The Power Of American Dream In The Great Gatsby

The term “The American Dream” was coined in 1931 by American writer James Truslow Adams and described America as a place of opportunity based on one’s ability and hard work. Although the term originated in 1931, the fundamental ideas of the American Dream debuted in 1920’s society and contrasted greatly with previous notions of a stagnant class structure. This was due to the booming post-WWI economy, which provided an increase in accessibility to leisure items and activities, allowing luxuries typically reserved for the upper class to be enjoyed by the masses. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, reflects these social and economic changes. The novel follows the rise and fall of Jay Gatsby, who achieved prosperity in spite of being born the son of a poor, North Dakota farmer. Though many believed in an emergence of class mobility in the 1920’s, the novel The Great Gatsby demonstrates the ultimate inaccessibility of the American Dream - a holistic realization of social and economic equality.

In “The Great Gatsby” F. Scott Fitzgerald uses his characters as symbols for the fragility of the American dream and the ultimate dissatisfaction inherent in its pursuit. In doing so, this theme becomes more tangible as represented by living, breathing people who go through things that we can visualize. Daisy has all the outward signs of luxury while achieving no real happiness. As such she epitomizes the disillusionment with the American dream. Tom, her husband, who has a life of luxury and power and uses it in destructive ways represents the negative effects of the mindless pursuit of wealth. And Gatsby, himself, pursues wealth to attract a love from his past. His failure in this represents the fallacy of such a pursuit.

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 American Dream: Is is fact or fiction? In the United States’ Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers set forth the idea of an American Dream by providing us with the recognizable phrase “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. The green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock symbolizes Jay Gatsby’s “Pursuit of Happiness” in the novel, The Great Gatsby, set in the 1920s on Long Island, New York. The American Dream can be defined as “the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American Dream is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, not by chance” (Fontinelle, Amy). At the birth of our country in 1776, our founding fathers introduced the American Dream as a personal desire to pursue happiness; however, the pursuit of happiness was not intended to promote self-indulgence, rather to act as a catalyst to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit. As our country has changed, the idea of the American Dream, in some cases, has evolved into the pursuit of one’s own indulgences such as material gain regardless of the consequences.

Gatsby lived in a world where money took priority over moral integrity, which impacted negatively on Gatsby. In the past, Gatsby had an love affair with the affluent Daisy. But they separated because of the difference in their social status. Then Gatsby started to amass wealth. In the process of seeking for money and status, Gatsby began his evil business. To be rich, he engaged in criminal activities. Through his dealings with organized crimes, it could be seen that he did not adhere to the American Dream guidelines. So his American Dream was doomed to failure. In addition, Gatsby was blinded due to his ideal love for Daisy. Actually, Daisy was far from the idealistic figure in Gatsby’s mind. She was a realistic woman, attracted by substantial things—money and solid social status. However, because of his blinded love, Gatsby could not realize the true essence of Daisy, though he saw through that “her voice is full of money”. Even if they could live together, Gatsby would have been

Despite Gatsby’s strong desire for wealth, the accomplishment of reaching the American Dream is made even more difficult by his adoration of Daisy and her illusive kindness. Due to Gatsby’s past and his strong yearning for wealth, the moment he

To begin, the novel emphasizes how abundant Gatsby’s wealth has become. Nick Carraway, the narrator, sees the enormous parties he throws and the large house he owns. Mr. Carraway continues to elaborate on the extravagant parties, describing “There [is] music coming from my neighbor’s house…on weekends his Rolls-Royce [becomes] an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city…” (Fitzgerald 39). Later Mr. Carraway reveals to the reader why Gatsby demonstrates perseverance and relentless to attain the finances he has. The reason being to regain Daisy’s affection. If the intent to steal a married woman from her husband is not enough to create a sense of immorality, the way Gatsby gets his money as the tool to win her is enough. Mr. Buchanan exploits Gatsby’s past, “He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That's one of his little stunts…” (Fitzgerald 133). Tom Buchanan reveals to the party around him that he concludes where Gatsby came to have the money he has, which is a vital part to why Mr. Gatsby doesn't get his happy ending. Gatsby had materialistic goals and illegal way to achieve them.

