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Theme Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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The American Dream lures many of people to live their dreams and achieve ultimate life satisfaction. Although this idea is exceedingly pervasive, it is completely impractical due to the constant direction to a pit of disappointment. F. Scott Fitzgerald expresses that the desire for the American Dream will only lead to inveterate dissatisfaction in his novel The Great Gatsby. Throughout the story, it is clear Tom Buchanan is the epitome of dissatisfaction. The narrator, Nick Carraway, is at a dinner party with the Buchanan’s and notices that Tom seems utterly displeased. Nick tries to decipher what is disturbing him and says, “I had no sight into Daisy's heart, but I felt that Tom would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game” (Fitzgerald 6). Tom is unsatisfied with his life because he thinks he has already reached his peak as a football player and there is no way for him to achieve more. On the same night, Nick is told Tom is having an affair by Jordan who mentions, “Tom’s got some woman in New York” (15). Tom’s affair exemplifies that he is a loveless marriage which he feels he needs to escape from. Even after earning a plethora of money, Tom still feels dissatisfied with his life.
In addition to his misfortune, Gatsby suffers from despair as well. After Gatsby recounts the beginning to his success story to Nick, Nick concludes Gatsby, “talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted

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