aspirations that include the desire for social mobility, the ideals of freedom, and a non-hierarchical society,” (1) Of course, while there is an overall definition of the American dream, its interpretation varies from person to person. For some, it is the white picket fence and upper-middle class ideology. For others, it’s the dream of being able to support their families with their hardwork and dedication. However, for Jay Gatsby, it is only to gain wealth and success that will lead him to earn the love of Daisy Buchanan. To him, Daisy was his American dream and he would do anything, buy anything and give anything to have her, as shown throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Gatsby’s interpretation of the American dream is best encapsulated through his relentless pursuit to obtain Daisy’s love and attention. Although he used a showy appearance of wealth and prosperity to fulfill his desire for Daisy’s attention, the readers realize that money could not buy her affection in the long term, that Gatsby only committed to a life of extravagance for the sole purpose of wooing Daisy Buchanan, and he died sad and alone with his version of the American Dream never being fully realized.

There's always a start and an end to a dream. From the start line to the finish line of living out the dream. Gatsby represents the American Dream, he had started near the start line. The start line represents that there's both an advantage & disadvantages, the certain kind that not everyone has the same opportunities for and they’re not in the same social status.

Through the decades, individuals have created a representation of how the American Dream should be. This dream as historian James Adams referred to as “That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” However, during the time of Fitzgerald, the writer of The Great Gatsby, the American Dream was about discovery, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. Furthermore, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a variety of literary devices to portray the American Dream. He introduces Gatsby, a poor man who hopes and dreams to spend a life together with Daisy, extending arms to reach the green light.

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.

The American dream: the idea that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, both Jay Gatsby and Myrtle try to reach their American dreams; however, their final state reflects a significant statement on such a dream. Tom and Daisy do not need to reach this dream since they have always been in possession of their American dream. This creates a stark contrast between the ideals of Gatsby and Daisy. In the final passage of the novel, the nature of the dream is further defined. Fitzgerald uses his novel to show a pessimistic and futile view of the American dream, yet he believes that striving for the dream is a large part of the American experience.

The American Dream promises a life better, richer, and exciting according to one’s own ability and talents. The reality proves the fallacy of this dream, while a population of victims arises as the American Dream decays. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the decline of the American Dream, shown through the characters Gatsby, Myrtle, and George Wilson, proves to be corrupted by extreme materialism, as well as a loss of hope.

Whenever a person thinks of the American Dream, the initial thought that comes to mind is a luxurious and stress-free lifestyle accommodated with a hard-working, dedicated ethic. However, James Truslow Adams has another take on it, stating in his book, The Epic of America (1931), that anyone can achieve the American Dream and be recognized by others despite their position in life. F. Scott Fitzgerald contradicts this statement in his novel, The Great Gatsby, by demonstrating that the American Dream is an on-going dream that is unobtainable but within reach, for those who have advantages in life over others.

The American Dream features not only wealth and prosperity but hard labor. When our society talks about the American Dream, everyone automatically assumes only the effortless part of it. The “American Dream” seems very nationalistic, some might have to achieve it in less than legal means. James Truslow Adams once declared that American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”. Adams left out the side of gluttony and selfishness, the side of stepping on everyone to get ahead. People don't perceive it as a dream for everyone, rather a dream for themselves. Throughout the years people have argued that the american dream is dead- it has gotten harder and more challenging for people to reach. In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the protagonist Jay Gatsby is the perfect representation of the “American Dream”, or so everyone thinks. When Gatsby, the overall idea of the american dream is murdered, did that mean the end of the dream? One philosopher ponders the death of the American Dream in Bookings magazine. Hence, while the American Dream had a long run, is it gone?

From a distance, the American dream is a hopeful one- that anyone, regardless of race, class, or gender, can become successful and wealthy if they possess ambition and the ability to work hard. However, when scrutinized, this rosy view clearly shows ignorance towards societal issues such as misogyny, racism, and income inequality and instead focuses on the notion of having an extravagant home, fancy cars, and a happy family- all of which symbolize the great American dream. Fitzgerald, through his literary text The Great Gatsby, illustrates not only the corruption of this dream, but the destructive effects it induces upon individuals of different social classes. Fitzgerald’s characters, Myrtle, Daisy, Tom,

In the story The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald often shows the theme of the American Dream. Characteristics of hard work, aspiration, and determination are seen through characters, especially Gatsby. The American Dream is when someone starts low on the social or economic rank, and works hard to gain wealth or fame. Having a grand amount of money, an expensive car, a luxurious home, nice and expensive clothes, and a happy family symbolize the American Dream. Gatsby represents the American Dream because he came from a poor family and he wanted to be successful, then becomes well known and wealthy.

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.