I believe the American Dream is the idea that everyone should have an equal opportunity to achieve the success that they want as long as they put in the effort and work hard to reach their goals. It is my understanding that the American Dream is the opposite of being handed things and not having to work for them, which within the book The Great Gatsby, refers to mostly all of the people that live in East Egg such as Tom and Daisy. These are all the people that inherited their money and therefore didn’t have to work for any of it. F Scott Fitzgerald touches on the idea of the American Dream quite subtly throughout the novel and in this essay I will give you some examples of where he does, while it in my opinion is most directly related to both Gatsby’s and Daisy’s lives.

The American Dream is the belief that anyone can be successful if they just work hard enough. It is about pursuing happiness through independence and integrity. Many individuals rely on the American Dream to give them a meaningful life, when in actuality it destroys one’s happiness. In reality, those who give no significance to the American Dream are the ones who are actually satisfied with their lives. Fitzgerald’s novel, ‘The Great Gatsby,’ shows that finding purpose in one’s life does not revolve around the American Dream. As a matter of fact, individuals are most content without trying to achieve that utmost success. The American Dream is a false prospect that people attempt to achieve, and as a result,

Gatsby does not belong to his own class and he is not accepted by the upper class, therefore he becomes an exception. Because of disappointment of being looked down upon and impossibility of accept by the upper class, he has nothing left except his love, which is also his “love dream”. Gatsby’s love for Daisy has been the sole drive and motive of his living. Gatsby’s great love is also the root of his great tragedy, because he is desperately in love with a woman who is not worthy of his deep love. Fitzgerald offers Gatsby with the spirit of sincerity, generosity, nobility, perseverance, and loyalty. All his good natures can be seen

The American Dream can be defined as a person's ability to attain success regardless of their cultural background, gender, nationality, or social class. The American Dream creates a narrow mindset in society that ignores the effects of racism and income inequality. The fact that all the upper-class people possess a lot of wealth does not mean that they are the same. People have got different behaviors and it depends upon upbringing in the society. Morality is essential in life and no one should be underrated in life. The 1920s was a tumultuous time in America because of increased immigration, changes in the roles of the women in the society such as voting rights for women, and eventually greater income inequality. America was also in an economic boom which bolstered the belief that anyone could be rich. The Great Gatsby was written in 1925, but it tries to describe the fantasies experienced in 1920. Novels written during that time tended to emphasis the American dream. Fitzgerald tries to criticize the idea that America is a true meritocracy, where any individual can get rich by working hard. This conceptual paper explores the flawed nature of the American Dream as evidenced by two characters that are Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby.

On the surface, The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, but it’s more frequently understood as a cynical analysis of the American Dream. In the novel, Jay Gatsby overcomes his poor past to gain an absurd amount of money and a limited amount of social cache in a 1920’s New York City, only to be rejected by the “old money” socialites. The main theme of the novel reflects a much larger, less romantic capacity than what it would first seem. The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic reflection on 1920s America as a whole, in particular the disintegration of the American dream in an era of unique wealth and materialistic views.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was one that was highly centralized around the American Dream. The American Dream is the belief that anyone can become successful in America if they worked hard enough. The dream did not discriminate anyone and that is why many people worked towards it. In the novel, it shows that not everyone was living the American Dream but were separated by the social classes of wealth, race, and intelligence.

A society composed of materialistic and shallow values will reflect these values within characters and plot. ‘The Great Gatsby’ conveys the life of unsympathetic Jay Gatsby and his affair with Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby’s love for Daisy motivates his actions, he obsesses over the idealistic vision he has created of her. Gatsby is inspired to follow the ‘American Dream’ believing it will make everything come true, represented in the narrator’s observation, “Gatsby believed in the green light” which symbolises his vision and hope, representing the ‘Dream.’ His dream of love is a quality which almost appears favourable compared to the cynical corruption of other characters, notably Tom Buchanan.

In the world of 2017 it just seems that more and more people fall deeper into poverty. From the south side of Chicago to the streets of Cleveland, to the dumps of Detroit, to the gangs in LA it just seems more and more people keep falling down the never ending hole of poverty and depression. Even their offspring fall into this terrible fate as they fall into the weight of student debt. The United States has been claimed to be the “land of opportunity” ever since its first European settlers stepped foot onto its fertile soil; Many of whom chased the “American Dream”. But is the American Dream achievable to the average American? Even in the 1900s this was a prominent question as people questioned if the American dream is achievable including