The American Dream in The Great Gatsby Essay

The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he gives us perfect details on what the American Dream is and the demise of those who made an effort trying to reach it. The scenery also is representative of Fitzgeralds satire of 1920s New York lifestyle, most important of all, brings out the themes of American Dream, money and love. Fitzgerald made it clear that American Dream is not same for people, but for the central character in The Great Gatsby, the dream is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness.

Jay Gatsby is the true depiction of the rag to riches story in the quest to fulfill the American Dream. Gatsby's dream symbolizes the larger American Dream where all have the opportunity to get what they want. For Gatsby, his goal was to have Daisy back in his life. Gatsby knows because of his social status, Daisy would not be bother with him, so he leaves to obtain wealth through bootlegging and other criminal activities to accumulate wealth to reach her financial standards. Once he gains his wealth, he decided to move back to Long Island where Daisy resides - Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay," (Fitzgerald, 1995, p.83). From his lavish mansion, throwing parties every week, in which he didnt attend, his American Dream, is not material possessions, although it may seem that way. He only comes into wealth so that he can fulfill his true American Dream, Daisy. Sadly, it never comes and he ends up paying the critical price for it.

One thing never changes about the American Dream, a lot people desires something in life and everyone somehow strives to get it. In this country the possession of materialistic items compare to happiness. This is much true today, and during the 1920's, Fitzgerald shows how Gatsby is a man that believes if he has money, he can attain love and happiness.

Nick Carraway, the narrator and one of the main characters in The Great Gatsby, is unique when compared with the other characters. Nick is an ordinary man who judges people by their nature and not by their social status or wealth. Fitzgerald may have modeled Nick after his own life and personality. Fitzgerald gave a good example of the America Dream in Nick during 1920s by showing that everybody doesnt have the bug for materialistic things and wealth; some people want the simple of pleasures life. Fitzgerald is very detailed and showed that in Nick and also how he had the down to earth persona. Nick is the voice of Fitzgerald throughout novel and this is one his early critiques of Gatsby - It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, which you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself. (p.52) Fitzgerald gradually gives an image of Gatsby and how he seen by the people around him. Nick depicts Gatsbys unusual determination, by showing that Gatsby has the capability to make anyone he grins at feel as though he has selected that person out of the whole external world,

The 1920s was an era that people view as being happy, economic boom, innocent, and enjoyable times in America. It was the start of the jazz age, production of the radio, cars and giant stepping stone for women. Fitzgerald had a different vision. The Great Gatsby was written to show his dissatisfaction of roaring twenties. Fitzgerald showed that with wealth, people assumed, made you better than others and it was a determining factor in the society and in the company which one kept. Fitzgerald gives you an idea in relation to the American Dream in woman in the twenties through Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is in love with money, beauty, men of wealth, simplicity, and the luxury of materialistic things. Daisy was focus on social status, and charm, Daisys speaks about her infant daughter and says I hope shell be a foolthats the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool (p.21). Fitzgerald shows the differences in women of the time period. Daisy is very intelligent, but because of her environment, in which she lives in, people did not value intelligence in women. Daisy is implying that her daughter will have great success because she will be beautiful. The roaring twenties as illustrated in The Great Gatsby, women rather not seek success, they rather strive for beauty. Sometimes being a trophy wife for some rich guy often required being beautiful and foolishly compliant.

In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrated that with the American Dream, money dont bring happiness. The Great Gatsby is a story that captures the glitz and glamour of the 1920s, but it is also the portrayal of a Jay Gatsby and his unsuccessful search for happiness through materialism. Gatsbys dreams of happiness and love are corrupted by the worthlessness of a dream based on wealth and possessions. Money may be able to buy you many material possessions but money cannot buy life. Jay Gatsby spends his life trying to prove and show Daisy he had wealth and materialistic luxurious items, and still didnt get the outcome he wanted. Fitzgerald shows the corruption of the American Dream, the moral destruction of society, the social aspiration and discrimination, and the difference between the two extreme lifestyles of the upper-class in that era. Fitzgerald explain the American Dream with many twist and mystery in The Great Gatsby, but made it clear that people will do anything to achieve the American Dream even if you spend your whole entire life trying to get it.

Works Cited Page

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.