The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

“She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved anyone except me!” (Fitzgerald 123). People saw Gatsby as the epiphany of the American Dream. But what actually was the “American Dream”? The American Dream was people who craved money and wealth, both of which Gatsby had attained. Money would allow them to obtain everything they could ever dream of, solve all their problems, most importantly, give them a social status, and with money and status came happiness. “I’ve got a man in England who buys me clothes. He sends over a selection of things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall” (Fitzgerald 98). Gatsby was constantly throwing huge parties with everyone around town showing up uninvited, when in reality, he did it all for one person, Daisy. Gatsby contained the best possessions money could buy, a mansion, clothes, books, cars, etc. “As soon as I arrived, I made an attempt to find my host, but the two or three people whom I asked his whereabouts stared at me in such an amazed way, and denied so vehemently any knowledge of his movements” (Fitzgerald 42). Gatsby hired people to throw elaborate parties for him, he sat back and hoped that

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 stress on materialism and mentioning money and material things wherever it is possible is a characteristic trait of people representing the time period of Fitzgerald’s “American dream”. Fitzgerald reveals how Gatsby almost fulfills the dream having all of its requirements: position, money and his unique perception of the world that “attracted” people. "So he invented the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end ."(29) He forms a new man, Jay Gatsby, and becomes successful in living his life. Yet, the last of the requirements: “ ideal love” was never achieved, and therefore the collapse of the “American Dream” started. Which love cannot be achieved with money, status, for Gatsby failed to realize. The reason he strived for all of this money was to achieve his dream; Gatsby knew that Daisy wanted to marry a rich man thus he considered this way to be the only way to unite him with his true love. The understanding of the dream by the characters in the book is misinterpreted, and that is the primary reason they fail to realize the true message of the dream.

He made money his goal, but only sees what he wants to see. He only sees the large house he lives in, the expensive clothes he wears, and the happy people at his parties. In chapter 9, a man Nick called to visit Gatsby’s funeral had “implied that [Gatsby] had got what he deserved.”(pg#), showing how little everyone truly cared for him apart from his money. Gatsby saw the money as a chance at happiness, as a chance at Daisy. The rose tinted glasses he wears prevented him from foreseeing the fake friendships, and his sad, empty funeral that the money would play a large part in causing

The Great Gatsby is an example of the original American Dream and all of its pure and moral values that have been replaced with money, greed and materialism. Jay Gatsby took the American dream too far and the idea that money leads to happiness obviously was not the case for him. He truly believed that he could buy Daisy`s love with wealth. His illegal business was all an excuse to earn money and impress Daisy, however once again, money could not bring Gatsby

Instead of promoting the idea of hard work and decency, the American Dream now sprouts the want for wealth above anything else throughout the novel. This is most evident in Jay Gatsby, he truly believed that wealth and material items would be able to fix his problems and recreate his happiness from the past. Gatsby was not born into money, he came from a family of poor North Dakota famers. Therefore, he must go out and acquire wealth for himself. However, Gatsby did not make his fortune honestly, throughout the novel it is suggested that he made a profit off illegal and corrupt business deals. This is first suggested when Nick meets Wolfsheim, a business associate of Gatsby, curious of what Wolfsheim does for a living, Nick inquires. Gatsby then tells him, “He’s the man who fixed the World Series back in 1919.” (73) Fixing a World Series is not honest work and it shows that Wolfsheim is a corrupt individual. Furthermore, Gatsby does business with Wolfsheim which implies that he has not earned his money through honest means either. Nevertheless, the wealth alone does not bring Gatsby the happiness and satisfaction he desires. Towards the end of the novel, Nick discovers the reason that Gatsby went through all the trouble to acquire his massive fortune, it was to reconnect with the love of his life and recreate the happiness they once shared together. However, in chapter six, Nick reminds Gatsby that the past cannot be repeated. Gatsby, who is infinitely full of hope

Gatsby and the American Dream Have you ever wondered who could ever live the American dream? In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is the main character and in love with something he does not have, but lives a dream to others. He has all the money he needs to throw parties and have fancy things. Gatsby is considered to be living the American Dream. In the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how Gatsby represents and lives the American dream. In the book The Great Gatsby, it shows how Gatsby lives the American Dream.

The 1920’s was a decade of striving for prosperity and the American dream. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s historical fiction novel, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby builds his way up to wealth and does everything he can to attain his goal, but is ultimately unable to attain it. Through his decision to set up The Great Gatsby as a frame story, Fitzgerald conveys the theme that the American dream is not necessary attainable, no matter how much one sacrifices or works towards it.

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.

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.

Other than the fact Gatsby surrounded his life of Daisy, he also took risks to just reach the minimum for Daisy just to be with her. It all started when Daisy would not accept him into her life so, coincidentally he found the pioneer, Dan Cody. This man guided Gatsby to his excellence in new money. But his risky business of bootlegging could have started his mischievous ways and his lack of social skills. Without this business he would be living a safer life and have less caution but, his passion for Daisy strived him to be the man she always wanted. “a penniless young man [with] no real right to touch her hand,” Gatsby remains profoundly aware of his shortcomings, yet desire compels him to take what he can “ravenously” in the pursuit of his dream girl and romantic ideal (Fitzgerald 156). This was also an example of how the American Dream struck everyone during this time period. Money controlled everyone and everything especially love between two old lovers. “Both Gatsby and Daisy’s stories, for example, reveal how compelling the American dream has remained, despite the fact that the dream, as it has been given material life, has betrayed its original moral premises; Certainly both Gatsby and Daisy have been victimized by their disregard of the moral implications of their choices” (Resneck). This represents how both their choices caused a death and mainy his death. All in all “Both subscribed to the part of the dream which promised that security, status, and wealth would bring fulfillment. Neither recognized that their failing was that they pursued those goals at the expense of love, responsibility, and honesty.”

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.

Ironically, although he appears popular, the disillusionment is that he really has no friends. When he dies, he is all alone, Except for Nick, and a surprise visit from his dad, no one shows up for his funeral. It is sad that he never saw that what he was running from (his poor family) was the only thing that was loyal to him in the end. Remaining hopeful for the future by remembering the past Gatsby tells Nick “Can’t repeat the past?” he cried incredulously. “Why of course you can!” (110) Gatsby says this because he thinks that now that he has financial independence he can do anything, even repeat the past with daisy. Also nobody was actually invited to his parties except for Nick “I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited”(41) This shows that nobody actually knows him they just go to the house to party, His money isn 't actually bringing him happiness, it is just bring guests that dont even know him or want to know him. At Gatsby 's funeral nobody showed up “no one arrived except more police and photographers and newspaper men” (165) As you can see nobody cared enough to come see him, all they cared about were his parties.

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.

She put aside any feelings of real love because she thought Tom’s money and materialistic things would make her happy. Although Daisy loves Gatsby, love is not part of the American Dream that she seeks. While Gatsby, as a poor soldier, was unable to provide for Daisy, Tom gives her the sense of security she longs for. Daisy may covet the security of wealth, but her fulfillment of the American Dream still leaves her wanting more. “‘What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon?’ cried Daisy, ‘and the day after that, and the next thirty years?’” (118). Daisy has achieved the American Dream through her abundant riches, yet she is always dissatisfied. She never appreciates what she has in the present, but instead, she always focuses on what comes next. Daisy could have been happy with Gatsby, but the corrupt American Dream leaves her dissatisfied and retreating behind her wealth with Tom.