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Theme Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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Fitzgerald uses Gatsby’s party to develop the theme of the corruption of the American Dream by showing the original concept compared to how Americans bring the Dream to life. The original concept of the American Dream is thrown away for the promise of fast and easy success rather than personal happiness through hard work. When Nick first arrives at Gatsby’s party, he says, “I was immediately struck by the number of young Englishmen dotted about; all well dressed, all looking a little hungry, and all talking in low, earnest voices to solid and prosperous Americans. I was sure that they were selling something...They were...agonizingly aware of the easy money in the vicinity and convinced that it was theirs for a few words in the right key” (42). The American Dream isn’t focused on money, but on personal happiness. Fitzgerald uses the Englishmen so it naturally stands out against the American crowd, but also wants the reader to grasp that the American Dream is to take hard work and initiative in order to achieve the benefits and happiness. Furthermore, Fitzgerald uses the people at Gatsby’s party to show that Americans chase the Dream, but don’t put any work into turning it into a reality. Fitzgerald writes, “They got into automobiles which bore them out to Long Island, and somehow they ended up at Gatsby’s door. Once there they were introduced by somebody who knew Gatsby, and after that they conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with an amusement

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